​It is an honour to have been unanimously re-selected by all the local party branches and affiliated organisations to stand as Labour’s candidate for Tooting in the next general election. 

I want to say a huge thank you to all the members and affiliates who took part, and who continue to put their trust in me to represent our community. 

Serving as the Member of Parliament for the community I grew up in is an honour. From helping local residents with casework, playing a part in winning the council, defending our NHS and serving as the shadow Minister to Mental Health - I have the best job in the world. My job is made even greater by the fantastic support local members show me all year round, so I want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to them all!

The next election is make-or-break for our party, we simply must win. I’m looking forward to working hard to make this happen. 

The NHS is being dismantled, I see it every time I work a shift. More people than ever are relying on foodbanks, and the cost-of-living crisis is having a devastating impact on people locally and across the country. I will be absolutely committed to doing everything I can to put Labour into Government and make the changes this country so desperately needs. 

Thank you again to everyone who voted. 

On Monday 13 June, I was delighted to welcome organisations and individuals from across Balham, Earlsfield, Furzedown and Tooting to Parliament, in order to recognise their fantastic contributions to society in the face of adversity in the last few years. It was a sheer joy to see the pillars of our communities together in one place and I look forward to continuing to collaborate and support the inspiring people who do so much for the local area. 

I presented the following organisations and individuals with trophies for truly exceptional services in the community:
Councillor Andy Gibbons, for his dedicated public service over the last three decades.
Balham and Tooting Community Association; for their absolutely fantastic work to build a better community and bring people together.
Dons Local Action Group, for their crucial and brilliant work across southwest London to support those most in need.
Earlsfield Foodbank; for their vital support to those who need it throughout these challenging times
White Eagle Club; for their heroic work to coordinate relief efforts to Ukraine, and their kindness shown in their community outreach work.

I awarded Tooting Heroes certificates to those detailed below for their fantastic work in various sectors, listed by area:
Wandsworth
Care4Calais, for providing direct aid and access to legal support to refugees and asylum seekers.
Chefs in Schools, for the promotion of health eating among young people and serving nutritious, tasty and inexpensive meals in local schools.
Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, for working to widen access opportunities by providing information, tools and resources to refugees and asylum seekers.
CREW Energy, for providing support and advice for people with their energy and utility bills, and working to reduce carbon emissions across south west London.
Geoff Simmons, for organising walking tours of the local area and shining a light on Wandsworth’s rich history.
Georgie Temple, for working to bring joy and lighten lives during the pandemic by performing her wonderful music  outside people’s homes who were unable to leave.
Healthwatch , for being champions of people using health and social care services through highlighting the inequalities within the system.
Pure Football Academy, for providing access to sport and exercise for young people in the community.
Share Community Kitchen, for offering life skills training to those with learning disabilities, autism, and mental health needs.
Wandsworth Food Bank, for distributing vital donations of food and essentials to those most in need.
Wandsworth Police, for keeping Wandsworth’s street safe and ensuring our community’s security at all times.
Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees, for working with the community to provide sanctuary to refugees and asylum seekers and to raise awareness of their situations.

Balham
Beautify Balham, for working to enhance the local environment through litter-picks and other community initiatives.
Friends of Tooting Common, for promoting and protecting our important green spaces for all who use them.
Love Triangle, for donating over 18,000 meals to food banks during the pandemic.
Nightingale Community Academy, for offering a safe and nurturing environment for young people to learn and grow.
Ravenstone Primary School, for providing a fantastic educational environment for young children in Balham.
St Anselm’s Primary School, for providing a superb education to children in the community
St Mary's Church, Balham, for working towards community cohesion and promoting interfaith relations.
Tom's Farm, for offering students opportunities to learn about empathy while caring for animals.
Tooting Common Parkrun, for promoting exercise and healthy living in the fantastic local green spaces.
Trinity St Mary’s Primary School, for providing a fantastic learning experience for young members of our community.

