Richmond Park News: 27 June 2025

PRIME MINISTER’S QUESTIONS:

For the first time in this new Parliament, I was selected in the ballot for a Prime Minister’s Question. As the Prime Minister was at the NATO Conference this week, Angela Rayner MP was deputising in his place. With the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government responding to questions, I decided to ask her about the proposed changes to Local Government which will divert money away from London and towards rural areas.

While it is important that rural areas are properly funded, this should not come at the expense of Councils in London. London boroughs are collectively facing a funding shortfall of at least £500 million for the current financial year, but despite this, the money allocated to local authorities in London in the government’s spending review fell 35% short of the amount requested by London Councils. This is all while the costs of Councils’ statutory obligations, such as providing Adult Social Care, continues to rise. 

Councils have two institutional ways of collecting money - through Council tax and via government grants. With the lack of funding directed towards London Councils, the government is expecting our boroughs to raise Council Tax by the maximum permitted amount each year. 

As such, I asked Angela Rayner whether she believes that London residents should continue to receive ever-increasing Council tax bills while their local authorities have less and less money to spend. 

Disappointingly, Angela Rayner’s response did not make any reference to the funding of Councils in London. Rises in Council tax will be of significant concern to many individuals who struggle to keep on top of other amounting bills, and I will emphasise the need for this matter to be examined in greater detail in a follow-up letter to the Deputy Prime Minister.

You can watch my question by clicking here.

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT QUESTIONS:

Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to vehicles for over 6-years, in which time Hammersmith and Fulham Council has spent nearly £50million in just maintaining the bridge. Despite promises from the then Secretary of State for Transport, Sir Grant Shapps, in the lead-up to the 2019 UK General Election that he would ensure that the bridge would be re-opened, the major repairs for the bridge are yet to begin.

The announcement of a £1bn structure fund as part of Labour’s 10-year infrastructure plan, specifically dedicated to fixing bridges, tunnels and other critical transport structures, has brought an expectation that the funding would be put towards Hammersmith Bridge. However, several government ministers have been asked this specific question, but they have been unable to clarify whether funding has been allocated for Hammersmith Bridge. 

As such, I asked the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood MP, whether he would confirm that funding will finally be released for the repairs. Frustratingly, the minister responded to state that ‘further information regarding the structure fund will be announced in due course.’ 

It is concerning that the government seems to not be clear about what projects the structure fund will be directed towards, and I have followed-up with the minister to request a meeting.

You can watch my question and the minister's response by clicking here.

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY STATEMENT RESPONSE:

On Tuesday, in my role as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, I responded to the government’s National Security Strategy Statement. 

The statement was prompted by the Prime Minister’s attendance at the NATO summit, at which the UK agreed to grow spending on national security to 5% of GDP by 2035, which will be a projected split of 3.5% on core defence spending and 1.5% on broader resilience and security spending.

This, as well as other measures in the government’s strategy, is a welcomed announcement due to the recent security threats which have developed across the globe. It is vital that the UK is prepared to respond to direct threats and attacks made against us, but most importantly a growth of our capabilities will deter possible aggression. 

While I stated my approval of the new commitments to protecting our national security, I encouraged the minister, Pat McFadden MP, to engage in cross-party talks to ensure that the UK reaches this target without making destructive cuts to other key services.

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

INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY STATEMENT RESPONSE:

The day prior, the government announced their Industrial Strategy, which I welcomed having campaigned for this over the last Parliament. 

I was glad to see measures to bring down industrial energy costs are being introduced, which is welcome news for manufacturers and energy intensive firms, and that the announcement included a funding boost for skills and training. I did, however, ask the minister if they would also accelerate the reform of the current apprenticeships model. 

During my remarks, I also made the point that as the government works to support businesses and boost economic growth, a key step in achieving this would be thorough looking to negotiate a new UK-EU Customs Union - which the government has resisted for the past year despite the evident economic benefits.

