Monday 4^th December

• On Monday I voted for Diana Johnson MPs amendment which passed, despite Government opposition. The passing of the amendment means the Government must now established a body that will pay compensation to those infect and affected by the contaminated blood scandal within 3 months of the Act passing.
• The Government announced a cruel and economically disastrous immigration plan. The plan significantly increases the income threshold for immigration into this country, bans workers from bringing over their children and makes it impossible for people to marry and live with somebody from abroad unless they are in the top 25% of earners. Not only will these new rules starve our NHS workers during a staffing shortage, it will break apart families up and down the country.

Tuesday 5^th December

• On Tuesday I chaired a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in Contact with the Justice System which heard from groups such as Women in Prison and Women4Change about the disproportionate use of remand for Black, minoritized and migrant women.
• In my role on the International Development Select Committee, this week the committee took evidence from senior civil servants in the Foreign Office regarding the annual spending of the department. In the context of cuts made to the aid budget this was an important session that gave us the chance to examine how successful the department has been in achieving its development objects in the last financial year.

Wednesday 6^th December

• I was pleased that this week my terminally ill constituent, who had been living in a property with severe mould and damp, has now been placed in suitable accommodation. It should never have taken so long but I’m glad that the Council have finally done the right thing.
• Enfield Council agreed to refund my constituent £126 in Council Tax after she was overcharged as a result of the Council failing to act following her report to them that her husband has sadly passed away.

Thursday 7^th December

• One of my constituents, who is from Afghanistan and served the British Army while it was deployed there, has now been waiting for more than two years for his family to join him in the UK. His family is in significant danger, yet the Government has refused to open safe routes for them to join him here. He served our country and now our government has abandoned him.
• This week Labour put forward a motion to prevent water bosses from receiving bonuses if their companies have been dumping raw sewage into rivers and seas. But we must go further and end the failed experiment of water privatisation. Public services belong in public hands and we must now work towards taking the water companies from the greedy hands of a rich few who’ve made billions while dumping raw sewage in our waterways.

Friday 8^th December

• Over 200 people contacted me this week, with the most common concern being the continued war crimes being committed by Israel in Gaza. I voted for a ceasefire and will continue to call for an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as well as an end to the murder of Palestinians in the West Bank. The occupation of Gaza and the West Bank must end. The only solution to this conflict is a two-state solution that gives Palestinians equal freedoms and rights alongside Israelis.
• After long delays, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association finally conducted the necessary repairs at my constituent’s property following a significant leak. It should not take so long for a Housing Association to do the right thing. All too often tenants are simply ignored and that needs to stop.

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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

Member of Parliament for Edmonton