Richmond Park News: 23 May 2025

Parliament entered recess today, so I will not be producing a newsletter next week. However, myself and my team will still be responding to emails and calls as normal, so please do not hesitate to reach out to my office during this period.

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE GAUKE REVIEW:

Yesterday, the government announced that sentencing remarks for victims of rape and serious sexual assault will be made free. This is a change which I have campaigned for over the past several years, including on Tuesday of this week when I raised the matter to the minister again, and I am delighted that this will be put into effect. 

While I brought this campaign to Parliament, many campaign groups and victims have fought for free sentencing remarks prior to my involvement, and it has been a privilege to advocate on their behalf. In particular, I would like to thank Juliana Terlizzi, who bravely shared her story and permitted me to raise her case in Parliament on behalf of thousands of other people who have been in her shoes. 

The permanent expansion of the free sentencing remarks trial enables victims to gain a level of closure following the trauma that they have experienced, and reading over such remarks is often recommended to them by clinical psychologists. Juliana was quoted over £7,000 for her court transcript, and I know that other individuals have been quoted figures in the £20,000s. 

While full court transcripts will remain costly, making sentencing remarks accessible is an excellent step towards ensuring that victims are prioritised in our justice system, and I commended the government on this action following Shabana Mahmood MP’s statement.

You can watch a clip of my response to the minister by clicking here.

THE UK-EU SUMMIT: 

Earlier in the week, the government announced that they had reached an agreement with the European Union on a range of matters, from defence and security to judicial co-operation. This is a positive first step towards securing closer relations with our European partners, and I was delighted to hear that a major part of the deal was an agreement of a Youth Mobility Scheme.

This is something that I have been calling on the government to secure since Labour came into power, and I am pleased that they have now recognised the benefits that the scheme will bring to our businesses and the new opportunities that it will present to young British people. 

The Prime Minister formally announced the agreements that had been reached at the UK-EU Summit to Parliament on Tuesday, and following his statement, I asked him when he expected the Youth Mobility Scheme to be implemented. Sir Keir Starmer responded to state that the government would attempt to move as quickly as possible to ensure that the British people would be able to use this scheme as soon as possible. I will of course hold the government to account on this commitment.

You can watch my question to the Prime Minister by clicking here.

While I welcome the steps made by the government towards further co-operation with the European Union, I also believe that the government could have gone further in their commitments, and I raised this later in the week during a Westminster Hall Debate regarding the summit. 

The OBR has estimated that the UK’s botched trade deal with Europe will harm economic growth, reducing the output of our economy by 4% over 15 years. I referenced this in my speech as an example to show that the government must take even further steps towards securing closer trading ties with Europe, which can be maximised by joining a new UK-EU Customs Union.

To emphasise this point, I referenced a business in Richmond Park which has experienced significant difficulties importing the goods that they need to keep their business afloat. This is a direct consequence of the Brexit trade deal, and one which must be addressed through further linkage with the European Union. 

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

CHAIRING THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:

On Monday, it was a privilege to chair the Public Accounts Committee meeting which examined the need for increasing teacher numbers in secondary and further education. There is a nationwide teacher shortage, and secondary schools face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers.

In July 2024, the government announced that it had begun work on delivering a pledge of 6500 new teachers for schools and colleges, however the Department for Education indicated this would be challenging given the fiscal context. The session focused on the department’s current initiatives in recruitment and retention of teachers, as well as what steps must be taken to deliver the government’s manifesto pledge.

It is vital that the government delivers on their target, as if there are not enough teachers, class sizes will grow which will impact the learning and development of students. The recruitment of additional teachers is especially important considering that the Department for Education has reported that secondary schools' pupil to teacher ratio is at its highest since 2010.

You can watch a clip of my opening remarks by clicking here.

RESPONSE TO THE CONSERVATIVES' OPPOSITION DAY MOTION:

On Wednesday, I responded to the Conservative’s Opposition Day motion regarding Business and the Economy in my role as the Liberal Democrat’s Business Spokesperson.

While the opposition benches rightly attacked the government for a series of poor economic policies that they have introduced since coming into power, many of these decisions have not been taken in a vacuum, as years of economic mismanagement from the previous government has contributed towards Labour’s cuts. 

However, the current government must be held to account for their decisions, as economic policies such as means testing the Winter Fuel Allowance, cutting benefits to vulnerable people and failing to reform our business rates system, have left millions of people worse off. These decisions cannot be blamed on anyone but themselves, as the Prime Minister even announced this week his intention to scale back the cuts to Winter Fuel payments.

You can watch the opening remarks in my speech by clicking here.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON OVERSEAS PENSIONS:

On Tuesday I spoke in the debate on pensioners living overseas, and more specifically to discuss frozen overseas pensions.

Nearly 13 million UK citizens receive the state pension and around 1.2 million of them live outside of the UK.  Most of these people are entitled to increases in the state pension. This is because they live in the European Economic Area or the 15 other countries with which the UK has signed an agreement. In return for uprating the state pension, those countries promise to continue to support their own citizens living in the UK. 

However, the UK only uprates pensions in countries where there is a mutual agreement in place. Many of these agreements have not been updated or renegotiated for decades, and no new ones have been signed since 1981.

During my remarks, I urged the minister to ensure that existing agreements are not allowed to lapse and for them to include reciprocal pension agreements in future trade deals.

I will continue to urge the government to take steps to ensure all pensioners receive the support they should be entitled to.

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

NO THIRD RUNWAY AT HEATHROW MEETING:

Earlier in the year, the government gave the greenlight to Heathrow to present the Department of Transport with a proposal for a third runway. 

Throughout my time working as an MP, I have campaigned strongly against the building of a third runway at Heathrow. Expansion would have serious environmental and social consequences, while the economic advantages of a third runway are heavily contested. As discussed during the meeting, the third runway is estimated to increase noise pollution for over 2 million people with an additional 9 million tonnes of carbon emitted, as well as the destruction of 761 homes.

While the proposal is expected in the Summer, it was positive to engage other MPs who are in opposition to expansion and to speak with the No Third Runway Coalition about expected developments on this matter. 

COMMUNITY NEWS:

BEVERLEY BROOK CALM WATER CAFE:

Community Bluescapes is hosting a Calm Water Café next to the Beverley Brook, as part of the ninth annual London Rivers Week. The event offers the opportunity for a quiet tea or coffee next to the Brook, as well as information about local nature reserves and outdoor volunteering opportunities.

The Calm Water Café will run from 12:00-15:00 on Friday 6 June on Barnes Green, and you can find out more information about the event by clicking here.

KINGSTON NATURE AND HISTORY FESTIVAL:

The Kingston Nature and History Festival is running a series of free events on the weekend of 30 May-1 June focussed on exploring Kingston’s heritage and wildlife. There will be a range of activities including workshops, heritage talks, and nature walks.

You can find out more about each event, including accessibility arrangements, here.