Kate Osamor MP
Concrete Crisis Nothing demonstrates the failure of austerity more than the sight of the government bragging this week that most schools won’t collapse on pupils. The Tories have truly broken Britain. This crisis, involving Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), has exposed the dire consequences of austerity-driven decisions, putting our children’s education and well-being at risk. This is not just an isolated incident; it’s a symptom of a much broader problem stemming from years of neglect and underinvestment in our education system. The recent exposé of crumbling school buildings is an indictment of the government’s reckless approach to school funding, and it’s our children who are paying the price. At the heart of this issue lies the decision-making process that led to a drastic reduction in school rebuilding budgets, reportedly against the advice of officials. The consequences of this decision are now becoming painfully clear: children attending schools with crumbling infrastructure, parents kept in the dark about the dangers their children face, and the stark reality that austerity does not cut spending, it only delays it, racking up a bigger bill in the long term. Labour has been calling on government ministers for months to reveal the true state of our school buildings, but they have chosen to ignore these pleas. In response, this week Labour forced a binding vote to release documents that reveal what the Prime Minister knew about the risks posed by dangerous RAAC before slashing school rebuilding programmes in 2021. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly the PM ordered his MPs to block our vote and our motion was voted down by 309 votes to 175. The RAAC crisis is a stark reminder that austerity policies have real and devastating consequences. Britain is broken because of an obsession with arbitrary fiscal rules which have far more to do with politics than economic reality. It will now be for a Labour government to reverse the damage that austerity has done and once again invest in Britain. |
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Free School Meals As children returned to schools this week the Mayor of London’s Universal Free School Meal programme came into effect. £135 million has been allocated for free school meals in London during the 2023-24 academic year. An initiative that will provide nutritious meals to up to 287,000 primary school children in Years 3 to 6, ensuring they receive essential support every school day. A recent YouGov poll revealed that almost half (48 percent) of parents or guardians with children aged between 5 and 11 are cutting back on spending for food and essentials due to financial pressures. The expansion of universal free school meals will provide welcome relief, potentially saving families over £440 per child annually. Research consistently shows that offering free school meals to all students can reduce stigma, increase participation among families who need them most, and enhance educational outcomes and concentration levels at school. The policy also pays for itself, by cutting costs in other areas such as the NHS and increasing economic growth. It’s exactly the sort of common-sense policy that a Labour Government needs to deliver for the entire country and that is what I will be fighting for moving forward. |
Welcoming the Local Government of Nigeria Delegation This week, as part of my role as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria it was my pleasure to welcome a delegation from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGN) to Parliament. ALGN is an association of Nigeria’s equivalent of Local Councils, and it aims to promote better governance at the local level through information sharing with other countries and training. Local Authorities in Nigeria face many of the same challenges that our own councils face, such as underfunding. They also have a host of additional problems to tackle including serious security concerns. It was a pleasure to meet and speak with the delegation, hearing about their own experiences in Nigeria and their take on democracy here in the UK. It’s a reminder that democracy is something you have to continually work for and protect. We have a government that consistently erodes our own democracy at the national and local level. That is an incredible challenge for the country but one that I’m confident we can rise to.
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Energy Bill This week, I had the opportunity to vote on the Energy Bill, a crucial piece of legislation that impacts every family and business in our country. It’s disheartening to see the Conservatives’ energy policy failures hitting Britain hardest in Western Europe. The Energy Bill has been in Parliament since July 2022, under its fourth Secretary of State and facing criticism from the Climate Change Committee for failing in areas crucial to achieving our net-zero emissions goals. Labour has proposed amendments to the Energy Bill that could save £93 billion for the British people, ensure energy security, and end the Conservatives’ onshore wind ban. Onshore wind is cost-effective and quick to generate power. However, the Conservative ban on new onshore wind projects in England since 2015 has hindered progress. Labour’s amendment to this Bill would have permanently lifted this ban by aligning planning rules for onshore wind with those for major infrastructure projects. I took part in five different votes, to end the ban on onshore wind and make the Bill fairer and greener. Unfortunately, the Government blocked our votes and pushed through a Bill that won’t deliver for the British people. |
Economic Crime and Corporation Transparency Bill This week, I also voted on the Economic Crime Bill, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at addressing long-standing issues of corruption and dirty money within our country. For far too long, the Conservative government has turned a blind eye to the rampant illicit finance flowing into the UK, allowing Russian illicit finance and enabling Putin’s associates to enjoy a luxury lifestyle in London. Their delays in taking decisive action, including stalling the first Economic Crime Bill for several years, were unacceptable. Even when they eventually acted, they blocked numerous Labour amendments that could have reformed Companies House, making it impossible for Russian oligarchs to hide their ill-gotten wealth. While the Bill represents progress and finally acts on some of the government’s promises from its 2019 Economic Crime Plan, it doesn’t go far enough. Although the government has incorporated some of Labour’s suggestions from the Lords, they still oppose vital amendments that would close loopholes and strengthen the Bill further. We voted in favour of the Bill at the Report Stage, showing our support for its key measures. We also back the inclusion of every Lords Amendment, especially the six opposition amendments that address multiple loopholes used by those involved in economic crime. Unfortunately, the Government blocked those amendments, showing how little interest they have in cleaning up dirty money. |
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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 |