Weekly Update
On Thursday, the new national lockdown restrictions came into force. Once again, people are being asked to stay at home, to work from home if they can, and to not meet people outside their households unless they are in a support bubble. As before, you can still leave the house to access medical care and if there are medical concerns, worries about any symptoms that seem concerning, please do seek medical advice – the NHS is still there for reasons other than Covid and it is really important that people do not risk letting issues get more serious before they seek help. These measures are due to end on 2 December, but we must do all we can to ensure that we play our part in reducing the spread of the virus. Continue washing our hands frequently, wearing a face covering on transport and in shops and other public indoor spaces, and maintaining social distancing. For more information on these new restrictions, visit the Government website.
The Government’s Overseas Operations Bill has been making its way through Parliament this week - but sadly it is wholly inadequate for the purposes of protecting the interests of our Armed Forces who serve our country with courage and distinction. Nothing in this Bill would have changed the course of the investigations that have occurred within the last three years and there are serious concerns that this will weaken the UK’s commitment to upholding international law when it comes to torture and the treatment of combatants in wartime. Labour will always defend our Armed Forces – they have been a significant part of our Covid response and we are grateful for everything that they do, but we want to see vexatious claims and repeated investigations against British servicemen and women fixed in a lawful and effective way. The Royal British Legion made it clear that this Bill risks breaching the Armed Forces Covenant by preventing British Armed Forces personnel from holding the Ministry of Defence to account when it fails to properly equip personnel, or when it makes serious errors that lead to death or injury of British forces overseas.
The Commons are now considering the Amendments to the Agriculture Bill that have been put forward by the Lords. Labour fully supports the transition towards the more environmentally friendly farming payments system that the Bill outlines, but we are seriously concerned about what it omits. The British public want to see the maintenance of our strong and rigorous environmental and animal welfare standards, and while this Bill ensures the maintenance of those standards for British farmers, foreign food imports will not be held to the same standards. Therefore, many of these products will be able to be sold at cheaper prices, undercutting our own British farmers who abide by the strong standards that the public so badly want. If the Government are so committed to maintaining high standards in trade deals, they should show that commitment and put it in writing.
I was pleased to be able to meet with senior representatives from Highways England this week to discuss concerns that have been raised by constituents living around the major roads in Enfield North, particularly the M25 and Junction 25 of the motorway. The road is heavily used by HGVs which leads to increased traffic and accidents as well as higher levels of air pollution. We’ve become far more aware in recent years of the significant impact of air pollution on our health – with increased levels of conditions such as asthma as well as increased risks from other illnesses such as Covid. The meeting discussed the development of the Northern Gateway Access Package which is intended to ease HGV traffic for Enfield North, but as we recover from Covid, we really need to consider the health and wellbeing of communities and look at where we can improve transport and the infrastructure to benefit local communities.
On Thursday, the Chancellor finally announced that furlough will be extended through until March 2021. Although this is another(!) welcome u-turn, it has come too late for many people who have already lost their jobs. And there is still no new package for those excluded from support since the crisis started. By the time this latest package comes to an end, they’ll have been without any support for an entire year. Rishi Sunak’s last minute changes of mind have left businesses out of pocket and there is a real and growing sense of frustration that his Government seems to constantly be playing catch-up with other countries in terms of economic support. They must do more to prevent a jobs crisis.
As with everything this year, Remembrance Day is going to look very different. There will be no long march past the Cenotaph in London and few organised gatherings at local memorials. I will be attending a very small and socially distanced ceremony in Enfield North to pay my respects. However, Remembrance Day isn’t about the display and the pageantry; it’s about the people we remember and honour. It’s about the brave men and women who sacrificed so much during those dark days in the 1930s and 1940s, the men and women who answered the call of their country and contributed in whatever way they could. It’s about honouring those today who serve their country and this year, I will be thinking about the great support our military men and women have been providing during this pandemic. Thank you to each and every one of you, past and present, for the service you have given to this country.
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!