Richmond Park News: 24 April 2026

MEDIA APPEARANCES

I was a guest on both BBC Politics Live and LBC Cross Question on Monday, to talk about the political issues of the day, and the conversation inevitably turned to the latest developments around the Peter Mandelson scandal.

The Prime Minister’s defence has been that he took a ‘risk’ which backfired, and he is furious that he was not informed that Mandelson did not pass security vetting. The lack of responsibility that the Prime Minister has taken for his involvement in this scandal is appalling, and he should not be throwing civil servants under the bus for his mistake.

It also frustrates me that this scandal has detracted from the issues which impact people every day. We spent over 5 hours in Parliament this week debating how wrong the Prime Minister was for making this appointment, and to what extent he should take responsibility. While I find the Prime Minister’s appointment of Mandelson to be a serious lack of judgement, he should be focused on fixing the cost of living crisis - not on trying to save his own skin.

You can watch clips of my views on this matter by clicking here, here and here.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE

7 years ago to this month, Hammersmith Bridge closed to traffic. This means for 7 years, buses have not been able to cross the bridge, emergency ambulance journeys from Barnes to Charing Cross Hospital have taken significantly longer, and businesses have suffered.

In 2019, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, stated that “the next Conservative Government will not allow this bridge to remain closed.” Not only did they fail to do so during their 5 years in office, but they also gave up on even attempting to reopen the bridge. The business case for fixing the bridge sat on their desk for years without being picked up, while they didn’t even bother to reconvene the Taskforce during their last 3 years in government. 

I have been equally unimpressed by the current government’s attempts to fix Hammersmith Bridge. However, two months ago, the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood MP, stated that Hammersmith Bridge would be a ‘good candidate’ to receive funding via the government’s Structures Fund, and on Tuesday, I attended a Westminster Hall Debate regarding the future of Hammersmith Bridge to set out the case for funding to be released.

In response to my speech, the Minister stated that deliberations regarding the direction of funding via the Structures Fund are ongoing, while decisions will be partially contingent on identifying a practical and cost-effective engineering solution.

As I expect spending announcements to be made at some point in the near future, I will keep banging the drum and lobbying for funding to be delivered to repair Hammersmith Bridge.

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

MEDIA SURROUNDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE WAR IN IRAN

On Thursday, I was interviewed by LBC News, GB News and Times Radio regarding the impact of the US-Israeli War with Iran on the cost of living crisis. 

‘Trumpflation’ is the term for President Trump’s unilateral policies having a negative impact on the economic picture across the globe. His rash decision to involve the US in a war with Iran has caused the price of petrol to rise significantly, which is hitting UK residents’ pockets during the cost-of-living crisis. 

During my interviews regarding ‘Trumpflation,’ I stated that the government should use the additional £2bn in revenue the Treasury are expected to rake in over the next 3 months as a result of higher fuel prices, and reinvest that into subsidising fuel prices and public transport to ease the burden on working people.

You can watch clips of my interviews by clicking here, here and here.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE VISIT TO EUSTON STATION

Along with other members of the Public Accounts Committee, I visited the construction site for the new HS2 station at Euston yesterday morning to observe how the works are progressing and to discuss with stakeholders, including the Department for Transport, the London Borough of Camden, and others, what the future of the station redevelopment work is, and whether it is on course for successful completion.

We witnessed some of the work being undertaken in the exhumation tent.  Part of the HS2 station construction needs to take place on the site of the burial ground of St James’ Gardens.  The remains of over 45,000 people have been exhumed from the site and carefully reburied in Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey.  It was fascinating to watch this work being carried out and to view some of the artefacts that have been uncovered.

BACKBENCH BUSINESS DEBATE ON ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Allied Health Professionals consist of 14 different disciplines within the health and care sector, including: dieticians, paramedics and occupational therapists.

During the debate, I highlighted the role that these practitioners play in saving lives, providing care and keeping our NHS running. During a time when patients are being treated in hospital corridors, these clinicians’ work is vital to providing preventative treatments to ensure that a person’s illness or ailments do not get to the stage of requiring urgent A&E care.

The government’s Pharmacy First scheme provided pharmacists with the ability to prescribe medicine for 7 common ailments, which has served to take pressure off of GPs and utilised pharmacists more. 

A group of Allied Health Professionals wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, earlier last month to request the government also utilise their skills and extends additional prescribing powers to Allied Health Professionals. I requested that the government examine the suggestion, and looks into improving ways to make the NHS more efficient.

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

Q&A WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

On Monday, I attended a question and answer session for Hull University students following their trip to Parliament. 

The questions focused primarily on the life of an MP, while one person asked how practical it is to be an MP from a region outside of London if they want to have a family life and maintain a strong connection to their local community. 

While I am fortunate that my commute into Westminster is fairly straightforward, the majority of MPs have lengthy and tricky journeys to and from Parliament each week. This commute could discourage young people or parents from putting themselves forward to be MPs, and more can certainly be done to tackle this issue.

EARLY DAY MOTION ON THE PAHALGAM TERRORIST ATTACK

This time last year, Hindu tourists were murdered during a horrific and targeted terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. 

26 innocent people lost their lives, and to commemorate the anniversary of this tragedy, I tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House. This EDM called for Parliament to devote the 22 April in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack.

You can read my EDM by clicking here.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

MENOPAUSE & COMMUNITY SUPPORT SESSION

Menopause & Cancer Community Support is held across 4 monthly sessions, focusing on providing support to help with joint pain, sexual health and confidence. These sessions explore different aspects of menopause and cancer, and facilitate open discussions in a safe and supportive environment.

The sessions are open to everyone affected by cancer and menopause and are designed to help you feel informed, reassured and less alone. All sessions are free and will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames between 18:00-19:30. The next session will be on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

To secure your free tickets, please click here.

RICHMOND MAY FAIR:

Held at Richmond Green, Richmond May Fair is an amazing showcase for all that Richmond has to offer and plays an important role in helping local charities promote their work and raise much-needed funds. The return of the fair includes old favourites like the vintage funfair and dog show return, along with over 200 stalls. 

Free entertainment will be provided all day on the Riverside Radio stage by local bands, schools and various performance groups.

The fair will be held on Saturday, 9 May, between 10:00-17:00. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up for a slot here, and if you are a local dog owner, you can pre-register for the popular dog show here.