The last week in Westminster saw us hit more legislative milestones to deliver our plan for change, lots of work championing my constituency and positive progress with a range of casework.
On Monday, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill had its second reading and will now progress to the committee stage. Labour is committed to tackling the mess left by the Conservatives on immigration and asylum, which has seen net migration reach record highs. In 2018, only 300 people arrived to the UK by small boat but, despite pedalling tough soundbites under successive Prime Ministers, the Tories completely lost control of the situation and allowed this to rise to more than 30,000 – a 100-fold increase. The Conservatives’ Rwanda gimmick cost £700 million to send just four volunteers to Rwanda, while the Illegal Migration Act failed to stop the dangerous channel crossings and left the Home Office with a huge asylum case backlog.
There is no question that immigration has benefitted Britain throughout its history – enriching our culture, helping to grow the economy with enterprise and innovation, and providing vital support to run frontline public services like the NHS – and will continue to do so. But it is a fundamental duty of any Government to have a fair and properly managed asylum and immigration system. We all want to see the small boat crossings end – they are hugely unsafe as well as being propped up by criminal gangs – and I will support the Government to do so, but we must not lose sight of the need to support those who arrive fleeing persecution and terror.
I have been keeping my blog subscribers updated on progress with the Water (Special Measures) Bill and am delighted to report that the legislation has completed its parliamentary journey and will now become law following Royal Assent. On Tuesday, final amendments to the Bill were considered and the Government confirmed that water companies will be required to make their financial reports more accessible to the public, as well as how we will protect the independence of the regulator, Ofwat.
This legislation is part of our plan for change and will finally give Ofwat the teeth it needs to hold water companies to account and ensure that our water system meets the high standards that taxpayers rightly expect. Improving our water infrastructure and responding to the awful flooding seen last month in Flixton and Urmston has been a focus for me locally, and so I was pleased to discuss this on BBC North West Tonight and set out what needs to happen next to make sure that residents and businesses are protected moving forward.
Last week we celebrated #NationalApprenticeshipWeek and I used this as an opportunity to champion all the brilliant local businesses and providers including Trafford College and University Academy 92 who are creating exciting and rewarding opportunities for our young people and career changers. Apprenticeships give people valuable skills and jobs for life and are key to building the talented workforce we need for our industries to thrive, from tech to accountancy, construction and engineering, to healthcare, creative, digital and media. The Tories presided over apprenticeship starts falling by nearly 25% in Stretford and Urmston during the last five years, which is why I am fully behind Labour’s plans to slash red tape and make it easier for businesses to focus on training rather than unnecessary admin.
On Wednesday, the Security Minister gave a statement on the publication of the Prevent learning review into the tragic murder of Sir David Amess in 2021. The Minister paid tribute to Sir David, who was hugely respected by all sides of the house and served Essex constituents for nearly 40 years. Prevent is a multi-agency programme that aims to stop individuals from becoming terrorists and the senseless murder of Sir David was committed by someone who had previously been referred to the programme.
The Prevent learning review was completed in 2022 and I welcome that the Home Office and counter terrorism police have announced that they will fully implement its recommendations to help stop devastating incidents like this from happening again and make Britain safer, including: launching a single national referral form to ensure that there is a consistent approach to referrals; rolling out police staff training to strengthen the initial intelligence check stage; and fully reviewing how long data is retained for.
On Thursday, the Paymaster General updated MPs on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. He informed the House that new laws will be in place by the end of March so that victims of the scandal can apply for compensation. Since becoming the MP for Streford and Urmston, I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have either been personally affected or lost a loved one as a result of the scandal, and I hope that this news will provide them with peace of mind on our pledge to deliver justice as swiftly as possible. It is unacceptable that we saw years of delay over historical injustices under the previous Government. Labour is righting this wrong and supporting victims and families that have been let down to move on.
The House of Commons held a debate to mark LGBT+ History month on Thursday, which saw tributes paid to the tireless work of campaigners who have helped to make change and led the fight against division and hate. From decriminalising homosexuality in 1967, to repealing the shameful Section 28 in 2003, and introducing the Equality Act in 2010, previous parliaments have passed lots of legislation to strengthen rights and protections for LGBT+ people. We still have much work to do in this space and I am hopeful that, through close working with the LGBT+ community, this Government will make further strides forward in defending and championing LGBT+ people both at home and around the world.
I had a busy end to the week in the constituency, dropping into the Davyhulme Bike Library. The scheme allows people to borrow a bicycle, helmets, locks, lights and hi-vis jackets, making it easier and more accessible for residents to give cycling a go. This is part of a campaign to boost active travel across the Borough, which will benefit resident health and wellbeing and support our drive to reduce carbon emissions in Trafford. It was great to hear that there are plans to expand the Bike Library scheme and make lending bikes part and parcel of library services.
I also visited the Spinning Gate site with Cllr Jill Axford where we met with L&Q to discuss longstanding problems that residents have been experiencing with their homes. I have been in regular contact with L&Q to raise constituent concerns and the developer confirmed that a timeline for completing the necessary maintenance works to fix issues with roof leaks and ventilation is being finalised and will be shared with Spinning Gate residents in the coming weeks. L&Q has assured me that these issues are being taken very seriously and its team is working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
Housing is a top casework issue for my office and I am proud that, at a national level, the Government is delivering on our manifesto promise with reforms to improve housing standards and secure a better deal for renters, leaseholders and homeowners.
Andrew Western MP
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