Earthquakes in Turkey & Northern Syria
My thoughts are will the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Northern Syria and all those affected by this horrific tragedy. I know that many of my constituents will be worried about their loved ones, and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure the Government treats this situation with the urgency it deserves. In the weeks ahead it’s vital that a global humanitarian effort is coordinated and that even as the Media begins to move on, the attention of all those who can help does not.
On Tuesday in Parliament, I urged the Foreign Secretary to do everything possible to support all victims and those affected by the earthquake. It is absolutely vital that the government acts quickly and provides all possible aid to Turkey to assist with the rescue efforts. I understand the urgency of the situation and I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Government understands just how urgent this situation is and how important it is that they offer much-needed support to Turkish and Syrian authorities.
I will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with my colleagues across Parliament and in my role on the International Development Select Committee to ensure that the affected areas, including the Alevi and Kurdish residents, receive as much aid as possible from the UK. |
International Development Select Committee
This week, I had the opportunity to question ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Home Office, and the Treasury as a member of the International Development Select Committee. Our primary focus was on the spending of aid money by the Home Office on domestic issues.
The UK is a member of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which sets the rules on what qualifies as Official Development Assistance (ODA). The rules, which were clarified in 2017, state that aid-donor countries can count the costs of assisting asylum seekers or refugees in their own countries as ODA for the first 12 months of their arrival. However, it’s clear that the use of aid spending for refugees doesn’t meet the primary objective of aid spending, which is to reduce poverty in developing countries.
Despite this, the Tories have continued to include in-country refugee costs as part of its ODA budget. The UK is one of the few G7 countries, alongside Sweden and Norway, to do so. The result is hidden cuts on top of the billions which have already been cut from our aid budget. The Ministers we questioned had an inadequate explanation or answer to our concerns and sadly, two Prime Ministers later, the Tories appear intent to continue cuts to aid spending which were started by Boris Johnson.
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Ethical Trade
On Thursday in Parliament, I asked the Minister for Trade about the upcoming second round of trade negotiations with Israel and how they will go about preventing any repeat of the situation with Israel applying the current agreement to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Government’s response was that they are progressing with the free trade agreement with Israel and they understand the point I am raising.
I feel this question needs to be taken more seriously. The UK needs to be clear that it opposes the policies pursued by the Israeli state which have resulted in the dispossession, confinement, forced separation and subjugation of Palestinians by virtue of their identity. The Government needs to ensure that any future trade negotiations do not inadvertently support illegal settlements in any way.
I also questioned the Minister for Trade about what steps the Department is taking through trade negotiations to help tackle modern slavery in global supply chains. However, I remain concerned about the Government’s decision to begin negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council. We know that their economies are built on the kafala system, which enables coercion, debt bondage and modern slavery.
To protect the rights of UK workers, the Government must remain committed to meeting its obligations under the International Labour Organisation, advocating for the highest labour standards and working conditions, and retaining the UK’s high standards and protections in the UK GCC FTA. It is essential that the Government is honest and open in its discussions to ensure that labour rights are not reduced in order to gain a trade advantage.
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Higher Education Bill
On Tuesday I voted against the government’s Higher Education Bill. This Bill would introduce a new law that would protect racists and conspiracy theorists from being no-platformed at universities.
Labour has always stood for freedom of expression, but this Bill has very little to do with freedom of expression. It would give a platform for those who seek to spread hate and deny facts, such as holocaust deniers and anti-vaxxers. This is exactly the wrong thing to be doing with the time and energy of the government when our young people are facing a cost of living crisis and other important issues.
It is deeply concerning that the government is seeking to protect those who would spread hate and offence, instead of protecting vulnerable people. The Tories are desperately trying to distract from their failures by whipping up so-called ‘culture war’ issues. We must ensure that we uphold freedom of expression. Instead of doing that, this Bill turns universities into a safe spaces for those who incite violence and spread hate. I was proud to vote against it.
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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
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