It is the honour of my life to represent you in Parliament. Thank you to all those who supported our election campaign on July 4th. Our result was about our community, and there was only one way we could win this election: together. My role as an MP is to listen to you, learn from you, and work with you to improve the lives of everybody in our community. Since the election, we have held two Islington North “People’s Forums” – a shared, democratic space for all local residents to discuss the issues affecting us all.
HOUSING
Our first forum was on housing. Following the forum, I was able to raise the major issues in parliament via the Renters’ Reform Bill. Although I welcome the bill, it doesn’t go far enough in tackling the core issue of private rent. I will continue to speak up for rent controls and for a huge council-house-building program. We need to treat housing as a human right.
I am pleased to see that the government has begun work on consultations for Leasehold Reform. However, I urge them to provide a time frame and commit to speedy progress so that those who are being victimised by this outdated system no longer suffer.
The Archway Campus development site is a hugely contentious issue, and along with many other constituents I strongly oppose the current proposal, and have made this clear to the Council. It fails to offer adequate social housing and would be incongruous with the existing architecture and skyline.
Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, many families remain trapped in unsafe buildings still awaiting urgent remediation. At least five buildings in our constituency require remediation and are still ina battle with developers. I’ve met with the relevant leaseholders and managing agents and have raised concerns directly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government.
EDUCATION
Sadly this year saw the closure of one of our beloved schools, Montem Primary School. Since then, two more schools have been earmarked for closure, Highbury Quadrant and St Jude & St Paul’s. Schools are such an important part of the community. I don’t want to see any of our schools close, but prefer that unused space in school buildings be used for the community. I have spoken in parliament and with the council about the issues caused with the current system of per-pupil funding, and passionately lobbied fora long-term strategy that secures funding within schools.
COMMUNITY SAFETY
Over the summer we witnessed horrifying riots led by the far right.This didn’t come out of nowhere, but from anti-migrant rhetoric from mainstream politicians who scapegoat refugees. I was proud to join people of all backgrounds outside Finsbury Park Mosque to promote our message of unity, inclusion and hope!
There exists a great deal of concern about the increase of anti-social behaviour (including knife crime) in Islington over the past year. I regularly meet with council representatives (including executive members for safety at the council) as well as the police on this. During these meetings I have always stressed the importance of strong connections between the local community, the council and the police in creating along-term strategy. These regular meetings will continue as a matter of the utmost importance.
POVERTY AND INEQUALITY
The Chancellor’s budget was a missed opportunity to bring about the transformative change this country needs. I remain appalled by the government’s decision to keep the 2-child benefit cap, cut winter fuel allowance and slash disability benefits. Instead of trapping thousands of people in poverty, the government needs to tackle the root cause of our country’s economic crisis: inequality. I will continue to campaign for wealth taxes so we can invest in a more equal and sustainable future.
HEALTHCARE
The NCL ICB and NHS England Specialised Commissioning are carrying out an extensive consultation to change the way some maternity, neonatal, and children’s surgery services are delivered in north central London. In the meantime, there will be no immediate changes on the services being delivered. On all visits to the Whittington I remain very impressed by the dedication of staff there. I would hope that all future decisions fully consider the level of expertise we see at the Whittington. Healthcare is not just about hospitals: it is also about mental health. We need to recognise that mental health stress comes from other pressures in society such as poverty, poor housing, low wages and debt.
PEACE
This year, we have watched in horror as the death toll in Gaza and Lebanon continues to climb. Many of us have attended demonstrations together to call for peace. Our marches are made up of people from all faiths and none, united in a belief that all human life has equal value. We will continue to call on our government to end all arms sales to Israel.Meanwhile, as the people of Syria come out of the horrors of war, I will continue to speak up for the rights of Kurdish people, and oppose Israel’s illegal occupation of the Golan Heights.
We want peace in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, the DRC, Sudan and beyond. Real security is not endless military spending. It’s about ensuring everybody has a decent home and securing a habitable future. That is what unites us, and as we look to the new year, we must renew our commitment to building a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
If you need support, call my office on 020 7561 7488, email me at corbynj@parliament.uk or write to me at Jeremy Corbyn MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
