Weekly Update – Friday 3 September 2021

Government must save those stranded in Afghanistan

Following the disastrous execution of our withdrawal from Afghanistan MPs across the country, including myself, are now attempting to help thousands of constituents whose family members have been left behind in Afghanistan by our Government.

This includes many British Nationals and still more whose lives are in danger because of the work, they did for the UK during the occupation or simply because of their ethnic and cultural background.

My office has done everything it can to contact the relevant ministers on behalf of everybody who has reached out to us but so far, our letters and emails have been met either with silence or a quick copy and pasted rebuff.

In short, the Government has chosen to leave thousands of people in Afghanistan to face possible persecution and even death. Given that it has been known for some time that the Taliban would quickly complete its takeover of the country after our withdrawal there is no excuse for such an unforgivable outcome.

It is the UK’s moral duty to now make good on this catastrophic failure and welcome as many Afghanistan refugees into our country as we can. The Government must work hard to organise safe routes from Afghanistan via third countries to the UK and offer all refugees who arrive the support they need to start a new life in this country.

My office will continue to do everything it can to help all my constituents who are contacting us for assistance and have family members in Afghanistan. All those cases will be followed up and I will do everything possible to put pressure on the relevant departments to take action to assist those in need.

Government confirms plans to push more people into poverty

The Government has confirmed once again that it intends to cut £20 a week from Universal Credit in October, just as the furlough scheme ends.

Even if we ignore the upcoming cut, the UK has one of the least generous benefits systems in Europe which has led to a huge increase in the use of food banks over the last 11 years power. The amount we now pay individuals in unemployment, disability, and in-work benefits is now so low that for many it is simply not enough to survive. The £20 ‘uplift’ for Universal Credit claimants that came in during the pandemic was an acknowledgment by the Government of that fact.

Unless that ‘uplift’ is made permanent, expanded it to those on legacy benefits and built upon, then as we approach winter the millions of people in this country that rely on in-work benefits because of low pay or out-of-work benefits because they lost their job or are too ill to work will face a poverty that should no longer exist in 21^st Century Britain.

When Parliament returns next week, I will be joining MPs from across the house to call on this Government to urgently rethink this vicious attack on ordinary people.

Next week I’ll vote against Tory vote rigging plans

The Tories couldn’t be any clearer about their priorities. As Parliament returns from summer recess next week, one of the first pieces of legislation that this Government has chosen to push forward is its so-called ‘Elections Bill’ which if passed will make it harder for older, poorer and marginalised communities to vote.

Through the Election Bill the Government hopes to introduce restrictions on the right to vote including Voter ID rules. Over the last decade the Government has watched carefully as the Republican party in America has successfully made it harder for those who are less likely to vote for them, especially Black communities, to cast their ballot in states that are Republican-controlled. The Conservatives have now decided they want to impose similar restrictions here in the UK, with the hope that it will make it harder for the Labour party to get votes.

While unsurprising, such a blatant attempt to damage our democracy is still shocking and in Parliament next week the Labour party will vote against it.

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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