Richmond Park News: 4 July 2025

ONE YEAR ON FROM THE 2024 UK GENERAL ELECTION:

On this day last year, the UK General Election took place, and the night that followed saw Labour elected to government with a huge majority, while the Liberal Democrats enjoyed a historic night as we surpassed even my expectations in winning 72 seats. For myself, it was an honour to be returned as the Member of Parliament for Richmond Park with an even wider majority, and I would like to thank everyone who turned out to vote for me.

Since the election, I have been working hard to represent my constituents' views in Parliament, and to raise the matters which matter most to local residents. 

I am also proud to have achieved successes in several of my longer term campaigns, including pushing the government to agree to a Youth Mobility Scheme, presenting the first proportional representation Bill for UK General Elections to pass in the Chamber, and securing free court sentencing remarks for victims of rape and sexual assault.

The last 365 days has certainly been an eventful time in politics, and this has been reflected in my inbox as myself and my team have processed over 30,000 casework emails in this time, while I have raised matters on behalf of my constituents and in my capacity as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Business and the Cabinet Office 183 times.

I am sure that even more national and locally significant matters will arise over the course of this Parliament, and I can assure you that I will continue to act and speak on behalf of the best interests of my constituents.

RADIO JACKIE INTERVIEW:

The major political news in Westminster this week was the political fallout in the lead-up to and following the passing of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its Second Reading, and this was a main subject raised in my interview with Radio Jackie.

The government’s Bill set out to increase the threshold for people being able to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) while also nearly halving the benefit payments for new claimants of the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity element of Universal Credit. While it is widely recognised that the UK’s welfare bill does need to be addressed, creating a two-tier system for old and new claimants is certainly not the way to tackle this. In addition, the Bill would have removed Carers Allowance from 150,000 people, as estimated by the DWP. 

Due to the significant concerns surrounding the impact that the cuts would have on disabled people, as well as not being provided a clear vision for how the reforms would enable people to get back into work, I voted against the Bill.

This week has also seen continued disruptions to the District Line, which have become more regular in the past few months, and I was also asked in the interview about my concerns that these delays and cancellations are having on businesses. 

My office is in constant communication with Network Rail regarding the performance of the District Line as we understand not only the frustration of being late to work or commuting on a packed train due to other cancellations, but also the impact that this has on our local businesses as commuters are discouraged from travelling to Richmond due to the added difficulties. 

One of the reasons for the unreliability of the service recently has been because of the outbreak of fires on the line. After correspondence with my office, Network Rail are looking into a number of ways to reduce these outbreaks, including the use of flame-retardant liquids on the line which is currently being trialled.

The interview addresses a range of other topics, including Assisted Dying, police presence in our constituency and funding for London Councils, and you can watch the full interview by clicking here.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON SUPPORT FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR:

Last year's autumn budget hit the hospitality sector by an extra £3.4 billion in annual costs through a cumulative impact of the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions, increases in the National Living Wage and the nearly halving of RHL Business Rates Relief. 

I have had a number of meetings with hospitality businesses in Richmond Park, and I know that these changes have hit them hard - to the point where many are questioning their business’ viability. 

A recent survey conducted by Hospitality UK members found that, since the autumn budget, a third of hospitality businesses are now operating at a loss, with 75% having increased prices, two-thirds reducing hours available to staff and 6 in 10 cutting jobs.

There are a range of matters which must be addressed to help support our local businesses, including overhauling our broken business rates system and tackling sky-high energy bills. However, one measure that the government has already committed to is the introduction of a Youth Mobility Scheme which would help fill the gap in our labour force which is impacting hospitality businesses significantly, and I urged the minister to implement the scheme as soon as possible.

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

MEETING WITH VISIT BRITAIN:

A matter which goes hand-in-hand with supporting our local hospitality businesses is increasing tourism, and last Friday, I met with the Head of Tourism Affairs for VisitBritain to discuss the importance of tourism to the UK’s economy and the reduction in tourism across the country following the pandemic. 

Funding for the tourism industry has been cut by the government by 41%, while VisitEngland does not currently receive funding to carry out paid domestic marketing campaigns.

Many of our stores and local businesses need the additional revenue brought in by tourists, as it is a sector worth billions of pounds each year. While tourists may come for main attractions, such as Richmond Park or Kew Gardens - which was the second most ticketed attraction in England last year with over 2million visitors, there are many excellent independent stores in our constituency which benefit from the footfall, and it is vital that the government understands this.

TREASURY QUESTIONS: 

Last week, ahead of the launch of their ‘Ethnicity Code’, the Lending Standards Board announced it would be closing following withdrawals of support from major high street banks. 

The Ethnicity Code aimed at improving equality in lending to businesses with ethnic minority business owners. Currently, 90% of ethnic minority-led small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) said they had challenges when applying for lending, compared to 69% of white British-led SMEs. The ethnicity code was going to be a ground-breaking step towards tackling the barriers ethnic minority business owners face in accessing finance.

In the face of its closure, I asked the minister, Emma Reynolds MP, what steps the government will take to ensure the Ethnicity Code is implemented, supported and scaled, so that its principles are embedded across the financial system. 

