Richmond Park News: 27 March 2026

Parliament is now in Easter recess, and therefore I will not be producing a newsletter for the next two weeks. 

My staff and I will continue to monitor and respond to emails as normal, so please do not hesitate to get in touch.

ANTHROPY PANEL

On Wednesday, I visited the Eden Project in Cornwall to attend the ‘Anthropy Panel’ in my role as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Business.

I was joined on the panel by Jennifer Nadel (CEO, Compassion in Politics), Ben Roome (CEO, Mova Group) and Professor Juergen Maier (Chair of GB Energy). The discussion focused on the embracement of co-operation in business and politics to enable growth in the UK.

I was pleased to be able to provide a political perspective with regards to how government policy can impact our businesses. I stated that it is vital that a government sets out a vision and communicates their policies and intended plans to businesses. 

However, a good policymaker must also react to developments nationwide and globally, and they must act to support businesses if global events, such as conflicts or pandemics, occur.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON COURT TRANSCRIPTS

The Sentencing Bill, which was passed earlier this year, gave all victims the right to access free sentencing remarks from their trials. This was an excellent step forward in my campaign to make full court transcripts more accessible for victims, and I welcomed the government’s support in pushing through this proposal.

This week, the Victims and Courts Bill returned to the Commons following scrutiny in the Lords, and one of the amendments included in the Bill was made by Liberal Democrat Peer, Baroness Brinton. This amendment, if voted in favour of, would have given victims the right to free court transcripts within 14 days of the end of the trial.

I spoke in favour of this amendment during a Westminster Hall Debate on the topic, and urged members across the House to support Baroness Brinton’s amendment. 

This debate was triggered after over 200,000 people signed an e-petition to support free access to court transcripts, however, much to my disappointment, the government decided to not accept Baroness Brinton’s amendment. 

The system is already weighted heavily against victims of rape and sexual assault, as only 2.1% of reports of rape result in a conviction. 

Making court transcripts free and accessible would have been a step towards enhancing the rights of victims, and I am disappointed the government did not take the opportunity to do so.

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

MEETING WITH TFL REGARDING LOCAL BUS SERVICES

Earlier this year, TfL announced a reduction to the 371 service, and only two weeks ago, they contacted my office to state that the 493 service will run every 15 minutes, instead of its current rate of every 12 minutes. 

The cuts to services in the capital are becoming far too common, and even Labour MPs have hit out against Sadiq Khan this week over his failure to deliver for London.

Last Friday, I met with TfL, alongside South Richmond Councillor, Paulina Vassileva, to convey the importance of maintaining the 371. Interestingly, the member from TfL’s Bus Network Planning Team stated that the decision to reduce the service was a marginal one, which means that the service may fail to meet passenger demands as a consequence of this cut.

Despite explaining the importance of maintaining the regularity, TfL would not budge, but they will consider making the bus a double decker service at all times to meet capacity demands.

The 493 is the only public transport service that provides a direct link to Tooting St George’s Hospital. Despite this, TfL’s assessment did not take into account the route’s destination, as they claim as long as the service still runs, people can still get to the hospital. However, not only will this encourage people to drive to St George’s, it will also mean people are more likely to be late to their appointments, as with the cut in regularity comes the reduction of reliability.

During the meeting, I also requested for impact assessments to be taken on the consequent crampedness of the 337 and 33 services during peak hours in which students from Christ’s School commute to and from school.

A positive to come from the meeting was TfL’s commitment to improving the reliability of the 65 bus. I have met with schools in Kingston who report concerns over their students arriving late for school as they’re unable to get onto the full buses. The teachers also highlighted that students are increasingly reporting that they have been sexually assaulted on the bus to school. With people squeezing onto buses, it makes it far easier for people to inappropriately touch students, and other women, on the bus. 

TfL’s Bus Planning Manager stated that the proposed improvement to the service is the single highest increase in funding he has overseen, and I hope that this will make commuting a better experience for users of the 65.

RCDAS MEETING

This week I visited Richmond Community Drug and Alcohol Service (RCDAS) to discuss the excellent work the staff do for constituents with drug and alcohol addictions. I met with Borough Lead for the NHS Trust, Jane Eastaway who hosted me along with her colleague, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Frankie Anderson. 

I discovered that alcohol misuse is the key cause of concern in Richmond, with nearly 70% of all cases at RCDAS presenting as alcohol addiction. The Covid pandemic has compounded existing mental health conditions, while it was interesting to learn from the clinicians that many more people are able to mask addictions far easier now with work from home patterns.

If you, or a friend or family member could benefit from the work of RCDAS please click here for their website. 

MEETING WITH THE ROYAL BALLET SCHOOL

The Royal Ballet School is located in the heart of Richmond Park, and the school nurtures some of the best dancers in the country. 

I visited the Royal Ballet School last Friday to talk about a range of issues. One change which has impacted the school is the removal of the dedicated parks police unit. The location of the school means it can take a while for forces to attend, and I was concerned to hear that students feel more vulnerable having lost the constant presence that the parks police team brought.

Another matter which we discussed was the central funding provided to music and dance facilities. Performing arts are often seen by politicians as being one of the least important sectors to contribute funding towards, however, London is famous for its theatres and acting, and the sector does contribute towards our economy.

I was disappointed to hear that the communication the school has received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is that of the attitude that those who choose to go into performing arts are normally already well-off, so funding support is less urgent. This attitude only entrenches class divides in performing arts, and a lack of funding support will prevent working or even middle-class families from supporting their children’s ambitions.

I would like to thank everyone at the Royal Ballet School for welcoming me and engaging in such an interesting discussion.

COMMUNITY NEWS

ACCESSIBLE WELLBEING WALKS

Accessible Wellbeing Walks are free monthly guided walks along an accessible path along the river Crane. The walk is open to all but suitable for people in wheelchairs and people using walking aids. They are an opportunity to spend time enjoying nature with others.

The meeting point is next to the fountains at The Crane Tap, London Road, Twickenham, TW1 1BE. There are multiple dates available to join these guided walks. 

You can join the walks by clicking here.

POETRY HUB

Poetry Hub is a free weekly event to celebrate the power of words, making it a welcoming space for poetry lovers to read, write, and share their work.  Organised by The Surrey Poet Laureateship, the event takes place every Tuesday from 11:00-13:00 at Kingston Library.

You can read more about the hub by clicking here.