Posts
Passport Office Delays
Abena Oppong-Asare MP calls on Minister to get a grip of Passport Office delays
Ukraine Questions
Abena Oppong-Asare MP raises urgent case of a Ukrainian refugee struggling to get proof of address
Visit to St. Fidelis Primary School
Abena Oppong-Asare MP visits local school with Shadow Schools Minister
Erith and Thamesmead MP Abena Oppong-Asare today brought Labour’s Shadow Schools Minister, Stephen Morgan MP, to Erith to visit St. Fidelis Primary School in her constituency.
Abena and Stephen met staff and pupils at the school to hear about the challenges they faced during the coronavirus pandemic.
They discussed issues such as ventilation, staffing issues, and action to help pupils catch up from lost learning.
Abena also presented the winner of her annual Christmas card competition with a prize, as well as presenting certificates to the pupils who took part.
Abena Oppong-Asare MP said:
“The teachers and support staff at St. Fidelis Primary School are doing an excellent job to ensure that pupils receive a well-rounded education.
“They have faced challenges over the last two years, but like schools across our area they have responded amazingly.
“They deserve more support from the Government to ensure that children and staff are safe in school and receive all the help they need.”
Stephen Morgan MP, Shadow Schools Minister, said:
“Labour wants children to be in school, learning together and playing together.
“I pay tribute to all the staff working right across our country’s schools, whose commitment, dedication, and hard work makes that possible.
“Every day missed from school is a day they do not get back.
“Last term alone, children in England missed over ten million school days for Covid-related reasons. Over a million children have left secondary school since the pandemic began. Almost two million of our youngest children have never known a normal school year.
“That is why Labour has set out a clear, costed, and ambitious Children’s Recovery Plan that would support our children where they have missed out with after school activities, breakfast clubs, and small group tutoring.
“It was a pleasure to visit a school in Erith and Thamesmead today with local MP Abena Oppong-Asare MP who is a tireless champion for schools in her community and is speaking up for children that are too often an afterthought by this Government”.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day is a day for us all to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.I attended Greenwich’s commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day at Woolwich Town Hall, which included students from Discovery School. I also signed the Holocaust Educational Trust memorial book with a message that we must never forget the past horrors. Racism shouldn’t be tolerated & we all have a responsibility to make sure rising hate is eradicated. I will continue to play my part in tacking racism and anti-Semitism wherever I see it.
Debate On Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia
I recently took part in a debate on the dire humanitarian situation in parts of Ethiopia as a result of the ongoing conflict, which I know many constituents are concerned about.
The reports of human rights violations and abuses – the killing of civilians, sexual and gender-based violence, indiscriminate shelling and the forced displacement of residents of Tigray and Eritrean refugees – are incredibly shocking. Those responsible for such abuses should be held to account. All sides must exercise restraint: there must an end to violence, full humanitarian and media access, and protection of civilians. I am deeply worried by worsening food insecurity and shortages of water and medicine. Up to seven million people are now in dire need of food aid across Tigray and neighbouring Afar and Amhara. Hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing famine-like conditions – more than the rest of the world combined. I called on the UK Government to use all its diplomatic tools to ensure access to aid for those affected.
You can watch my contribution here.
Next Stop Thamsmead – My campaign to bring the DLR to Thamesmead
For too long people in Thamesmead have suffered from poor transport links – making it harder to access jobs and opportunities across London. It is time for the government to negotiate a fair funding settlement and bring the DLR to Thamesmead.
Last week I went on BBC Politics London to discuss my campaign to bring the DLR to Thamesmead and the Government’s refusal to negotiate a fair funding settlement for TfL.
For too long people in Thamesmead have suffered from poor transport links – making it harder to access jobs and opportunities across London. There is now substantial development happening in Thamesmead – with tens of thousands of homes planned over coming years. It is essential that this development is accompanied by proper infrastructure – to benefit people already living in Thamesmead and surrounding areas, and those who will be moving here in the future.
In the coming months I will be leading a series of meetings and events in my constituency to understand the needs of the local community. I will also be working with the local councils, Peabody and the developers to ensure this project continues to progress.
For projects like this to be successful, we need the Government to stop playing politics with TfL finances. Today is the last day for an agreement to be reached and so I urge you to make it clear to the Government that they must give TfL a fair deal.Watch me on BBC Politics London here.
Visit to Abbey Wood Crossrail station
This week I visited the Abbey Wood Crossrail station to see first-hand the progress that has been made on completing the station and beginning services on the Elizabeth line.
This week I visited the Abbey Wood Crossrail station to see first-hand the progress that has been made on completing the station and beginning services on the Elizabeth line.
It was great to see the progress that has been made in finishing the station before Elizabeth line trains are due to start running in the first half of 2022. When this happens, Abbey Wood will be less that half-an-hour away from Paddington.
I am also calling for TfL, local councils and the Government to work together to ensure that residents in Erith and Thamesmead feel the full benefits of Crossrail by improving local bus links from Abbey Wood station.
I met with staff who have been working hard to ensure it is ready for passengers. I also heard about the challenges they have faced over the last year and the work they are doing to ensure it is operational as soon as possible. As always on these visits, I raised local concerns and received reassurances they are being addressed.
I am determined that as many local people as possible benefit from this new line, and therefore I am calling for better bus links from Abbey Wood to other places in the constituency. I will be working with local partners to ensure that this happens.
Windrush Day
I was very pleased to take part in the recent debate on Windrush Day 2021.
I used the debate to celebrate the Windrush generation and their descendants, but also to raise serious concerns about the operation of the Windrush compensation scheme.
The scheme has been far too slow to pay out and has left many families with even less confidence in the Home Office.
In the debate, I called on the Government to make the scheme fully independent in order to restore trust and confidence.
You can read my full speech here.
Government must do more to support people to self-isolate
As part of my role in the Shadow Treasury Team, I have been pushing the Government to provide more support to people who need to self-isolate.
Labour has always said that health and economic measures must go hand-in-hand, but the Government’s failure has meant too many people have to choose between self-isolating and paying the bills.
At this weeks’ Treasury questions, I asked the Chancellor about reports that the Treasury had suppressed information about how the furlough scheme could be used to support self-isolating employees. This shocking revelation show’s how poor the Government’s approach to economic support during the pandemic has been.
I called on the Chancellor to appear before the joint parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the Covid crisis to explain why the Government has not listened to the experts and introduced a robust self-isolation support scheme.