I was glad that the minister offered a meeting to discuss this matter in more detail, and I look forward to pursuing this issue further.

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

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS STATEMENT ON PARENTAL LEAVE REVIEW:

Earlier this week, the government launched a review of the parental leave and pay system in the UK. 

I welcomed this long-overdue review, as too often parents struggle on inadequate parental pay, and without enough access to shared leave, all while childcare costs are eye-watering. The balance between family life and work has only become harder and harder, which is not only placing significant financial burdens on parents, but also creating social difficulties.

In addition to these challenges, carers are often not recognised by the system and found to be ineligible for paid leave to look after babies and young children. This is so often the case with kinship carers, as they take on huge responsibilities, which sometimes arise unexpectedly, but they are not provided the same rights to public funds that biological parents are granted.

Consequently, I asked the government whether they would also commit to reviewing funding available to those who take on the responsibility of kinship care, and you can watch a clip of my speech by clicking here.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:

Monday’s Public Accounts Committee session focused on improving local areas through developer funding.

The purpose of the session was to challenge senior civil servants in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on the department’s design of the developer contributions system, explore challenges within the developer contribution system and to examine how the system could be made more effective in its support for Local Planning Authorities.

Developer contributions are planning tools which attempt to ensure that impacts of development are appropriately mitigated, and that the right infrastructure is in place to support new developments - hence it is vital that these are effectively managed.

MEETING WITH SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY:

As South Western Railway (SWR) has transitioned into the hands of the public sector, the company has appointed a new managing director, Lawrence Bowman, and I was pleased to invite him to Mortlake Station to discuss his aims and targets following nationalisation.

The main correspondence that I receive from my constituents regarding SWR is the unreliability of their service and the need for an increased frequency of trains throughout the constituency. There has been a reduction in services after the pandemic, and while this is partly due to changing habits, such as more people working from home, the reduction in service has not fallen in line with the reduction in passengers.

I raised my concerns regarding the service provisions to a number of stations in Richmond Park, and I was pleased that SWR spoke encouragingly about continuing these discussions once a holistic review of their network has taken place. 

On a more focused matter, I have also been raising the matter of graffiti at Norbiton Station over the past several weeks, and I have received assurances that it is due to be cleared shortly while further measures are being explored to prevent future vandalising of the station.

THAMES WATER MEETING: 

Today, I met with representatives from Thames Water to discuss the ongoing issue of reduced water pressure in parts of the constituency. Not only has this led to extreme cases in which residents only have dribbles of water coming from their showers and hoses, but the failure to communicate this reduced pressure has also led to instances in which people have spent significant amounts of money to investigate a problem which has been intentionally caused by Thames Water.

I highlighted these matters to the water company, who stated that they would attend to properties which are experiencing these seriously low levels of water pressure, and the representatives also committed to improving their communication surrounding matters that are so impactful to residents.

Thames Water have been forced to reduce the water pressure in certain locations to reduce the risk of bursts and leaks. Of course, the solution for this would be to update their pipe network, however as the company is in nearly £20bn of debt, reducing the water pressure levels is the most cost-effective way of maintaining a functioning network.

The conversation then moved towards the works ongoing in Kingston Vale to repair their sewage pipe which has been repeatedly bursting over the past few years. While I understand that Ullswater Crescent and Derwent Avenue have been impacted by these repair works, I am pleased to hear that Thames Water are taking every step to reduce the disruptions in the area.

The works are due to be completed by the end of September, at which point I hope that Thames Water will not have to return to the area to undertake repairs anytime soon.

At the end of the meeting, Thames Water stated that they are continuing to monitor their water resources closely and that they are prepared to take drought measures if necessary. This has been one of the hottest starts to a summer in UK history, and Thames Water has warned that restrictive measures may have to be implemented if this dry weather continues.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

WILDFIRE EXERCISE IN RICHMOND PARK:

Working in partnership with the Royal Parks, the London Fire Brigade recently staged a simulated wildfire scenario in Richmond Park to ensure that they are ready to respond to any incidents which could incur as a result of the recent heatwave. 

The use of advanced techniques to mimic a real scenario is reassuring to hear, and it is excellent that our firefighters have recognised the risk caused by the rising heats and are taking steps to be prepared to protect our nature and biodiversity.

REOPENING OF VALENTINA’S DELI:

In March, Valentina’s Deli in East Sheen had to close temporarily due to a fire which caused damage to the delicatessen. 

However, Valentina’s has reopened its doors after undertaking significant refurbishment, and you can support the business and other local stores in the area by popping in this weekend and exploring what is on offer.

HAM PARADE MARKET:

Ham Parade Market is open tomorrow, Saturday 5 July, between 10:00-14:00 on Ham Parade, KT2 5PU.

The market opens on the first Saturday of each month, and it has developed into a community event which sells fresh produce, as well as other goods and activities, from the row of stalls. The market has raised over £17,000 for charity since 2017, and you can find more about the excellent work undertaken and goods on offer at the market by clicking here.