Weekly Update – Friday 17 July 2020

According to the latest figures, unemployment in Edmonton rose to 11.3% in May, up from 4% before the lockdown and almost double the current national average. That is more people unemployed in Edmonton than at the peak of the 2008 recession and reaching levels last seen in the 1980s under Thatcher. Edmonton could be one of the hardest-hit places unless the Government steps up and takes action. Constituents are writing to me every day who are not getting the help they need from the Government. Meal deals and bonuses for bosses are not enough.

The Government needs to launch a major job investment programme and to create support schemes tailored to the sectors that need them. Unless that happens, the consequences could be severe and it will be the most vulnerable and least well off who suffer the most.

I’ll support amendments to the Trade Bill which protect the NHS

Next week the Trade Bill comes before Parliament and many constituents have written to me expressing their concern for what it means for UK regulations and the NHS. While the bill is necessary, it gives far too much power to the Government and doesn’t set any basic standards by which the Government will have to comply when negotiating future trade deals. It opens the door for a race to the bottom in which animal welfare and food standards are cut and the NHS is up for sale. Next week I will vote for any amendment that gives Parliament more power to hold the Government to account during negotiations and shields the NHS from privatisation.

Windrush victims are being failed again by the Home Office

Properly compensating the victims of the Windrush scandal is an important part of securing justice for them. Compensation is about recognising the extent of the injustice carried out by the Home Office and eliminating any financial loss that occurred. But the amount of compensation the Home Office will be offering victims will be in many cases insultingly low. £500 if you were denied NHS care. £500 if you were unable to go to University. £250 per month of homelessness. Only £1000 for those who were ‘removed’ from the UK.

These are tiny amounts which do not match up with the scale of the crimes committed by the Home Office against the Windrush generation. These figures need to urgently be looked at again and changed before the Home Office commits a second miscarriage of justice against the Windrush Generation.

EU Settlement Scheme

This week I’ve continued to have an increasing number of cases in which constituents applying for the EU settlement scheme are facing long delays. It clear that the Home Office has not learnt the lessons from the Windrush scandal and the same culture of maladministration continues.

One of my constituents is still waiting for a decision having applied 15 months ago. Unless something changes it is not hard to see another scandal occurring years down the line in which EU citizens with a right to British Citizenship face the same difficulties as the Windrush Generation. The Government needs to learn the lessons of Windrush and radically change the way the Home Office operates.

Edmonton Black Lives Matter Meeting

Today I held a meeting with constituents and community activists to discuss the issues which have been raised by the Black Lives Matter movement and what we can do to tackle systemic racism nationally and locally in Edmonton.

We were able to discuss a range of issues from systemic racism in the police to the need for black history to be a mandatory part of the curriculum. I will be taking the issues and concerns raised at the meeting back to Parliament and to organisations around Edmonton to help push forward this debate. I also hope to have a follow-up meeting in a few months’ time which will allow us to reflect on what progress we have or haven’t made.

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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 MP