Independent Inquiry welcome, but Commissioner Dick must go

Last week I called for the sacking of Met Commissioner Cressida Dick and an independent inquiry into the culture of misogyny within the Metropolitan Police. It’s welcome news that an independent inquiry has now been announced, but very disappointing that Commissioner Dick remains in place.

It’s clear that London no longer has confidence in Commissioner Dick. Cressida has unfortunately been at the centre of many of the Met Police’s biggest failings over the last couple of decades. From deliberately obstructing investigations into police corruption, to overseeing the horrific handling of the aftermath of Sarah Everard’s murder, including sending in officers to arrest mourners at her vigil. Even this week, Commissioner Dick announced an ‘internal’ inquiry into the issues raised by the murder of Sarah Everard within the Met, in effect once again rejecting external transparency in favour of the Met marking their own homework.

To put it simply, with Cressida Dick at the helm the Met will never be able to get their house in order. It’s time for her to go.

PM has no answers to crisis facing the country

This week the Prime Minister gave his speech at Tory conference amid an array of unfolding crises across the country. From dry pumps at petrol stations and empty shelves, to rising energy prices, we’re currently experiencing chaos on a scale not seen in living memory. The consequences of eleven years of Conservative Government are becoming crystal clear – stagnating wages, falling living standards, and rising poverty on an unprecedented scale.

Taking to the stage at the Tory Party conference on Wednesday, the PM decided to ignore the multiple crises that ordinary people face and instead cracked jokes. At a time when his government is making so many people choose between eating and heating, the PM and his colleagues could not have been happier, ignoring the economic consequences of their decision making and pretending that the last eleven years they’ve been in power didn’t happen. Unfortunately for as long as they remain in government the consequences of their detachment from reality will be very real for all of us.

Solidarity to striking Uber drivers

On Wednesday, this week Uber drivers and couriers went on a 24-hour strike to demand that Uber give them a decent livelihood, end unfair account terminations, scrap their racist facial recognition algorithm, reinstate unfairly terminated drivers and recognise the IWGB.

It’s unfortunate that since Uber rose to prominence, they have felt basic employment law does not apply to them. We’ve seen across the globe that Uber has repeatedly refused to acknowledge its drivers as employees, instead maintaining the charade that they are somehow ‘self-employed’. Uber shareholders rake in huge profits every year on the backs of the labour of Uber drivers. Uber drivers have created billions of pounds worth of profits for the company, yet are barely able to make a living and frequently face dismissal at a moment’s notice.

That has to change, and I back the brave decision by Uber drivers to withdraw their labour to begin the processing of ensuring Uber meets their demands. Without the drivers Uber is nothing. It’s time the bosses at Uber were made to understand that.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my latest update, if you have any issues that you would like to raise directly with me then please do email  edmontonconstituency@parliament.uk. I’m always happy to help whenever possible.

Kind regards,

Kate Osamor  MP