Category: My work

I received many emails from constituents about the Iran protests in November, and sadly, nothing has improved there in the interim.

I am shocked and appalled by the events surrounding the death, whilst in custody, of Mahsa Amini, and the subsequent arrests, and deaths of those who have taken to the streets in protest.

I condemn the executions of Mohsen Shekari  and Majod Reza Rahnavrd. And I stand in solidarity with the many brave women and allies in Iran and around the world protesting for freedom and rights in Iran.

I would like to express my condolences to all of the bereaved families in Iran, they should know that we are with them, we support them, and we sympathise with them. And such bravery from Iran’s football team Captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, using his platform to stand up for human rights.

I have signed EDM (Early Day Motion) 581 to that effect:

Protests in Iran (Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East)

That this House notes that protests against the Iranian government have been taking place for the last two months in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini; further notes with alarm that the Iranian authorities have killed more than 300 people and detained thousands of others in response; understands that hundreds of people have been charged for their participation in the protests, with at least one person being sentenced to death so far; reaffirms its solidarity with pro-democracy and human rights activists, and its opposition to violent repression and the use of death sentences; urges the Government to call for the UN Human Rights Council to establish an international investigative and accountability mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve, and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes under international law committed in Iran; and calls on the Government to commit to exercising universal jurisdiction to criminally investigate and prosecute Iranian officials suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under international law and to strengthen Magnitsky-style sanctions on officials involved in human rights abuses.

The following is the text of a letter that I sent to the Culture Secretary to demand that the BBC is properly funded:

“I am writing this email on behalf of one of my constituents and more than likely many people all over the country regarding the cuts to BBC local radio and TV services.

I include the transcript of the letter itself here, as it very eloquently lays out my constituent’s concerns, as well as those of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU):

‘I am writing to you as my MP regarding BBC England’s recent announcement of cuts to local radio services and the closure of TV operations in Oxford and Cambridge.  

Local radio and TV have long been one of the most valued and revered services provided by the BBC, with a network of 39 radio stations collectively covering the entire country, ranging from large cities to rural areas, keeping people informed about local issues. 

Such stations and TV services are distinctive in their output, made by local people for local listeners, and keep both individuals and communities connected, particularly the elderly and lonely for which local radio acts as an invaluable lifeline.   

Throughout the pandemic we saw the value of local radio and TV services in keeping people connected through long periods of isolation, and just last month prime ministerial interviews from BBC local radio stations in Nottingham, Leeds and Bristol held Liz Truss to account following days of economic turmoil and a worsening cost of living crisis.  

The plans to create multimedia newsrooms to merge TV, radio and online news will mean a reduction of 48 roles, as well as the closure of We Are England and Oxford and Cambridge TV operations. Talented and specialist workers, particularly in Oxford and Cambridge, now face financial uncertainty, restructuring of roles and potential job losses.   

The Government’s decision to freeze the licence fee and underfund the BBC has made such cuts and closures inevitable. Decisions made directly from Downing Street combined with the changing media landscape have made it impossible for the BBC to sustain its plethora of services, having to save £285 million in response to the Government’s two-year freeze of the licence fee.   

The proposed cuts strongly reinforce the need for a licence fee that keeps pace with inflation and enables long-term planning and stability. A licence fee that allows the BBC to invest in local talent in the nations and regions, keeps communities connected and protects its public service ethos to inform, entertain and educate is essential if the BBC is to remain a truly national broadcaster.’

I write to ask that steps are taken to ensure that the BBC is properly funded, instead of being run down, and that the very crucial, local flavour provided by local services, is not compromised, and that the ‘centralisation’ of the BBC is dropped.

I look forward to hearing from you.”

Constituents have written to me about the train strikes, and clearly at this time of year the strike timetable is going to cause distress to many people. 

This serves to illustrate how important a railway worker’s job is.  During the Pandemic the government called them key workers:  they keep our country running, just as nurses and teachers do.  Yet none of them are seen by the government as valuable enough to negotiate successfully with.  Among their demands is that of safety, which also sits at the core of the nurse’s demands.  None of us want to travel on an unsafe railway, or be treated on an understaffed (and therein unsafe) ward.

