Weekly Round-Up
If anything signifies how bad the economic landscape has become in our country under the Conservatives, this week shows it.
The Bank of England’s higher than predicted raising of interest rates by 0.5%, to reach a 15-year record high of 5%, was deemed needed by the bank to counteract stubborn inflation rates.
This will hit 8,800 families in Enfield North with an estimated £4,700 increase in mortgage payments annually. This is a Tory mortgage penalty directly linked to their mismanagement of the economy.
And options are reduced for families who are coming up to switching their mortgages, as banks withdraw a range of deals. This comes on top of high food and energy costs.
If we were in power now, Labour would force banks to offer interest only payments, and extend repayment periods, as well as other support measures.
We will bring financial and economic security back, so that families are not constantly on a cliff edge, and so that we can urgently grow our economy to grab hold of opportunities of the future.
Blood Cancer UK drop-in
It was great to have campaigners from Blood Cancer UK visit parliament this week, to promote their campaign to raise awareness of blood cancer in the UK.
It’s the third biggest cancer killer but too often overlooked. Many people are surprised to learn that following a diagnosis, it is a form of cancer, and therefore miss out on vital support that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
We need to raise the profile and reduce the harm, and it was a pleasure to support their campaign.
Kept Animals Bill
With the Conservatives consistently failing in their 2019 election promise to deliver on animal welfare, we used an Opposition Day debate to keep this important issue on the top of the Government’s agenda.
I have had hundreds of emails and letters over the past few years from constituents who share their love for animals, and want to see the welfare of animals not only protected but enhanced. Yet this care for animals is not met by this government.
And this was evident on Wednesday, when Tory MPs rejected Labour’s motion to bring back the Kept Animals Bill.
The Conservatives are found wanting when it comes to animal welfare. A Labour government would ensure that animals have the protection they need.
Committee of Privileges Report into Boris Johnson
Although the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned in disgrace from the House of Commons last week, the committee looking into his conduct issued their damning report into his conduct.
The Committee found that Boris Johnson deliberately misled the House and the Committee, breached the confidence of and impugned the Committee and was complicit in a campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the Committee.
The motion on the report was approved by the House of Commons. But this vote, and the lead up to it, also casts a light on Rishi Sunak. His weakness is that he has never stood up to Boris Johnson. This report makes it even more probable that the Prime Minister approved Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list as part of some sort of grubby deal rather than waiting for this report and saying ‘no’ to his former boss.
Time and again, the Tories are spending time on their own chaos, rather than providing the leadership the country needs. Labour is ready to take on that leadership.