Richmond Park News: 23 October 2026
CONSTITUENCY OFFICE JOB VACANCY
I am currently recruiting for an Office Manager for my Mortlake constituency office.
Applicants should be able to show that they have excellent organisational and administrative skills, and the responsibilities for the role include diary management and office budgeting.
Applications close on 28 October, and more information about how to apply can be found via the following link.
BBC POLITICS LONDON
Last Sunday, I appeared on BBC Politics London alongside Labour MP, Steve Reed, and Conservative MP, Bob Blackman.
Recently, the James Bond star, Daniel Craig, has joined a host of other celebrities in becoming a London pub landlord. The host, Samantha Simmonds, asked whether pubs remain an attractive business investment for people who do not have the same name value and purchasing power as Daniel Craig.
The business environment to run a pub is perhaps tougher than ever, and it is having a knock-on impact on landlords’ ability to employ staff. I remain surprised that the government is yet to reverse their damaging Employer’s National Insurance Contribution rise, which should be the first step taken to alleviate the multiple pressures facing business owners.
The topic of discussion then moved onto the matter of hospice funding, with the panel highlighting that many hospices rely on charitable donations, rather than central funding. With an ageing population and more people living with dementia, it is vitally important that palliative care is properly funded, and that carers are also fairly compensated for the excellent work they do each day.
The show included a section on a third runway at Heathrow, and you can watch the full programme by clicking here.
WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON A THIRD RUNWAY AT HEATHROW
On Tuesday, I attended a Westminster Hall Debate on the merits of a third runway as spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats.
While the Prime Minister cast doubts regarding his support for a third runway at Heathrow, his Chancellor seems to have missed the memo on scaling back the government’s support, as he backed expansion earlier this week. The government seem at odds with themselves on this issue, and have even hired a banker to assess the economic case for a third runway - at the cost of £3million to the taxpayer.
In the debate, I pointed out the irony that the government is splashing millions for this assessment, despite reports that they are trying to find ways to finance their spending promises in the upcoming budget. The Treasury has only just undertaken a financial assessment, but the result was not one they wanted, as they placed the third runway's net value to UK residents at −£23.4bn to −£62.5bn over 60 years.
With the Climate Change Committee concluding that expansion is incompatible with the UK’s climate change objectives, I don’t see how anyone can make the case for a third runway anymore.
You can watch a clip of my speech by clicking here.
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ORAL QUESTION
The past week has seen the government and intelligent officials ramp up war preparedness rhetoric, while the real threat to national security posed by Russia has been overhanging for some time.
Despite this, our co-operation with our European partners on defence has not significantly accelerated, as we still do not have a formal co-operation agreement with the European Defence Agency, nor is the UK currently involved in the proposed European Competitiveness Fund.
I therefore asked the Minister for Armed Forces, Louise Sandher-Jones MP, what progress the government has made with our European partners to deepen our defence ties.
Frustratingly, instead of responding directly to my concerns, the Minister listed the co-operation agreements we already have in place.
You can watch my question and the Minister’s response by clicking here.
MEETING REGARDING THE TEDDINGTON DIRECT RIVER ABSTRACTION
The social and environmental consequences of the Teddington Direct River Abstraction are well reported, but the question still remains as to whether the scheme would actually serve its purpose if implemented.
A local constituent and former engineer brought to my attention his research which underlined that abstraction from Ham during times of serious drought would not be able to happen due to the likelihood that the river’s flow would fall below 300 megalitres of water a day (ml/d). This was the case for several days this year.
Alongside my constituent, I met with the Deputy Director of Water in the civil service to put this point to him, and stated that if residents are expected to put up with the noise and transport disturbance of the construction works, while treated sewage is dumped into the Thames, then the scheme must at the very least serve its purpose.
PHOTO WITH LONDON BOROUGH COUNCILS
Proportionally, Richmond Council has been the worst impacted local authority in London as a result of the government’s funding changes, as core funding to the Council has been cut by 58%.
Consequently, I met with the borough’s leader, Gareth Roberts, and leaders of other impacted London Councils, to deliver their Sustainable Communities Act proposal to the Treasury.
