Weekly Update – Friday 17 December 2021

The Government needs to support businesses and workers

This week the head of the U.K. Health Security Agency, Jenny Harries, said that Omicron is the ‘most significant threat’ this country has faced since the start of the pandemic. Cases are now doubling within a matter of days with a record number of cases recorded this week. Some models now show that unless more restrictions are brought in, the NHS could be overwhelmed with more admissions per day than at any point previously in the pandemic. Meanwhile the Government’s chief scientific adviser Chris Whitty has made it clear that people should avoid all unnecessary social contact.

Yet despite the clear challenge that is emerging, the Government has been missing in action. As businesses face disaster in the wake of a drop in customer numbers, the Chancellor has been sunning himself in California. While the Labour Government in Wales has introduced additional restrictions, such as increased social distancing in shops and pubs, the Government in Westminster has focussed on covid passports which have shown little evidence of working.

The fact is that the repeated scandals that have dogged this Prime Minister and his Government over recent weeks have meant that the Country is unwilling to take advice from the Prime Minister. But we now face a serious crisis and it’s crucial the Government puts its own self-interest aside and does what is right. Businesses need a comprehensive package of support to ensure that they can survive this new wave. That must include business rate relief and if necessary, the reintroduction of the furlough scheme in some form. But more than that, the Government needs to give workers the support they need to isolate when they or somebody they know gets Covid. That means increasing sick pay and other crucial measures so that catching Covid doesn’t mean losing your job, or going hungry. The Government must introduce these measures of support as they introduce new restrictions. One cannot and should not go without the other. That is the decisive action we need to beat Covid this winter.

Edmonton Incinerator expansion is a mistake

This week the North London Waste Authority voted to expand the Edmonton Incinerator despite the disastrous impact that will have on the environment and local pollution in Edmonton. The expansion of the Incinerator will mean that waste from across London, will be pumped into Edmonton and pumped out in the form of toxic fumes that will almost certainly contribute to the 64,000 people across the UK who already die each year as a result of Air pollution.

A recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on air pollution took evidence from experts across the world and concluded that the expansion of Incinerators such as the one in Edmonton should be halted immediately to protect human health and cut carbon emissions. Unfortunately, the North London Waste Authority, which is chaired by Cllr Clyde Loakes of Waltham Forest, isn’t overly concerned about protecting either human health or the environment. The sad fact is that in this case, the personal ambition of a few councillors like Loakes has superseded the public good.

Despite this very disappointing set back I will continue to work in and out of Parliament to call for a pause and review of this project. In the years leading up to yesterday’s vote I’ve worked with MPs from across the political spectrum to push for a review of this project and I will continue to do so, even as the chances of stopping it diminish.

Public Accounts Committee Update – NHS Backlog 

On Wednesday at the Public Accounts Select Committee we took a close look at the important issue of NHS backlogs. Even before the pandemic, NHS waiting times had grown to record levels after a decade of Tory Cuts. A toxic combination of top-down reorganisation, privatisation and spending cuts had left our NHS far less prepared for the pandemic than it should have been. As a consequence, the backlog in the NHS is severe and something that the Government must take urgent action to fix. The situation is so severe that even if the NHS is able to get back to something close to normality by the middle of next year, the elective care waiting list is projected to continue increasing up to 2025.

We had the opportunity to put questions about this issue to Sir Jim Mackey, Director for Elective Recovery and Chief Executive and I asked Sir Jim if the central issue the NHS is facing is one of funding. In his response Sir Jim made it clear that the priority for the NHS is to make the best use of the money they have possible and reduce the backlog, but that ultimately our Health Service could do with more money to help it recover. The Government should now listen to the health professionals and give our NHS whatever resources it requires to recover from not only the pandemic but a decade of Tory cuts.

——————————-

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 MP