In 2022, my casework team and I have worked hard to help those in
Harrow West with the issues that they care about and that impact
them.
[GT 2022]
Dear John,
WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A GREAT 2023 - here’s wishing
a particularly happy New Year (hopefully) to all those working this
evening and early tomorrow!
In 2022, my casework team and I have worked hard to help those in
Harrow West with the issues that they care about and that impact them.
This has included responding to over 12,000 E-MAILS and taking up over
5000 NEW CASES, as well as continuing to assist with many ongoing
cases. I have held walk-in surgeries in EVERY HARROW WEST WARD -
speaking to hundreds of residents in person, from the North Harrow
Methodist Church to the Siddhashram Shakti Temple in Wealdstone, to
Christ Church on Harrow on the Hill, to the Beacon Centre in Rayners
Lane, as well as my West Harrow constituency office on Blenheim Road.
I have attended regular residents’ meetings and public meetings with
the police to discuss concerns about crime, anti-social behaviour, and
women’s safety.
A reminder that throughout the year, you can find regular updates from
me in Harrow and Westminster on FACEBOOK
[[link removed]], TWITTER
[[link removed]] and INSTAGRAM
[[link removed]].
[2022 Gareth]
[Gareth Thomas constituency]
We have organised a number of litter-picking sessions across parks
with the Harrow Litter Pickers, collecting over 70 BAGS OF RUBBISH
from Alexandra Park to Byron Park and up to Headstone Manor Park.
While a great effort, this is only a small proportion of the
astonishing 9734 BAGS of rubbish collected and reported by this
incredible volunteer group, which does not even include a number of
unreported litterpicking efforts by other excellent volunteers.
[Harrow Litterpickers 2022]
Over the past year, the use of Harrow Foodbanks, Warmhubs, the
Babybank and debt and advice charities has continued to rise,
confirming the growing cost of living crisis here in Harrow. I will
keep arguing for more support for Harrow residents. We clearly have a
growing issue with food poverty and food waste in this country. While
we shouldn’t be in the situation we are in, we’re very fortunate
to have the support of many great local charities and faith groups. It
was good to have King Charles visit London Community Kitchen, to
acknowledge directly the huge volunteer effort that sustains so many
people and the importance of the work there.
I continue to keep in close touch with Northwick Park and other NHS
staff and know just how much pressure these most fundamental of
services are under at the moment. More investment is overdue at
Northwick Park and I will be pushing on this in the New Year.
[GT 2022]
As I mentioned in a Parliament debate at the beginning of the year -
Harrow residents who are worried about anti-social behaviour do want
to see more police, as we still don't have the level of local policing
that we had under the last Labour government, when each ward had a
Sergeant, 3 police constables & 3 or 4 PCSOs to get better policing
outcomes. Video here:
[link removed]
[[link removed]]
If you haven’t already - a reminder to sign my petition calling on
the new Met Commissioner to deliver our own dedicated Town Centre
police team to Harrow Town Centre:
[link removed]
[[link removed]] -
Hundreds of residents have signed and I will be pushing this even more
in the new year. While I welcome the announcement of a dedicated team
for Uxbridge and Wembley, given that Harrow is both a significant
commercial district, has an increasing nightlife and is an important
transport hub with Harrow Bus Station and Harrow on the Hill
Station both within the town centre, I struggle to understand why it
hasn’t been prioritised for its own dedicated team of police
officers.
[Ridgeway Development]
Due to the work of a number of residents and local community groups,
we were able to make a strong argument against the Plymouth
Brethren’s plans for development at 265, The Ridgeway. Following the
Brethren’s expensive appeal, I made the case once again over a 5-day
hearing to the Planning Inspectorate.
I understand that the inquiry agreed with many of my points, that this
development would have had a significant negative impact on the
character and appearance of a fundamental part of our community; and
would too have had a sustained and negative ecological impact.
Following successful campaigns to reject other planning proposals,
such as the 11-storey Aparthotel on Vaughan Road, IT IS CLEAR WEST
HARROW NEEDS ITS OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN. I have written to the new
council Chief Executive, Patrick Flaherty and you can sign my open
letter calling for this here:
[link removed]
[[link removed]]
[Careers Fair]
Earlier in the year I worked with Rooks Heath School for its second
virtual careers fair which I’m delighted to say will be returning
next month in person on Wednesday, January 18th. We are hopeful that
representatives from a number of occupations will be present as well
as a workshop from Google. Open to any young person in Harrow and if
you know someone willing to share details about their occupation,
please do get in touch.
[Gareth and Keir]
IN PARLIAMENT, it has been a strange and confusing year to say the
least - while we started 2022 with Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, we
have finished with Rishi Sunak, not to mention a short but
catastrophic Liz Truss stint in between. In all this time it’s not
surprising to let residents know the Government’s Parliamentary
agenda has been a slim one. A Conservative MP this week described the
12 years of Government as “one of the least successful governments
in modern Europe.” I can’t help but agree. I have voted in a
number of significant votes against this Government’s agenda - in
May, I voted for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies and in
October, I voted for a ban in hydraulic fracking in the UK (this is
after the Conservative’s own 2019 manifesto pledged to ban
fracking).
This year, in my role on Labour’s Front Bench as Shadow
International Trade Minister, I have met with a variety of
stakeholders from across the constituency, and beyond, to hear their
concerns at the inadequacies of the Trade deal that the Tory
Government negotiated with the E.U. in addition to further concerns
regarding the lack of support for small and medium sized business who
wish to export across the world. Available here:
[link removed]
[[link removed]]
My office reopens on January 3rd - if you live in Harrow West and have
any concerns or issues you wish to raise with me, please do not
hesitate to get in touch, by sending an email to me via:
[email protected] or call my office on 0207 219 4243.
JANUARY 2023:
[Next Litterpick]
Want to help clean up Roxeth Recreation Park? Join me and the Harrow
Litter Pickers on Thursday 19/01 from 9:30AM. 🌳 🚮
If you don’t have a litterpick and/or bag, we will aim to provide
you with one in the Park carpark at 9:30AM. Open to all!
NEXT WALK-IN SURGERY:
I will continue to hold more roving surgeries in locations across
Harrow throughout the New Year. Keep up to date with all of my walk-in
surgeries on FACEBOOK [[link removed]],
TWITTER [[link removed]] and INSTAGRAM
[[link removed]]. IF YOU NEED TO BOOK AN
URGENT APPOINTMENT – PLEASE GET IN CONTACT VIA E-MAIL ON
[email protected] OR BY CALLING MY OFFICE ON 020 7219
4243.
[Labour Rose]
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