Kate Osamor MP
he Hostile Environment On Monday this week I questioned the Home Secretary about the appalling standard of accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers. This government’s hostile-environment policy and privatisation of crucial asylum services are putting vulnerable refugees at risk. The response from the Home Secretary paints a rosy picture of the asylum accommodation support contracts, emphasising safe, habitable, and well-equipped living conditions. That is simply not the reality. Private companies like Serco and Clearsprings Ready Homes have been entrusted with providing accommodation for asylum seekers, and their track record is deeply troubling. Numerous complaints, including allegations of unsanitary conditions, lack of safeguarding, and even reports of sexual abuse, raise serious concerns about the quality and ethics of these services. Instead of answering my question, the Home Secretary deflected with political rhetoric about borders and Brexit. We need a government that takes the welfare of asylum seekers seriously and puts humanity at the heart of our approach to the refugee crisis. |
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Liz Truss Resignation Honours are a disagrace It’s been a year since Liz Truss’ mini-budget wreaked havoc on our economy, and ordinary families and businesses are still grappling with the consequences. From increased taxes to rising mortgages and soaring food and energy bills, the burden of Truss’ economic mismanagement continues to be felt by ordinary people. Despite the undeniable economic damage, Truss has now proposed rewarding up to fourteen individuals with resignation honours, securing them lifelong positions in the House of Lords. This shows how ridiculous and broken the honour system is; that somebody who was Prime Minster for just 44 days can place 14 of her cronies in the House of Commons upper chamber makes a mockery of our democracy. The Prime Minister could stop this absurdity by stepping in, and that’s exactly what the Labour party are calling on him to do. As Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has the power to stand up to his party and stand up for democracy by blocking Liz Truss’s honours. If you agree that Liz Truss’s resignation honours should be blocked, you can sign the petition below. |
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Solidarity with junior doctors and consultants This week junior doctors and consultants have taken part in their first ever joint strike, and they have my full support. Consultants initiated their strike action on Tuesday, followed by junior doctors joining on Wednesday. Both groups plan to strike again on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th October. This strike is part of an ongoing struggle that has now entered its tenth month. During this time, more than 885,000 inpatient and outpatient appointments have been rescheduled. The latest industrial action follows last month’s consultants’ strike, which disrupted 45,800 appointments and saw approximately 6,000 staff off per day due to industrial action. The Government only have themselves to blame for these strikes. Despite record-high workloads and waiting lists, junior doctors have seen their pay reduced by more than a quarter since 2008. Had the Tories not cut investment in the NHS then we would not be in crisis. We would not have a staffing shortage or record waiting times and there would be no strikes. To protect the NHS, the government must engage with and address doctors’ concerns. So far, they have refused to meet with them, leaving junior doctors with no other option but to take industrial action. The Government now needs to put politics to one side and change course. Otherwise, these dedicated professionals will be forced to leave their profession and the NHS crisis will only get worse. |
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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 |