Richmond Park News: 27 February 2026

CABINET OFFICE URGENT QUESTION

Labour Together is a think tank which works closely with the Labour Party. This week, it was revealed that the think tank commissioned APCO Worldwide, a firm that specialises in public affairs and strategic communications, to investigate the personal life of journalists who had reported on Labour Together’s failure to declare £700,000 in donations.

This attempt to smear journalists is an attack on our free and fair press, and occurred during the time when a Cabinet minister, Josh Simons MP, was director of Labour Together. 

Despite promising to clean-up politics, this government is involved in weekly scandals. This country deserves better.

I therefore asked the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones MP, what actions he is taking to ensure that the independence of our media is not challenged in such an obstructive way again, and I called on Josh Simons MP to stand down for his role in this scandal. 

Despite the clear connection between Josh Simons and his oversight of the scandal, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister insisted that a decision would only be made once the Independent Ethics Adviser had reviewed his involvement.

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

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE URGENT QUESTION

Last summer, the government held a consultation to survey people’s views on Post Offices to gather what services must be maintained within the scope of their modernisation plans.

I was pleased to hear the minister recognise the importance of Post Offices to local communities in his statement, with specific reference to the role they play as banking hubs. This is especially important considering the recent closures of banks on high streets across the UK, and I welcomed the government’s commitment to ensuring Post Offices will continue to provide banking services.

However, the minister did not make such commitments to the continued provision of DVLA or Passport services. I therefore asked the minister if he could confirm whether these services will remain in Post Office branches beyond March 2026, and if he would commit to a multi-year contract with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to show the government’s commitment.

Government services are becoming increasingly digitalised, so I was pleased to hear the minister provide assurances that DVLA and Passport services provided by the Post Office will be maintained.

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

MINISTRY OF HOUSING, COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT QUESTION

The Mayor of London set a target of building 88,000 new homes in London per year over the next decade. However, last year, construction began on only 5,891 houses, while, over the past two years, construction for new builds fell by 85% and 94% for affordable and council housing, respectively.

A significant contributing factor for the failures to meet these targets is a consequence of a backlog in the Building Safety Regulator’s approval processes. These delays are stalling development projects, curtailing investment, and losing people their jobs. At a time when the UK is facing a housing crisis, these delays are unacceptable.

I therefore asked the Minister if she agreed with me that ensuring the regulator is operating efficiently is paramount to enabling our housing targets to be met.

I was frustrated to hear that the Minister would not recognise the current issues impacting the construction of new houses, and you can watch my question and the Minister’s response by clicking here.

MEETING REGARDING A THIRD RUNWAY AT HEATHROW

Since the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, announced her support for a third runway at Heathrow, I have been challenging the government’s economic, environmental and social motivations for green lighting construction. 

Over the past year, I have become increasingly convinced that even segments of the government do not believe that a third runway will drive economic growth, while they have even stopped making the case that the environmental damage can be significantly mitigated. 

On Tuesday, I met with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Aviation, Keir Mather MP, alongside my colleague, Munira Wilson MP, to discuss the expansion plans. 

I was once again left disappointed with a member from the Department for Transport’s inability to provide clarity on the government’s reasoning for greenlighting expansion. It was especially concerning to hear that the government may not even put the proposal to a vote in Parliament - perhaps showing a further sign that the government does not wish the matter to be scrutinised at length in the Chamber.

The Airport National Policy Statement (ANPS), which is the policy framework for expansion, is currently being developed, and I will be scrutinising this process in detail over the next several months.

HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE UPDATE

After over a year of the government refusing to comment on the future of Hammersmith Bridge, I was pleased to receive an update from the Department for Transport which acknowledges the need for centralised funding to be provided for the repairs.

The letter, see here, from the Minister for Roads and Buses, Simon Lightwood MP, details that Hammersmith Bridge is formally being considered as a recipient of the government’s £1bn ‘Structure Fund.’

While Simon Lightwood’s letter frustratingly states that further consideration of the cost to the repairs and timescale will need to be considered before a decision can be made, I am pleased that the government has finally indicated a potential way forward for enabling the bridge’s repairs to be funded.

KINGSTON LEISURE CENTRE

It was an enormous pleasure to be invited to the topping-out ceremony at Kingston’s new leisure centre yesterday, along with Kingston councillors and the Mayor.  It was wonderful to see the amazing new pool and the space available for community activities and health and fitness.

The new centre will include an 8-lane pool, a modern gym, a health suite and a cycling studio, and I am pleased to report that the centre remains on track to be open by spring 2027.

START-UP COALITION DROP-IN

On Wednesday, I attended the Startup Coalition’s drop-in which focused on the need to introduce a fairer and more transparent energy market, with the aim to save businesses hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds each year on their energy bills.

UK businesses’ energy bills are nearly 30% higher than their EU counterparts, while 47% of small businesses in the UK cite energy costs as a significant pressure on their business. 

The Startup Coalition are calling on the government to mandate the disclosure and standardisation of energy bills to bring clarity for businesses and to remove the opaqueness which makes financial planning difficult for businesses.

The charter proposed by the Startup Coalition calls for greater choice to be also introduced into the energy sector, as customers are typically not offered a range of tariffs or suppliers, which reduces the competitiveness of the market, and therefore enables prices to remain higher.

You can learn more about the Startup Coalition’s charter by clicking here.

RICHMOND TEAM MINISTRY

It was a pleasure to join the congregation of St Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond for the institution and induction of the Reverend Robert Stanier as the Interim Team Rector of the Richmond Team Ministry and to be part of the ceremony of welcoming Rev. Stanier to Richmond.  

COMMUNITY NEWS

NCT KINGSTON BABY CAFE

Every Wednesday at 10:15, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) Kingston, holds free drop-in sessions for new mums. 

These sessions are attended by NCT’s breastfeeding councillors, who are able to provide you with any support you might need. 

The drop-in is held in the Norbiton, KT2 6PW, and you can sign-up by clicking here.

WORK EXPERIENCE FAIR

On Sunday 1 March between 13:00-17:00, students between the ages of 14-18 are encouraged to attend the Landmark Art Centre’s work experience fair. 

The fair is targeted at people who are interested in working in the creative industries in the future, and it provides an opportunity for young people to meet with those already in the industry, gain valuable advice and apply for work experience programmes. 

The work experience fair is taking place at the Landmark Art Centre in Teddington, TW11 9NN, and you can book your free pass by clicking on the following link.