Earlsfield and Wandsworth Common
Beatrix Potter School, for their great work to provide a safe and fun learning environment for their pupils.
Burntwood School, for educating and preparing young people for success in the wider world.
Earlsfield Primary School, for giving their students the best possible start.
Floreat Primary School, for providing a wonderful educational facility for children to learn and grow.
Nicholas Stewart Project, for working to prevent violence amongst young people and support families and communities after tragedy.
Oak Lodge School, for their key efforts to create a harmonious learning environment.
Swaffield Primary School, for their work to cultivate a safe learning space for their children.

Furzedown
1,000 Trees, for their crucial work in protecting our green spaces and wider environment.
Anastasia Capewell Congdon; for her key work in our community at Gift from Furzedown.
Furzedown Community Network, for their brilliant efforts to bring people together and co-ordinate superb community events.
Goldfinch Primary, for their great work in creating a positive learning environment for their pupils.
Graham Loveland, for his dedication to his work and vital contributions to the community over the years.
Lynn Selwyn-Reeves; for her superb community efforts at Furzedown Art Studio.
Penwortham Primary, for the school’s key efforts in building students’ confidence and early education.
Plastic Free Furzedown, for the organisations fantastic work to campaign for a better environment and improve local recycling.
St Paul's Church, for promoting interfaith values and relations, and giving the community a vital gathering space
Wandsworth Oasis, for their tremendous support to those living with HIV and providing excellent charity shops in the borough

Tooting
Al Risalah Secondary School, for their excellent work in preparing young people for their future.
Broadwater Primary School. for their outstanding work to kickstart children’s education.
Communication Workers Union, for protecting our local postal workers through their vital campaigning for workers’ rights.
Critical NHS, for their absolutely crucial work in giving support to our brave NHS workers during the pandemic.
Ernest Bevin College and Sixth Form Centre, for their services to young people and their families.
Fircroft Primary School, for the school’s key contributions to their pupils’ foundational years.
Franciscan Primary School, for providing a safe and supportive environment for their students
GMB, St George's Branch, for supporting St George’s Hospital workers and for excellent work in campaigning for workers’ rights.
Smallwood Primary School, for their brilliant work in cultivating a caring environment for their pupils.
St Boniface RC Primary School, for working exceptionally to support their students and provide a safe learning space for them.
St George's Hospital Charity, for working to fund improvements to our brilliant local hospital and their vital support provided during the pandemic.

Balham and Tooting Newsie, for their constant and reliable updates on news and events in our local area, and hard work to promote local businesses.
Broadwater School Streets, for their superb work to make our streets safer for children and families.
Church Lane Mosque, for their vital work in building interfaith relationships and providing a brilliant community space.
Forever Fishponds, for their hard work protecting our green spaces in Tooting and creating a positive environment in our community.
Mushkil Aasaan, for their vital community and outreach work in the area.
Pearl Chemist Vaccination Centre, for their tireless work throughout the pandemic in supporting the community and providing vaccinations to countless people.
Royal Mahal, for being a key community hub and a shining example of a successful local business.
The King's Head Pub, for their work in the community to foster a positive environment for our community and creating a brilliant entertainment venue.
Tooting Islamic Centre, for their brilliant work towards building community cohesion and promoting interfaith relations.
Tooting Works, for providing a fantastic community space and work environment.

I would like to thank all those who attended - I cannot overstate how proud I am of our community. Each and every one of you is a true Tooting Hero.

The Local Elections are hastily approaching on 5th May. After 44 long years of Tory rule, Wandsworth needs a breath of fresh air and a Labour council. 

Over the next four weeks, I will be out on the campaign trail - knocking on doors, delivering leaflets and working to help our fantastic Labour candidates. 

I would like to thank all the local residents for their support and warm welcome on the doorstep.

Together we can turn Labour red this May!

​Today Muslims across the UK and around the world mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.

As a proud Muslim, the period of reflection, prayer, and fasting is incredibly important to our Muslim community. 

