I want to thank everyone who has shared their well wishes with me in the last week. I was really touched by the number of messages I received. While I’m continuing to recover well in Bristol, there’s been lots happening in Parliament this week.
Opposing the Rwanda Bill
After months of chaos, the Government’s Rwanda Bill passed through both Houses of Parliament this week and became law. The scheme will cost the taxpayer over half a billion pounds to remove just 300 people, and the whole project is a costly gimmick that simply won’t work.
Having opposed the bill throughout its passage through Parliament, I used my proxy vote to support both amendments brought forward by the Lords on Monday night – which sought to install safeguards over the safety of Rwanda for migrants, and exempt those who worked with the British armed forces in Afghanistan from the scheme. Sadly, the Government ensured neither of these passed.
Supporting English football
The Football Governance Bill was debated in Parliament this week, which aims to ensure the sustainability of English football by establishing an independent football regulator – something colleagues in Labour’s Culture, Media and Sport team have long been calling for.
It’s important that football clubs, which are at the heart of communities here and across the country, are supported to continue serving the best interests of their fans.
Improving conditions for private renters
Alongside colleagues in the Labour Party, I have long supported fundamental reform of the private rented sector. This week, the Renters Reform Bill passed through the House of Commons after months of delay, but the measures it puts forward do not scratch the surface of the housing emergency the Conservatives have created.
The Bill has been watered down by Conservative amendments, now failing to definitively end no-fault evictions. I again used my proxy vote to support amendments strengthening the bill, to give private renters the rights and protection they deserve.
Celebrating Bristol’s longest serving councillor
I was very pleased to be able to join a gathering celebrating the enormous contribution of Helen Holland to Hartcliffe and south Bristol, the city, and the region over her 33 years of service as a Labour councillor. As Bristol’s longest serving councillor, she has been a fantastic representative for local residents, and we all wish her well in the next stage of life.