Weekly Round-Up

I was finally able to get onto the call list to be able to speak in Parliament this week on Covid-19 and the inhumane treatment it is forcing on our elderly and vulnerable in care homes. The Government have had eight months to address the most obvious and heart-breaking consequence of the Covid-19 restrictions. Our care homes, their staff, the residents and the families who rely on them were let down in the tsunami of the first wave. It is unforgivable that they have been let down once again, as there has been time to work up safe solutions for those families. No one blames the care homes or their staff. Confusion reigns, and they are doing the best with the guidance that they have been given. The truth, however, is that those visiting restrictions have created and deepened trauma, with disastrous consequences for elderly and frail people and their families. They are trying to make themselves understood ​behind a mask; there are shouted conversations, 3 metres away, to mums and dads with dementia; people are trying to mouth and sign conversation through frosted glass in the November rain; and there is confusion and heartbreak as elderly relatives with Alzheimer’s think that they have been abandoned or have done something wrong.  The Government must act to stop this crisis.

The lockdown is challenging for many people’s finances, as is the necessity to self-isolate. Self-isolation is vital if we are to combat this virus, but currently as many as 89% of those asked are not isolating because they simply cannot afford to. Two weeks without work and pay is just not an option for many self-employed people and the Government’s lack of understanding of this issue is emblematic of their lack of understanding of how people live their lives.  Ironically, this comes at the same time as we learn that the Government has handed out millions of pounds to their cronies to deliver - often substandard - vital services.  It seems it's one rule for the PM’s friends and one rule for everyone else.

I’ve had a number of meetings this week. I have received a briefing on the UK plan for delivering a vaccine with professors from UK universities. It is vital that we receive accurate and reliable information that we can pass on to constituents, especially those who are concerned about the speed at which vaccines are being processed and need reassurance that any vaccine that will be rolled out will be safe. I also met with Southbury ward residents and shareholders on the issue of unsafe cladding that is still on buildings across the constituency and the huge costs that leaseholders are expected to fork out for remediation and removal works.

I was also pleased to meet with representatives of the Tamil Community in Enfield – a vibrant community that offers a great deal to the constituency and who I discussed various issues with, including the disproportionate impact of Covid and how we make sure that our recovery supports all the diverse parts of our communities.

It was fantastic to meet with Dr Mark Prince OBE, founder of the Kyian Prince Foundation which works with young Londoners to achieve their full potential. Mark was himself homeless and drawn into street crime and drugs but was able to turn his life around and become an International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation Inter-Continental champion. Young Londoners can look to Mark and find inspiration from someone who has faced challenges and overcame them.

This week is Usdaw’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week which they run as part of their Freedom From Fear campaign, seeking to tackle the rising problem of violence and abuse towards our fabulous frontline retail workers. It’s appalling that this sort of thing happens in normal times, but during this crisis, when our shopworkers have done so much to keep our shelves stocked and to support our vulnerable, anything but gratitude and appreciation is thoroughly undeserved. I am pleased to support this campaign and would encourage all constituents to sign Usdaw’s petition to call on the UK Government to enact legislation to create a specific offence of abusing, threatening, or assaulting a retail worker with a penalty that shows that we are serious about stopping these disgusting attacks.

It's Anti-Bullying Week this week and I am pleased to lend my support to the campaign. Bullying can have a long-lasting effect on those who experience and witness it, but by working together, by sharing our experiences, and by educating young people, we can reduce bullying. We all have a part to play – parents, teachers, politicians, celebrities, and young people themselves – we can all speak out against bullying and speak up for those experiencing it.

We marked International Men’s Day this week and it’s a chance to make sure men know that reaching out for help with a physical or mental health problem is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of strength. In 2017, 12,031 men died from prostate cancer, a rise from 11,307 in 2014. It is so important that men go to their GP when something doesn’t seem right – if problems are caught earlier, they are much easier to deal with! It’s also distressing that in 2018, 4,903 men took their own lives – that’s 13 men dying every day, making up 3 in 4 of all suicides in the UK. We need to talk more about men’s mental health and make it clear that there is help available for men – it’s not just women who experience poor mental health. Domestic abuse is another area which has traditionally been viewed as affecting only women, but 1 in 3 people who experience domestic abuse are men. We must get rid of the stigma so that all men who face domestic abuse feel able to get help.

Although my office is closed to the public in line with Government guidelines, my team and I are working hard from home so please do get in touch on feryal.clark.mp@parliament.uk if there is anything we can help you with. Remember –stay safe, save lives – maintain social distancing and keep washing your hands!