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Richmond Park News: 24 January 2025

Writer's picture: Sarah Olney MPSarah Olney MP

HEATHROW THIRD RUNWAY:


On Monday evening, I hosted a Heathrow No 3rd Runway Coalition meeting in Parliament. This meeting gathered individuals and campaigners who are opposed to the building of a third runway at Heathrow. However, the meeting was interrupted halfway through as the news had filtered through that the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, is reportedly set to announce her support for the expansion of London airports (including Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton) next week. 


The building of Heathrow's third runway would have significant environmental, social and economic impacts on Richmond Park, as well as on households living in the vicinity of the airport. Any plans to expand Heathrow’s capacity must be opposed. 


The day after the No 3rd Runway Coalition meeting, I asked the Chancellor during Treasury Questions to provide a clear yes or no answer as to whether the Government plans to support Heathrow expansion. To my disappointment, Rachel Reeves avoided providing a direct response, as she stated that she would ‘not comment on leaks.’ As this issue affects millions of people in the UK, it is concerning that the Chancellor refused to provide clarity on the Government’s position.


Later that day, I was interviewed by ITV about the rumoured expansion plans. In this interview I reiterated my objections to a third runway, while citing the lack of data supporting the acclaimed economic benefits that expansion would bring. To watch a clip of my interview, please click on the following link.


CABINET OFFICE QUESTIONS:


In my capacity as Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, I spoke in Cabinet Office Questions to ask the minister, Pat McFadden MP, what steps he is taking to safeguard the democratic processes of the United Kingdom from foreign interference.


Last year, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said the Government was “almost certain” that Russian actors had attempted to interfere in the 2019 UK General Election. Following instances across the world of foreign interference in elections, it is essential that the Government has a plan to address this threat to our democracy. You can watch a clip of my question by clicking on the following link.


I also used this opportunity to urge the Government to be more ambitious in rebuilding our relationship with Europe, as there would be significant benefits to businesses of joining a new UK-EU Customs Union, as many companies’ viability has been challenged due to the rise in the costs of trade following Brexit.


PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION BILL:


I was delighted to meet with a representative from the Fair Elections APPG, of which I am also a member, to discuss the future of electoral reform. 


As some of you may know, today was due to be the second reading date of my proportional representation bill. The Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill called for a system of proportional representation to be introduced for UK parliamentary elections and for local elections in England. The July General Election served to show the need to reform our voting system, as the election returned the most disproportionate set of results in the UK’s history.


I have written to the Leader of the House to ask her to insist that parliamentary time is guaranteed to debate my bill further after the historic vote in the bill's first reading.


MEETING WITH SIR MARK ROWLEY:


Earlier this week, I met with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, to relay the high number of correspondence and feedback that I have received from Richmond Park residents regarding the potential cuts to the Parks Police.


Sir Mark Rowley stated his sincere value for the work undertaken by the Parks Police, but he reiterated that difficult decisions may have to be made due to the significant shortfall that the Met are facing. Following this meeting, I wrote to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, to underline the important service that the Parks Police provide to Richmond Park, and all of the parks in London, and to call for the Home Office to provide our police force with sufficient funding to ensure that such cuts are not on the table.


During this meeting, I also raised the need for the return of Richmond Police Station. The Commissioner recognised the importance of having a visible police hub in communities and he highlighted his concern that residents in 100s of wards in England have to travel a significant distance to their nearest police station. Following this discussion, I tabled a Written Question to the Home Office with the purpose to investigate how many of the London wards which require the furthest distance to travel are situated in Richmond Park. 


PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:


On Tuesday, I attended a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on Electric Vehicles Infrastructure. During the session, I asked about gaps in accessibility of charging point infrastructure for electric vehicles. I was encouraged to hear that there has been a doubling of ‘rapid hub’ charging spots over the past year, as the increased number of charging points across the country has positively correlated with the uptake of electric vehicle use across the UK. 


In accordance with this, I asked what is being done to address the ‘cold spots’ across the country where access to charging spots are still limited. As the evidence shows that accessibility to charging points can influence people’s decisions as to whether to purchase an electric vehicle, more must be done to ensure that the ‘cold spots’ across the UK are targeted for providing an additional provision of charging infrastructure. You can watch a clip of my question in PAC here.


BBC RADIO WALES INTERVIEW ON HMRC:


This week, the Public Accounts Committee published our review regarding HMRC’s customer service standards. I am sure that most people filing their tax returns this month will have noticed the lengthy waiting times before being able to speak to a member of their customer service team on the phone - if your line is not cut off while waiting. 


These delays are unacceptable, and I highlighted this issue when speaking on BBC Radio Wales. Our report showed that HMRC’s customer service levels have reached an all time low, with yearly average waiting times being over 23 minutes and over a third of people are not even able to get through to a member of staff at HMRC. I also raised my concerns that this may be a deliberate ploy by HMRC to ensure that people are directed towards their digital services as users become fed-up of being kept on hold. 


This is an unacceptable level of service and I called upon the Treasury to strongly consider our report and to hold HMRC to account. If you wish to listen to my interview with BBC Radio Wales, you can do so by clicking on this link.


APPG ON SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY:


With the continued disruption to South Western Railway trains and with the company set to be the first railway service nationalised by the Government, my colleague, Will Forster MP, set-up and chaired the first session of the All Party-Parliamentary Group (APPG) on South Western Railway. 


The meeting included a question and answer session with representatives from South Western Railway, which enabled us to put forward questions pertaining to the future of their service. I was pleased to attend this APPG and to discuss the transfer of the railways into public hands, as well as the impact that this will have on the service and passengers. 


I understand that the delays and cancellations on morning trains to Waterloo continued this week, and I can assure you that I will continue to call on South Western Railway to address this issue.


KINGSTON TAMIL HERITAGE AND HARVEST FESTIVAL:


Last weekend, I attended the Kingston Tamil Heritage and Harvest Festival at Richard Challoner School. January is Tamil Heritage Month, and I was delighted to be part of these festive and vibrant celebrations. 


While many of my Tamil constituents left Richmond Park due to the boundary changes at the last election, meaning that a significant amount became constituents of Kingston and Surbiton, I am always happy to celebrate the culture and traditions of the Tamils and to ensure that those who are still residents of Richmond Park feel well represented.


COMMUNITY NEWS:


STORIED WALK - RICHMOND GREEN:


On Saturday 25th January, Palimpsest Projects have organised a leisurely stroll through Richmond Green to explore techniques of ‘deep-mapping’ and to examine the layers of history and art in this space. 


Guided by art researcher Alice-Anne Psaltis, the walk explores methods of expressing your experiences, stories, and memories in the open space.


The walk starts at the fountain on the south corner of the Green at 13:30, and lasts about two hours. If you are interested in joining this event, you can sign up here.


TRUST:


On 29th January, Débora Delmar will be hosting an exhibition at the Stanley Picker Gallery in Kingston Art School, focusing on the word ‘trust’ and its multiple meanings in our society. Through her Stanley Picker Fellowship, Débora explored strategies of working within systems, contracts, relationships and institutions.


Débora has created a large gate with the workshops at Kingston School of Art that is based on an original side-gate at the nearby Picker House, designed in the 1960s by architect Kenneth Wood. The piece will divide the exhibition space and create a conceptual gateway connecting the gallery and Stanley Picker’s former home.


The exhibition runs from 11:00 - 17:00, and you can find more information by clicking here.


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