You can watch my speech by clicking here.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON FAMILY COURTS:

Some of the toughest pieces of casework that myself and my team manage are ongoing disputes in the Family Courts. While, rightly, I am not permitted to directly interfere in such cases due to the separation of powers between MPs and the Courts, I often have many sympathies with constituents who come to me to discuss cases which seem to have been unfairly managed. 

In the past few years, constituents have highlighted systemic issues with Family Courts, including permitting ongoing child contact with abusers, disregarding expert reports and the use of unregulated court 'experts.’. All of these matters can impact cases in an unjust manner, and I raised this to the Ministry of Justice’s Interim Permanent Secretary, Amy Rees CB.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have recently launched a new initiative, termed ‘pathfinder,’ which includes independent advisors on domestic abuse as well as early engagement with children and survivors. It is promising that the MoJ has recognised the need for more protections and assistance to be in place for survivors, but Amy Rees admitted that even more needs to be done.

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

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE OF MAJOR PROJECTS:

Yesterday, I attended the Public Accounts Committee session as a lead member to challenge senior civil servants on the governance and decision making of major projects.

Following the government’s announcement of their 10-year Infrastructure Plan, it is important to ensure that the projects and the overall plan is implemented efficiently and that waste is minimised. As such, I asked Jon Loveday, the Director for Infrastructure, Enterprise and Growth for the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) how data collection can be used across different projects to aid costing mechanisms and to identify early issues with project delivery to avoid another HS2. 

Jon Loveday responded to state that the department is using AI technology to enhance efficiency when conducting assurance reviews on major projects. 

I have sat on Public Account Committees in the past which has analysed the shortcomings of major projects, and I remain concerned that some of the lessons from the past have not been learnt. However, it was promising to hear that new guidance for departments has been published and that the civil service will be taking into consideration the recommendations from the Stewart Review which examined the failures of the HS2 project.

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

GREY COURT’S ‘HISTORY OF HAM’ VISIT:

On Wednesday, Grey Court School put on a celebration of Ham’s diversity which included the migrations of people, plants and creatures in the area over the past centuries.

The students of Grey Court demonstrated their artistic, musical and historical knowledge through a series of performances which story-lined different parts of Ham’s history and diversity. 

I would like to thank everyone at Grey Court for inviting me to their multi-cultural festival, and to the local staff and parents who provided a mix of delicious home cooked food. 

NEW STEPPING STONES SUMMER FAIR:

New Stepping Stones held its annual summer fair this week to help fundraise for new equipment and facilities. Based in Mortlake, the nursery has been around for over 30 years and is unique in being the only non-profit nursery in Richmond. 

It was initially set up by a group of mums who decided they wanted something different for their children’s childcare: a learning through-play approach. Today, it is managed by Ivie Derfinakova, pictured below with me, who has been at the nursery for almost ten years and is supported by similarly long-serving and local staff. 

New Stepping Stones welcomes children aged 2-5 years old and boasts a large garden and provides a wide selection of activities. Every day offers something new, be it playball, drama classes or yoga, and I am delighted to say that the fair raised £1,335 after costs which will be reinvested back into the nursery.

You can find out more about New Stepping Stones by clicking here.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

TANGIER GREEN LIGHTING CONSULTATION:

The Council has produced a consultation which proposes adding lighting to Tangier Green playground. The lights would be equipped with sensors so that they automatically turn on at sunset to enable children to use the play facilities after school during the winter months. 

The proposal includes a set time in the evening at which point the lights will be turned off to prevent light pollution, wasted energy and to ensure that the playground is not used for anything other than its intended purpose. 

If you wish to register your approval, objections, or requested amendments to this proposal, you can do so by responding to the Council’s consultation, which can be found by clicking here.

CLEAN SHEEN 2025:

I would like to say a big thank you to the more than 40 volunteers and to the Local Ward Councillors for East Sheen who took part in the Clean Sheen 2025 community litter-pick last Sunday across Sheen. 

Habitats and Heritage is a charity which undertakes important work in our constituency to keep it clean and to build and preserve our natural resources, and they were responsible for helping to organise this event. If you wish to learn more about the charity or to volunteer, you can do so by clicking here.