These people are among our unsung heroes, and despite the season, we can’t afford to lose sight of this. I also believe that strike action is voted for out of desperation.

It was clear to me that once the railways were privatised, we were going to see the rail companies care for little else than making a profit, at the expense of both workers and passengers. 

I have always advocated that the railways, as a natural monopoly, should be re-nationalised, and I’ve maintained this ever since they were privatised, and there is a great deal of public support for this move. 

Children going hungry is more than just a scandal;  it is cruel, unjust and uncaring, especially in one of the richest countries in the world.

Zarah Sultana, the Labour MP for Coventry South, has put up a new Private Member’s bill which I fully support.

I have signed Early Day Motion (EDM) 672, the Free School Meals for All campaign:
“That this House notes that 3.9 million children are growing up in poverty and that the cost of living crisis is estimated to push another 500,000 children into poverty; recognises that free school meals ensure millions of children get a hot, healthy meal each day, but that as millions of families struggle with the cost of living crisis, more children are being forced to learn on empty stomachs, with restrictive eligibility, complicated registration and stigma built into the means-tested system; welcomes campaigning to extend free school meals, including those led by the National Education Union, the Daily Mirror and the Food Foundation; and calls on the Government to extend free school meals to all primary school children in state schools in England, as proposed by the Free School Meals for All Bill, formally known as the Free School Meals (Primary Schools) Bill.”

There must be universal free school meals, and I have also signed an open letter to the Prime Minister supporting free school meals for all.  This issue has taken on even more importance in the current cost of living crisis.

The following is the text of a letter that I sent to the Secretary of State urging the delivery of a 10-year plan for dementia as soon as possible:

“I’m getting in touch having been contacted by Alzheimer’s Society campaigners in my constituency to ask that you deliver the 10-year plan for dementia as soon as possible.

As you’ll know, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, committed to delivering the 10-year plan for dementia last May, stating the document would be published by the end of this year.  My constituents are writing to me based on the lack of progress here, and notably, having heard about answers to recent Written Parliamentary Questions stating only that the plan will be delivered ‘in due course.’

Most of what I write here will not be new to you as you’ll have heard from many others about this, and of course you’ll be well versed on this subject as part of your role.

I am advised that 900,000 people live with dementia in the UK – a figure that’s set to rise to 1.6m people by 2040.  Despite being the UK’s biggest killer, it is not treated as one by the health and care system, with many facing delays in diagnosis and a lack of support. With dementia prevalence on the rise, it’s clear the 10-year plan for dementia is essential to provide a strategic vision for the condition moving forward.

Dementia is a whole-system challenge which needs a whole-system solution. Its complexity as a condition has led to a lack of ownership of the condition within the health and social care system, meaning people living with the condition face a postcode lottery in the quality and availability of support.  At a local level, the 10-year plan would also help commissioners to understand long-term ambitions for dementia so they can provide appropriate services for their populations.

I am thoroughly convinced by the Alzheimer Society’s good work here, notably in their claim on just how crucial this 10-year plan is to drive integration:
– push up stagnating dementia diagnosis rates
– reduce variation in standards of care and boost system readiness for new dementia treatments coming down the line
– in demonstrating the government’s commitment to prioritising dementia, which in turn could help tackle the stigma around the condition and ensure people can live well and participate fully in society without fear or discrimination

As our population ages and the number of people living with dementia rises, please can you ensure the plan is delivered as soon as possible, providing a timescale for when the Government intends to publish it? I look forward to hearing from you.”

Many constituents have contacted me about opposing the Rosebank oil field and I can tell you that I fully support this campaign.

I am completely opposed to the granting of new licences for oil extraction, and I will continue to call on the government to exercise the powers it has to stop granting them.

Opening new oil fields threatens to undermine our shared obligations to dramatically reduce emissions.

I want to see the government implement a managed phasing out of North Sea oil and gas extraction in line with the urgent need to reduce climate emissions and tackle the growing climate emergency.

I will continue to call on the government both in and out of parliament to adopt concrete actions and plans that are much needed to address the climate emergency.