Richmond Park News: 13 November 2026

INTERVIEWS WITH SKY NEWS AND LBC CROSS QUESTION

Yesterday, I did back-to-back live broadcasts on the Cathy Newman Show on Sky News, and Cross Question with Ian Dale on LBC.  On Sky News, I spoke about the experience of sexual abuse survivors in the justice system, drawing on my campaign to make free court transcripts available, and the Prime Minister’s comments in Dublin yesterday about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.  We had a lively debate on LBC, covering welfare reform, asylum seeker accommodation, AI, Trump, the London mayoral contest and the appropriate time to start celebrating Christmas.

You can watch my interview on Sky by clicking here, and responses to questions on LBC Cross Question by clicking here.

INTERVIEW WITH POLITICS UK

Politics UK is a social media outlet which has grown a huge number of followers on X, and I sat down with them for a long-form interview which was uploaded to YouTube and Spotify.

One topic covered in the podcast was the Home Secretary’s changes to Earned Settlement. I stated that the retroactive changes for people who already have lives set up in the UK is wrong, and the lack of clarity about the path to Indefinite Leave to Remain for some people is a disgrace.

I followed up with the Home Office on this matter via a Written Question to request additional clarity on the path to Earned Settlement for children of parents who now have differing paths themselves due to the new criteria. While it seems that children under the age of 18 will have the same path to Indefinite Leave to Remain as their parent who is the principal applicant, the changes will still split-up routes within families.

The response I received, which you can see by clicking here, still does not provide a clear answer to my questions regarding the real-life scenarios which will arise as a result of the changes, and I will be following up with the Home Office to seek further clarity.

The podcast also discussed my thoughts on the recent Budget announcement and the UK’s relationship with the EU, and you can watch the full interview by clicking here.

HEDLEY’S GROUP VISIT

On Thursday, I visited Hedley Group in West London alongside my colleague, and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Europe, Al Pinkerton MP.

Hedley’s is a family-owned international logistics business established in 1973, specialising in fine art, antiques, luxury furniture, international removals and specialist transport. The business provides international road transport, customs clearance and specialist handling for galleries, museums, and private clients.

Despite having an established European presence, including in France, and having more than 50 specialist vehicles operating in over 100 cities weekly, they told me about the challenges they continue to face due to Brexit bureaucracy.

In particular it was interesting to hear about the issue of the 90/180 day visa rule for the UK, which only allows British people to stay in the EU for 90 days out of 180. Excessive bureaucracy  is now required for workers travelling in the EU, which has a significant impact on haulage drivers transporting goods across Europe.

THE DRAFT EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT

The feedback I’ve heard over the past two years from owners of shops and employers is that the government is making it far too expensive to do business. 

This will only be made more challenging by the government’s removal of the limit to compensation for people who have been unfairly dismissed, which was introduced via a Statutory Instrument on Wednesday, and will be applicable for cases from 1 January 2027.

I attended Committee to speak against the removal of this cap, pointing out that there is real worry among businesses that doing away with the cap, which currently stands at £118,000, will encourage litigious behaviour and create endless liabilities.

I voted against this change, and you can watch a clip in which I state my reasoning behind opposing the government’s Statutory Instrument, by clicking here.

MACMILLAN CANCER CARE DROP-IN

At the beginning of the week, I attended Macmillan’s Cancer Support drop-in, which focused on their campaign for ‘Fair Cancer Care’ for everyone in the UK.

People’s experiences regarding their treatment for cancer can differ based upon matters outside of their control, such as their location, income or background.

The battle to beat cancer should not be partially determined by such factors, and you can read more about Macmillan’s campaign by clicking here.

KINSHIP’S PARLIAMENTARY RECEPTION

Kinship Carers undertake tremendous work each day, as they provide a home for children of relatives or family friends who otherwise would have ended up in the foster system, and felt more disconnected from their former family life.

These carers almost always face additional obstacles when attempting to look after a loved ones child, whether it be housing difficulties or even challenges filling in censuses.

The work kinship carers undertake is invaluable, and I attended their Parliamentary Reception this week in which we discussed these issues, as well as the need for adequate therapeutic support to be available to children who grow-up in kinship care, and the importance this can have on assisting with their daily lives, and the help that it can provide them in the future. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

RICHMOND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

Next week, on Thursday 19 November at 16:00 on George Street in Richmond, the build-up to the switching on of Richmond’s Christmas Lights begins.

The build-up will include live entertainment from BeRichmond’s talented performers, which will include Basil Brush and the School of Rock.

The Mayor of Richmond will be on hand to switch-on the lights at 17:45, and she would love to be joined by a crowd to count down to the start of the Christmas celebrations. 

You can read more about the event by clicking here.

SEWING ANGELS CHRISTMAS CRAFT SALE

Kingston’s Sewing Angels are back for Christmas and have a vast array of Christmas gifts, decorations and cards to offer.

Their Christmas Craft Sale takes place on Saturday 21 November between 10:00-14:00 on the forecourt of the Co-op Funeral Parlour, KT2 5JG.

As always, all proceeds will be donated to local charity, so please do come along and take a look. Further details can be found on the flyer below.