Richmond Park News: 20 March 2026

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS:

Over Spring recess, I will be holding question and answer sessions in both Mortlake and Ham. 

These question and answer sessions are intended to be an opportunity for residents of the respective wards to raise issues which matter to them and to also provide me with a chance to talk about the work that I have been doing locally and in Parliament. 

The Mortlake session is scheduled for 10:30 on Thursday 2 April, while the Ham meeting will be held on Friday 10 April at 10:00.

If you wish to attend these meetings, please RSVP to office@saraholney.com. In this correspondence, please include your full name and address. My office will pass on the location of the meeting two days prior to the sessions. 

I hope you will be able to join me.

TIMES RADIO PANEL:

Last Sunday, I appeared on the Times Radio Panel alongside Labour MP, Karl Turner, Conservative MP, Sir Christopher Chope, and Daily Express Editor, Sam Lister.

Approximately 20% of the world’s oil is transported through the Strait of Hormuz, and while I had an already low opinion of President Trump, it is shocking to think that he did not foresee, or perhaps worse, did not care, about the consequences of the Strait being blockaded. 

President Trump has attempted to bully allies into supporting his war, and now expects European nations to clear up the mess he made. On the panel, I stated that the UK cannot even consider involving ourselves in the conflict if we don’t understand the US’ stated objectives. 

Initially, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, claimed that the US launched pre-emptive strikes in anticipation of Israel hitting Iran, however, since then, the US administration has claimed that the war was launched on a humanitarian basis and to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 

Energy costs have already skyrocketed as a result of Trump’s reckless and illegal actions, while lives have been lost. I am pleased that Keir Starmer has finally stood-up to the President, and that he has not been bullied into putting UK citizens’ lives at risk in support of a war which doesn’t even have a clear objective.

You can watch a clip of this debate by clicking here, and the full discussion here.

WESTMINSTER HOUR:

Later on Sunday, I appeared on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Westminster Hour.’ I was joined by Dame Meg Hillier MP and Andrew Mitchell MP.

While, of course, the conflict with Iran dominated much of the discussion, the debate shifted towards the impact on the economy of the consequent increase in oil prices, as well as the Chancellor’s failure to deliver growth. 

Despite the significant increase, and rising, of petrol prices, the government is still planning to move ahead with their Fuel Duty hike, which will come into effect in September. I am amazed that the government has refused to scrap the hike, and it seems incredible that they are not taking this step to reduce the future costs at the pump.

With regards to growth, I cannot understand why the government remains opposed to negotiating a new UK-EU Customs Union. In the referendum on EU membership nearly 10 years ago, the Leave campaign flaunted the opportunities that the UK could realise by leaving the Customs Union and negotiating a trade deal with President Trump. Need I say anymore?

You can listen to a clip of the debate by clicking here, and the full episode by clicking here.

MEETING WITH RICHMOND BOROUGH’S IRANIAN COMMUNITY:

Richmond Park is home to many diverse groups, with it having one of the highest concentrations of Hong Kongers in the country, while Kingston is home to a high number of South Koreans, as well as North Koreans; who have sought refuge in the borough. 

However, despite having a high number of people of Iranian descent in Richmond Park, I rarely hear from these residents as a community voice. That is why I would like to say a big thank you to Shideh, a Richmond resident and proud Iranian, who has been instrumental in bringing my attention to matters concerning Iranian citizens, and who helped organise yesterday’s community discussion with local residents.

Most of the attendees at the meeting had an Iranian background, and I found the evening to be incredibly informative and insightful. While opinions varied on whether the UK should support military action, there was not a single person in the room who supported the Iranian regime and did not wish for regime change.

Another matter which I have attempted to assist Iranian individuals with throughout my time as an MP is the issue of banks closing their accounts. One lady stated that this had happened to her on two occasions. Other residents pointed out that members of the Iranian regime are able to funnel their money into the UK through various means, but the banks seem to only freeze assets of regular Iranian citizens without providing a reason.

I would like to thank everyone who attended yesterday evening, and to the Hope pub in Richmond which kindly hosted us. It was a pleasure to sample Persian food and to hear about the rituals for celebrating Persian New Year this weekend.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP:

Social enterprises are businesses which operate with the main purpose to provide a positive community, environmental or societal impact.

In my capacity as the Business Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, I attended a Westminster Hall Debate to highlight the economic benefits that social enterprises bring to the UK. These businesses reinvest their profits to support social and environmental missions, with around £1bn reinvested each year into local communities.

Despite the societal and economic benefits that social enterprises and community owned businesses bring, they are also being hit by the government’s damaging business policies - namely their refusal to overhaul the business rates system and their National Insurance Contributions hike - and I urged the government to address these issues.

You can watch a clip of my speech by clicking here.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:

This week, I attended three Public Accounts Committee sessions.

The first committee hearing focused on ‘regulating for growth.’ From this session, the committee almost unanimously concluded that there are too many ‘fail-safes’ to prevent mistakes being made which are limiting opportunities for growth to be made.

You can watch a clip of my participation in the committee by clicking here.

On Thursday, I attended a session regarding the NAO’s financial audit insight, during which I questioned senior civil servants in the Treasury about the processes for government auditing.

You can watch a clip of my question and the Deputy Head of the Government Finance Function’s response, by clicking here.

Lastly, and perhaps most interestingly to the public, the committee examined the proposals for the restoration and renewal of Parliament.

There are two current options on the table for repairing Parliament. One option being that members of Parliament are decanted while the works take place. These repairs would take 19-24 years to complete, whereas the alternative option of the repairs being completed while MPs still work from Westminster would taken at least double the length of time, while costing significantly more.

I would be interested to hear your views on this matter, and whether you believe decanting MPs away from Parliament, which would have been a symbol of British sovereignty for centuries, would be your preferred option if it saves considerably on the costs.

You can watch a clip of my questions by clicking here.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SHEEN ARTISTS EXHIBITION:

In May, across two weekends, Sheen Artists Open Studio will be highlighting the work of artists in the borough. Despite being set up only two years ago, Sheen Artists has expanded rapidly and consists of a dynamic collective of artists.

The event will take place at Christ Church Community Hall, SW14 7AW. The first exhibition will be held from Saturday 23 May to Monday 25 May, and the second will be held on Saturday 30 May to Sunday 31 May.

You can learn more about these exhibitions by clicking here.

A316 SPEED LIMIT CHANGE:

While you may not have noticed the change due to TfL failing to add warning signs on the road, as of today, the speed limit on the A316 stretch between St Margaret’s Roundabout and Richmond Circus has been lowered to 30mph.

While the Council supports this introduction, the lack of advertisement regarding this change has been unacceptable - so please do not be caught unaware and accidentally pick-up a ticket!

You can read the Council’s statement on this matter by clicking here.

THE FIXERY:

The Fixery is a community repair and reuse hub for small items such as clothing, toys and much more. It welcomes residents to repair, reuse and swap items, helping them reduce waste, save money and strengthen community connections. 

Additionally, the Fixery provides a great way to connect with others by sitting and relaxing at their on-site café with delicious coffee and snacks available for purchase.

The space is located at Grove Gardens Chapel in Richmond, TW10 6HP. The repairs are done by volunteers from the café, with all services incurring a small fee, while donations are welcomed.

You can read more about the Fixery by clicking here.