Carla Denyer MP
Carla‘s amendment to the Renters Rights Bill on requiring landlords to make reasonable changes to make homes accessible for disabled people, prompted the Minister to agree to a cross-party meeting to discuss how the Government makes sure the law is strong enough.
She spoke during a debate on the so called ‘Sunshine Bill’ to make solar panels compulsory on all suitable new homes (see here to read what she said).
She also spoke about family visa income requirements, saying: “We are talking about a tax on love: an ugly policy that fundamentally discriminates against migrants’ families and implies that love, and family reunification, is a privilege that people must earn enough to afford.”
Ellie Chowns MP
Ellie, as our lead MP on foreign affairs, responded to the ceasefire in Gaza, urging that the UK keeps pushing on legal recognition of the State of Palestine, ending the occupation and for accountability of all who have committed war crimes. You can read the Foreign Secretary’s response here.
Ellie also asked the Government about their failure to meet key environmental targets, and spoke in a debate about the importance of better palliative care.
Sian Berry MP
Siân tabled a cross-party motion in Parliament calling on the Government to follow in the footsteps of over 100 local authorities and ban the use of pesticides in public places. This follows on from Sian’s Bill seeking to do the same thing and is part of a campaign with Pesticide Action Network.
She’s also been speaking out against the expansion of Heathrow, urging Ministers to follow the science and advice from their independent climate advisers: the Climate Change Committee.
Adrian Ramsay MP
Adrian has been standing up for his constituents on a wide range of topics this month, including setting out for the Minister the impact that the loss of dentists has on rural areas, highlighting how villages in Waveney Valley are struggling with poor broadband speeds, and speaking during a debate about flood preparedness. His contribution to the latter focused on nature based solutions in particular and can be read in full here.
Baroness Jenny Jones
Jenny recently had hip replacement surgery, which has slowed her down this month, but she still found the energy to question the government’s failure to release IPP prisoners.
We have huge levels of prison over-crowding; delayed justice for victims whose cases have been put on hold and the early release of many convicted of serious offences. Despite this, the government is refusing to fast track the cases of IPP prisoners who have been locked up indefinitely for minor offences, such as stealing a plant pot, or a mobile phone. This scandal has led to many suicides and Jenny has met the Minister to try to help get it resolved.
Baroness Natalie Bennet
Natalie has spent a lot of the past month hosting events in parliament, which gives scientists, NGOs and campaigners the crucial access to MPs, Peers, officials, and journalists. In the past month Natalie has hosted:
- The Green Economics Institute, celebrating 20 years of work to create a global network of intelligent and caring voices for social, environmental and economics justice and creating a multidisciplinary academic narrative of green economics! Speakers included Miriam Kennet, Anjikwi Mshelbwalla, Bianca Madison-Vuleta, and Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield.
- A roundtable on Accelerating Human-Specific Technologies on behalf of Animal Free Research UK brought together leading experts in human-specific technologies and was attended by several MPs. The event included a call for Herbie’s Law to enable the phase out of animal testing in medical research.
- A meeting of experts on Bovine TB Policy acknowledging that the science behind the badger cull is deeply and fatally flawed and has been a very costly distraction to the primary control effort needed – biosecurity to control this cattle disease.
Natalie has also secured a debate in the Lords about Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates.
