Weekly Update – Friday 19th March 2021

2.6 million people have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in London, while the infection rate has been steadily declining with the case rate down to 39 cases per 100,000 people from 41 per 100,000 last week. Across the capital 80% of those above 60 have received their vaccine, with the number for those aged 55 to 59 standing at 59%. All of the numbers are heading in the right direction, but a lot of the good work could be undone unless we continue to follow the rules.

Earlier this month children returned to school and the rules around outdoor recreation were relaxed. However, the underlying message is still very clear; stay at home. The only reason we should be leaving your home is if you are unable to work from home, for essential activities, education, childcare or exercise and outdoor recreation. More information on the latest lockdown rules can be found here.

I voted against the Crime Bill

The tragic murder of Sarah Everett has shocked the country and struck a chord with women everywhere. While particularly shocking, one of the reasons that Sarah’s murder has caused such an outpouring of anger and grief is because it isn’t an isolated incident. Violence against women has become an accepted part of our society. Nobody thinks twice about the fact that women don’t get to feel safe if they are walking home at night or that almost every woman has experienced harassment of some kind.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was an opportunity to change all of that. It should have introduced measures to protect women and fix the broken criminal justice system which fails to prosecute rapists. But the bill failed to mention women at all. Instead, the Government used the bill as an opportunity to crack down on peaceful protest and seek to instigate a ‘culture war’ by bringing in harsh penalties for ‘harming’ statues.

For that reason, I voted against the bill and despite the Government winning the vote and the Bill passing its second reading, the passage of the Bill through Parliament has now been delayed after thousands took the streets to protest against it. Yet another example of how powerful and important the right to protest is and why we need to protect it at all costs. We now need to push for meaningful legislative and culture changes which begin to tackle to the scourge of violence against women.

Government needs to do more for renters

Shortly before the Budget I wrote to the Chancellor urging him to take action to end the rent debt crisis. Having already been let down by eleven years of Conservative Government, renters have been pushed into yet another crisis during the pandemic with many falling into rent arrears. In my letter I urged the Chancellor to change course and introduce rent relief for tenants, an increase to the Local Housing Rate

and to bring about an end to the Benefit Cap which results in thousands of people being made homeless each year.

I received a response this week from the Minister for Welfare, Will Quince MP, and in it he confirmed the Government has no intention of helping renters. While pointing to an increase in LHA rates last year he confirmed the Government will be freezing these rates moving forward, cutting Universal Credit and ending the ban on evictions in June.

His letter also confirmed that nothing will be done to help the millions of renters who are now in rent arrears because of the pandemic. By banning evictions for a limited period of time but doing nothing to tackle the underlying issue – rent arrears – the Government has just kicked the can down the road.

When the eviction ban ends in June thousands of renters will receive notices of eviction. The rent debt crisis will then feed straight into the already existing homelessness crisis. Renters have been ignored for too long. The Government must act now, before it is too late.

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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