Solidarity with Junior Doctors

I want to send my full support and solidarity to all the junior doctors striking this week in Edmonton and across the country. Despite their training, responsibility, and debt burden, junior doctors are paid as little as £14 per hour, which is simply unacceptable.

Junior doctors have seen a huge real-term pay cut of 26% since 2008, which is leading to a huge staffing shortage in the NHS as our doctors leave to work overseas or quit the profession altogether. We cannot fund the NHS on the cheap. It’s not only fair for junior doctors that their pay is restored, it’s essential for the future of the NHS.

Ultimately politics is about choices. The Tories have chosen to spend billions more than the amount requested by junior doctors on tax cuts for the rich and wasted PPE. There is no question that we can afford this rise, whether it’s by equalising capital gains tax or cancelling tax breaks for the rich. The real question is, can we afford not to? What are the consequences for the NHS in the medium and long term if we can’t recruit enough doctors to run the service?

Ultimately the BMA demands for full pay restoration, a mechanism to prevent future declines against the cost of living and inflation, and reform of the DDRB process are all reasonable and necessary to safeguard the recruitment and retention of junior doctors. It is in the interests of the NHS, and therefore the country, that recruitment and retention are safeguarded.

The NHS is a vital public service, and its workers must be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. As the Labour MP for Edmonton, I urge the government to stop playing political games with NHS workers and deliver a fair deal for junior doctors that safeguards the future of the NHS for all of us.

We must stand up for Human Rights

Over the last week, hundreds of constituents have contacted me, deeply concerned by the attacks on worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the escalation of other human rights abuses by Israeli security forces. I share their concern and it’s vital that the international community doesn’t look the other way on this issue.

These attacks on worshipers are morally abhorrent and contrary to international human rights law. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only deepen if violent actions such as these by the Israeli state continue. Along with internment, forced evictions and the building on occupied land, the recent violence against worshipers at Al-Aqsa ferments conflict and only makes peace harder to achieve.

The UK should always stand up for human rights and call out human rights abuses whenever they occur and whoever commits them. We should do so in this case and work with the international community to bring about a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The establishment and expansion of settlements in the occupied territories are a blatant violation of international law that must be challenged. The UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine recently urged the International Community to end the forced displacement and annexation of occupied territory, describing the enjoyment of human rights for Palestinians as a ‘far-off hope’. Sadly that will remain the case until the International community works together to ensure that Israel complies fully with international humanitarian law and its international human rights law obligations.

Home Secretary needs to do her job

This week the Mayor of London called out the Home Secretary for delaying necessary reforms to clean up the Met. Sadiq is absolutely right. The fact that the Metropolitan Police are still governed by ‘police regulations’  rather than normal employment law is nonsensical and poses a significant threat to public safety. It is deeply concerning that senior officers, including Mark Rowley, do not have the power to dismiss rogue officers, leaving the public at risk of harm.

Suella Braverman’s inaction on this matter is unacceptable, and her failure to address it puts the safety of Londoners in jeopardy. The Mayor of London has rightly called on her to stop dragging her feet and urgently push forward with new laws that would enable police chiefs to get rid of corrupt officers. It is time for the Home Secretary to take responsibility for ensuring that there is no further delay in legislating to allow police leadership to take swift action against those who should not be serving.

The recent admission by Mark Rowley that the Met has “hundreds of people who shouldn’t be here” is a stark reminder of the urgency of this issue. The Home Secretary’s inaction is hindering the ability of police leadership to clean up the police force and ensure the safety of all Londoners. The longer this delay continues, the greater the risk to public safety.

The Home Secretary needs to spend less time defending racist pub owners and more time doing her actual job. She needs to take immediate action and provide police chiefs with the practical powers they need to swiftly deal with corrupt officers. It is time for the Home Secretary to prioritise the safety and well-being of Londoners above her political ambitions and to work with the Mayor of London to ensure that the necessary reforms are implemented without further delay.

I’m always happy to help whenever possible.

Kind regards,

Kate Osamor

Member of Parliament for Edmonton