June has brought sunshine, the Antiques Roadshow and the summer fair season to Finchley and Golders Green.
Dear Resident,
June has brought sunshine, the Antiques Roadshow and the summer fair season to Finchley and Golders Green. I am writing to you from my office in Westminster and wanted to share some highlights from Parliament and news of some brilliant community events in our area.
Our pocket of North London
When I became your MP, I promised to take my advice surgeries to where you are! This month I’ve held pop ups on the high road, on our housing estates and even from an allotment shed. I also held one of my regular coffee mornings in Childs Hill. These give residents a chance to pop along to a local community centre and speak with councillors, the police and local charities like Citizens Advice Bureau. The safety of pavements in Rotherwick and Corringham Roads and housing issues in Britten Close were common themes that my team are working to resolve. Do look out for a coffee morning coming near you!
Residents of the Railway Terraces in Cricklewood met with me from the comfort of a gorgeous allotment shed! When I became an MP, I never imagined I would be holding a street surgery anywhere so magical. I did, however, predict I would get casework about speeding – Jonathan the resident tortoise had a particularly strong argument.
Over in the north of the constituency the Dollis Brookers have been campaigning for many months for Thames Water and Barnet Council to clean up this special waterway and greenspace. Thanks to them and pressure from my office we have secured commitments to better monitoring and swifter response to pollution. You can read more about the action we are taking nationally and locally to keep our green spaces clean in my blog post here.
This month, I had the pleasure of judging Compton School’s Social Impact Award with First Give. Students presented their projects which raised awareness and funds for local charities including North London Hospice, Barnet Mencap and Art Against Knives. It was inspiring to see local young people speaking passionately about our community- bravo to them and their teachers!
From the young to the old, Finchley and Golders Green played host to the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Hundreds of you were at Stephen’s House and Gardens to have your vintage items checked out by the experts! I especially enjoyed old signage for Golders Green and a Charter of Incorporation from King George V to commemorate the ‘Borough of Finchley’!
I also want to wish Eid Al Adha Mubarak to all those who celebrated in the constituency. I was lucky enough to visit the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association during their Eid prayers and the Martin Primary School Eid Party – thank you for having me!
The view from the river (Thames)
From Westminster, we’ve seen some positive announcements which are already making a real difference for our community in Finchley and Golders Green. This month, we have banned the sale of disposable vapes which have been littering our streets for far too long.
And, talking of cleaning up mess, the Government announced extra funding for repairs and renovations at three local schools -Henrietta Barnet, Woodhouse College and Christ’s College Finchley. New roofs and facilities will benefit local students to get the opportunities they deserve. Added to that, more local secondary school children will receive free school meals in addition to the Mayor of London’s policy of free meals for all primary school kids.
These are just some of a number of announcements from last week’s Spending Review which will directly benefit our area. These include:
- £39 billion in funding for social and affordable homes.
- An extra £29 billion per year for the day to day running of the NHS. This will make it easier for local people to get a GP appointment or hospital treatment.
- Ed Miliband’s announcement that new homes will have solar panels as part of installation by 2027.
There have also been a couple of important bills and amendments pertaining to social issues that I have voted on in the past month. The Terminally Ill Adults (Assisted Dying) Bill is still going through Report Stage, which means we are voting on amendments to the Bill to make sure it has the strongest safeguards possible. I will continue to update residents as this important Bill goes through Parliament.
Yesterday, I also voted in favour of the NC1 amendment in the Crime and Policing Bill which decriminalises abortion. I am proud that the amendment to decriminalise abortion was overwhelmingly passed. It struck me, in the Chamber, that we stand on the shoulders of giants in our fight for women’s rights and, though progress is a long journey, yesterday we took a major step.
Putting the justice in ‘social justice’
Alongside local news I’m also working hard on bringing change to our justice system as Minister for Courts. Next month, we expect the outcome of Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review. I look forward to implementing changes which deliver swifter justice for victims and those wrongly accused of crimes.
The future of justice in the 21st century was also the topic of discussion at a panel event I hosted in Parliament last week with brilliant lawyers from our patch! We have committed to working on a free legal advice centre for the area. Watch this space!
I was also pleased to talk with BBC’s Paul Lewis on Money Box about our plans to ensure the bailiff industry is regulated and those in debt are treated with dignity and respect. You can hear a snippet of the exchange here.
The fun bit …
Photo of the month
Goes to this gorgeous tree in Finchley Church End taken by the lovely Eden!
The FGG Fuel Prize goes to….
Daniels Bakery in Temple Fortune for providing a much needed smoked salmon bagel in between my Friday visits!
Community Spotlight
Congratulations to Matthew Kayne for setting up a new radio station and all his brilliant music – take a look: www.welcometosugarkayneradio.com
Up and coming
The incredible East Finchley Festival is back this Sunday the 22nd June – make sure to get your raffle tickets!
Clitterhouse Farm’s Night Market is now up and running for those gorgeous summer nights.
Get your tickets to Barnet Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Concert before they sell out!
(Please send nominations for next month to [email protected])
Enjoy the sunshine!
Best wishes,