This petition drew upon thousands of responses from Richmond residents, and called on the government to provide the impacted Councils with a longer transition period so that the cuts aren’t felt so sharply, to ensure a greater share of locally generated income is kept in Richmond, and to request that the government reconsiders the severity of these cuts.
You can read more about this matter by clicking on the following link.
VISIT TO VENWOOD HAIR AND BEAUTY
Last week marked British Beauty Week, and alongside the British Beauty Council, I visited Venwood Hair and Beauty Salon on Sheen Road in Richmond to highlight the occasion.
Like so many businesses, the beauty industry is struggling in the current financial climate, and owning a beauty business presents a number of challenges.
It was interesting to hear that many hairdressers are now operating under the ‘rent a chair’ model,’ in which owners of salons allow hairdressers to use their premises without formally employing them. This is primarily due to the high cost of employing staff.
This presents a severe challenge for young people who wish to get into hairdressing, as they will have to build-up their own clientele base before being able to make money in the industry.
I would like to thank the owner of Venwood Hair and Beauty for welcoming me into their wonderful salon, and you can watch a short Instagram video of my visit, put together by the British Beauty Council, by clicking here.
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Q&A
Yesterday, I visited the London School of Economics for a fireside chat and question and answer session with some of their students.
Talking with young people and university students is one of my favourite parts about being a Member of Parliament, as they always offer me something new to think about, and provide perspectives of how they view life and politics which are less heard in Parliament.
I would like to thank the President of LSE’s Government Society, Isaac, for inviting me, and for being an excellent representative of the university.
EARLY YEARS CARE
Last Friday, I attended a Parliamentary reception regarding early-years development, and provided an opportunity for educators to share their insights about key educational issues, and what could be done at policy level to address them.
I met with the former headteacher of a local school, to discuss her experience and research into providing help for pupils who have experienced past trauma.
School can be a difficult place for many children, and challenges in someone’s personal life often present in their behaviour at school, and it is important that teachers have the resources to be equipped to help struggling students, rather than just punishing them.
WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON COMPENSATION FOR EQUITABLE LIFE POLICY HOLDERS
On Thursday, in my capacity as Business Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, I contributed to the Westminster Hall Debate on compensation for equitable life policy holders.
The Equitable Life scandal involved the near-collapse of the UK’s oldest mutual insurer after it failed to honour guaranteed pension pay-outs. The debacle exposed regulatory failures and caused significant financial losses for nearly a million policyholders across the country, including many in Richmond Park.
The collapse of Equitable Life was one of the biggest scandals in UK financial services history.
The State has accepted responsibility and accepts how much people lost, however the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman have not been fully implemented.
I called on the Government to listen to the concerns of those affected by the collapse of Equitable Life, and establish an Independent Commissioner to assess the claims of individuals. This would ensure that victims of the Equitable Life scandal are finally treated fairly and are properly compensated.
You can watch a clip of my speech by clicking here.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
This week’s Public Accounts Committee session examined the changes and progress on digital identity.
In response to my question regarding what benefits could be produced as a result of digital identity, the senior civil servants stated that it will streamline many services, such as the DVLA, and argued that it will make governmental processes more efficient for users.
You can watch a clip of the Public Accounts Committee session by clicking here.
WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON THE JARROW CRUSADE
Yesterday, I attended a Westminster Hall Debate as spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on the 90th anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade.
During the depression in the 1930’s, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost across the UK, while nearly 8,000 were lost in Jarrow alone.
This prompted 200 unemployed residents of Jarrow, in Tyneside, to march to London to demand jobs and investment in their town. The publicity gained from the march helped to generate some renewal for the town, which provided jobs for some unemployed local residents.
You can watch a clip of my speech by clicking here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
On Tuesday 27 October, the Bingham Riverside Hotel in Ham, TW10 6UT, will be hosting an event which brings together local African-Caribbean voices as part of Black History Month.
The event will celebrate community, culture and identity, and you can find out more about the community gathering by clicking here.
FULL OF LIFE FAIR
The Full of Life Fair returns to Richmond Borough on Friday 30 October, and will once again be hosted at Twickenham Stadium.
The event runs between 10:00-15:00, and aims to offer attendees information and resources to support them in living a long and happy life.
Entry to the fair is free, and you can read more about the event by clicking here.