Traditionally, Ramadan is a time for gathering and sharing Iftar with family and friends. Although, like last year, we are unable to come together and celebrate as we normally would, the spirit of Ramadan remains. 

To every Muslim nurse and doctor who have saved countless lives throughout this pandemic, to every volunteer and community leader in our Mosques and community centres who continue to support those most vulnerable, and to every Muslim in Tooting and across the country, I wish you all Ramadan Mubarak. 

Local residents living or passing through Rackham Mews in Furzedown may have seen the large fly-tip that occurred earlier in the week.

Understandably, this is very unpleasant for those who live near this area and I have therefore written to Paul Chadwick, Director of Environment and Community Services at Wandsworth Council, as well as notifying the local councillors of the issue in the hope that this can be rectified as soon as possible. Please be assured that I will keep local resident updated of the progress on this.

Furzedown Police are currently appealing for witnesses, so if you have any information about this fly-tip, please do email [email protected] or message them via Twitter.

As you will know, a South African variant of Covid-19 has arrived in the UK. This new Covid variant has now been detected in CR4 (Merton).

Residents in CR4 are no different to us in neighbouring Tooting (SW16 and SW17). We use the same shops, the same hospital, and the same parks, so if it’s there, it could very easily be here. This will be the same across all affected areas.

As a matter of urgency, the Government needs to launch widespread testing in neighbouring postcodes. This is the only way to see how widespread these new variants are.

I have written to the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock MP, the Director of Public Health at Wandsworth Council, Shannon Katiyo, and the Chief Executive of Wandsworth Council, Paul Martin, to ask about plans to launch testing in neighbouring postcodes. 

​While I press for action on this, we need to make sure we’re all doing everything we can to keep ourselves and each other safe. It’s absolutely vital that we minimise our social contact to prevent the spread of this new variant within our community.

Please think twice before leaving home, and when you do leave, please continue to adhere to social distancing. Together, we will get through this.
​

​In light of the upcoming Fire Safety Bill, I would to thank every resident who has written to me with their concerns on this and for continuing to keep me updated on the cladding issues affecting their property. I recognise what an exceptionally difficult time this is and appreciate how much anxiety the cladding proposals are causing to many leaseholders.

On more than fifteen occasions, Ministers promised that leaseholders would not be landed with the costs of remedial works. Yet, people are still being put at risk, trapped in flammable buildings for a third lockdown, with leaseholders placed in an impossible position and promises broken. It is evident that the Government’s handling of the cladding crisis has lacked any sense of grip or urgency.

For this reason, the Labour Party have tabled an Opposition Day Debate on cladding for Monday, which will subsequently bring forward a vote that will call for leaseholders to be protected from the costs of remediating their blocks with dangerous cladding.  

The party will also be tabling a number of amendments to the Fire Safety Bill that will aim to protect leaseholders from unfair costs through the power of the law. I am aware that many residents have been in touch to request that I support the McPartland and Smith amendment, which provides welcome clarity on the specific costs that would be prevented from being passed on to leaseholders. Labour has sought to go further on this.

As currently drafted, the McPartland and Smith amendment would not have covered blocks like Grenfell - where flammable cladding has been added at some stage following the building of the block. It only applies to defects in the original design of buildings. The Labour Party’s amendment would ensure that the cost of fire safety problems from refurbishment jobs, like the cladding on Grenfell Tower, cannot be passed on to leaseholders. Labour’s amendments also include new clauses so that the Bill protects leaseholders from the day it comes into law, instead of an unknown date in the future.
​
I would like to thank my colleagues in the Labour Party, Sarah Jones MP, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Thangam Debbonaire MP and Mike Amesbury MP for their hard work and commitment to addressing this large injustice on a national scale.

If any residents have any further queries on this issue, please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss this further. In the meantime, I hope this post assures you of the steps myself and the Labour Party are taking to protect tenants and leaseholders during this cladding crisis.