Time to end reckless privatisation of water
Thames Water’s plan to pump 100 million litres of sewage into the River Thames every day is a clear example of the reckless behaviour of private water companies. The fact that Thames Water already dumps sewage across London and leaks 630 million litres a day from its pipes is unacceptable. The Environment Agency’s rating of Thames Water as just 2 out of 5 stars further highlights the severity of the issue. It is evident that privatised water companies prioritise profits over the environment and public safety, and it is time for a change.
The dangers of Thames Water’s proposed scheme extend beyond the obvious environmental impact. The transfer of water from the Thames to the Lee Valley reservoirs in North London would require significant construction and could lead to the destruction of the surrounding ecosystem. This scheme could also result in the displacement of local wildlife including fish, insects, and plants. The plan raises concerns about changes in the water temperature, oxygen levels, and chemical composition, which could harm the biodiversity of the river.
The need for water to be brought back into public hands cannot be overstated. This latest plan to pollute the Thames is the direct result of decades during which Thames Water profits were extracted by shareholders rather than being reinvested in infrastructure.
It’s time to end this crazy experiment and bring water back into public hands so we can ensure the primary focus of water companies is the environment, public safety, and meeting the needs of the people rather than shareholders. The next Labour Government should make that task one of its top priorities.
In the meantime, you can sign the petition to stop Thames Water’s reckless plan below:
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Earthquake in Turkey & Syria
This week in Parliament I questioned the Minister for Development on the Government response to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. I asked the Minister about the allocation of funds for emergency aid. I raised concerns about the significant decrease in the crisis reserve, which previously totalled £500 million but now stands at only £30 million. I highlighted that natural disasters show the importance of having a well-funded crisis reserve that can provide timely emergency aid.
The Minister acknowledged the importance of a crisis reserve and mentioned the CERF, a multilateral fund which is currently deploying $50 million. However, I am disappointed that the Minister did not provide a clear explanation of how the remaining £30 million has been allocated this year. I also asked if the Minister will use this fund to support relief efforts until the end of this financial year. The response did not fully address these concerns.
I will continue to push for greater transparency and accountability in the allocation of funds for emergency aid, so that we can provide the best possible support to those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
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How I voted This Week
This week, I voted in support of the Housing and Planning Bill. The Bill will make it easier for the Regulator of Social Housing to fine providers who fail tenants and gives tenants greater rights to obtain information from landlords.
While I welcome the measures in the Bill, I believe that the government needs to go further to ensure that social housing standards improve rapidly, and tenants are able to seek redress effectively. Additionally, I was concerned that the Bill does nothing to address the crisis in the supply of social homes, which has seen an average net loss of over 16,000 affordable homes per year between 2012/13 and 2021/22. The Tories have singularly failed to build the social homes we need and we must take action to address this crisis urgently.
On Tuesday I also voted in favour of a motion condemning the government’s failure to address the workforce crisis in the National Health Service (NHS). There is a current shortage of 9,000 hospital doctors and 47,000 nurses, and the draft NHS England workforce plan calls for a doubling of medical school places to address this crisis.
The Chancellor needs to invest in the NHS workforce by ending the non-domiciled tax status regime and adopting Labour’s plan to expand the NHS workforce by doubling the number of medical training places, delivering 10,000 more nursing and midwifery clinical placements, training twice the number of district nurses per year, and delivering 5000 more health visitors.
We must take urgent action to address the workforce crisis in the NHS and ensure that we have the staff we need to deliver high-quality care to patients.
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Rent Freeze Letter
On Monday I wrote to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, urging him to act to end the renting crisis.
The situation is dire, with rents in London increasing by an average of 17.8% last year, and rent increases of up to 50% becoming more common. Many renters in Edmonton are being forced to cut back on basic necessities like food or heating, and some are facing eviction and homelessness due to unaffordable rent rises.
That is why I support the call made by the London Renters Union, trade unions and the Mayor of London for the government to introduce a temporary rent freeze, bring forward the Renters Reform Bill to end Section 21, and introduce a ban on evictions.
After 13 years of failure on housing I’m not hopeful that the Tories will even acknowledge the crisis facing renters. Instead, it will be for a Labour government to take on this challenge and radically reform renting.
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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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