Here is a summary of my work for Brighton Pavilion locally and in Parliament from November 30- December 6. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need my help with anything.
Syria vote
Last Wednesday a majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted in favour of the UK bombing targets in Syria. After ten and half hours of debate, and with opposition from all parties, it was disappointing to see the bombs begin to fall that very night. I voted against the airstrikes, because I do not believe that our involvement in bombing raids will make us safer at home or help bring about a peace in Syria. In the coming weeks and months I’ll continue put pressure on the Government to take action which helps bring an end to the civil war - which creates the chaos in which Isis/Daesh thrives - including suspending arms sales to the Middle East, redoubling diplomatic efforts and putting pressure on the UK’s ally Turkey who are playing a destabilising role in the area.
You can see my speech in Parliament against bombings here: http://parliamentlive.tv/
Paris Climate Talks
Over the weekend I was in Paris at an international summit of politicians who are fighting climate change. This week officials and politicians from across the world will continue to push for a strong international deal which will keep the world within 2 degrees warming, and give us a chance of avoiding some of the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.
I’m really inspired by the campaigning of young people during the Paris conference. Young people, alongside a group of countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, are providing shining lights of leadership.
They've issued a strong call for full decarbonisation of the world economy, 100% renewable energy by 2050, and zero emissions by mid-century in order to keep the world on track for below 1.5 degrees of warming. These are the scientifically robust, fair and equitable goals we should be seeking. On Thursday I wrote a blog [link] about the progress of the climate talks, and role of young people.
I also wrote a piece for The Independent arguing that Britain must remain part of the EU to stand a chance of being part of international efforts to tackle climate change: http://www.
City of Sanctuary
On Tuesday I spoke to the City of Sanctuary meeting in Parliament. I’m really proud to represent a city that has City of Sanctuary status, and have been working hard to push the Government to take in more refugees and give local authorities like Brighton the help they need to provide new arrivals with the support they require.
As I said in my speech:
“It’s not always easy to challenge the mainstream narrative in the current climate.
It’s not easy, but it’s vital that we all work together to combat the myths and prejudice that all too often need to be overcome by those who seek sanctuary in Britain. It’s also vital that we hear the stories of refugees from their own perspectives.”
Immigration Bill
I voted against the Immigration Bill on Tuesday. This new piece of legislation is really nasty – and compromises social cohesion in Britain. For example the criminal offence of ‘illegal working’ will punish already vulnerable people and strengthen the hand of rogue employers. I’m very worried that the Government is acting to seem ‘tough’ on immigration but may end up increasing persecution of people for looking ‘different’ or having foreign sounding names.
50:50 Parliament
Last week I spoke at the 50:50 Parliament meeting. It’s deeply depressing that almost 100 years after the suffragettes we still have such a lack of female representation in our parliament. The concerns of half the population are not being heard loudly enough and, as a result, we get policies that perpetuate women's economic disadvantage.
No one should be discriminated against, or excluded from becoming an MP because they're a woman, or black, or gay, or disabled, or from a working-class background.
Cycle ride to Paris
On Sunday I met a group of campaigners who are riding their bikes to Paris for the climate negotiations. The cycle ride is hugely inspiring and part of a growing movement for climate justice. Communities are taking the climate challenge into their own hands-with local power generation leading the way in spite of short-sighted Government cuts to support for solar and wind.
You can read more about the cycle ride here: http://www.timetocycle.org/
Question Time and Daily Politics
It was a busy week in the media. On Tuesday I was on the BBC’s Daily Politics with Andrew Neil and a number of guests. The main debate was between me and the pro-bombing Labour MP Mary Creagh on Syria. We also discussed Labour’s internal politics, climate change and…moths in the House of Lords: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/
On Thursday evening I was on the panel for Question Time. It was a heated but interesting debate. Unsurprisingly, the main topic was bombings in Syria but we also talked about the Junior Doctors’ planned strike actions and Corbyn’s leadership. Unfortunately the show didn’t cover climate change – a point I made to David Dimblebey on air! http://www.bbc.co.uk/
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