|
Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. I was sickened by the antisemitic terrorist attack in Australia last weekend, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families. Jewish families in every community across the world deserve to live and celebrate in safety. As Jewish families in Reading West and Mid Berkshire celebrate Chanukah, I stand with them against hate, antisemitism and terror. This week I was honoured to be able to present a letter to Tilehurst Royal British Legion from the Defence Secretary, John Healey, thanking them for their work in marking Remembrance. I was also delighted to be able to pop in to Westwood Farm Schools on Thursday and catch up with the team at Pangbourne Royal Mail Delivery Office, who are doing a fantastic job making sure everyone gets their cards and presents on time. In Westminster, I was delighted that the Government’s Employment Rights Bill completed its passage through Parliament, and that the Government published its strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. To keep up to date with what I am doing in Parliament and in the constituency, you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram. |
|
Tilehurst Royal British Legion It was an honour on Friday to present the Tilehurst Royal British Legion with a letter from the Defence Secretary. The letter thanked the team for the brilliant work they do every year in marking Remembrance Day by Turning Tilehurst Red and supporting our local veterans and service members. I’m proud to support our armed forces in Reading West and Mid Berkshire, and I’m delighted that the Defence Secretary has recognised the important contribution the Royal British Legion make to our community. Westwood Farm Schools I was delighted to visit Westwood Farm Schools on Thursday to meet with the Headteacher, staff and pupils. It was great to visit their fantastic Complex Needs Resource Unit and to hear about their plans to expand and improve the provision. Pangbourne Royal Mail Delivery office It was great to catch up with Muhammad and the team at Pangbourne Delivery Office on Friday morning – including Stephen who has 48 years of service with Royal Mail. They are doing an amazing job making sure that everyone gets their cards and presents in time for Christmas! Local Government Funding Settlement I am delighted that the Government is giving a huge cash boost for local services in Reading West and Mid Berkshire with a £42.8m cash injection for Reading Borough Council and £19.5m for West Berkshire Council. Under the Conservatives, local authorities were starved of investment, with core spending power down by around a quarter since 2010, putting immense pressure on local services. The money announced yesterday is part of the first multi-year funding settlement in over a decade, giving councils three years of financial certainty so they can plan ahead rather than firefight year to year. We’re reversing years of underfunding under the Conservatives with more money to deliver cleaner streets, better services and safer communities. Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. I’m proud to be part of a Government that has pledged to halve it in a decade, and this week we published our plan to do just that. This is the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history, preventing boys and young men from going down the wrong path, bearing down on perpetrators so they cannot offend again, and supporting victims so they get justice and can heal. To deliver this:
An extra £19 million will be invested in safe accommodation and tailored support, including refuges and Sanctuary Schemes. This is on top of the £480 million already confirmed in local government budgets and £550 million across justice to pay for counselling, court guidance and children’s services. Employment Rights Bill passes through Parliament There was exciting news this week, with Labour’s Employment Rights Bill completing its passage through Parliament meaning that it will soon become law. The Bill represents the biggest uplift in workers’ rights in a generation with:
This legislation passed, despite shameful attempts from the Tories, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Reform to block this legislation and deny upgrades to rights to millions of workers across the UK. We are raising the floor on workplace rights to deliver a stronger, fairer and brighter future for the world of work in the UK Cracking down on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters This Labour Government has the given the police powers to deal more swiftly with the scourge of illegal off-road bikes, illegal e-bikes and e-scooters to get them off our streets for good. So I am delighted that in our area alone, during September and October, Thames Valley Police seized 54 e-bikes and e-scooters. UK rejoins ERASMUS+ There was fantastic news this week for young people in Reading West and Mid Berkshire with the announcement that the UK is rejoining ERASMUS+ While the Tories failed to secure a good deal for the UK and pulled us out of the Erasmus+ programme, we’re ensuring that every young person, no matter their background, has the opportunity to study or train abroad. Date for your diary Meet Your MP, Aldermaston, 1.30pm to 2.30pm on Sunday 25 January If you live in Aldermaston or nearby and would like to come along for a chat with tea and biscuits between 1.30pm and 2.30pm, you can register here. My team will confirm the venue to those registered in advance of the event. My next newsletter will be on 9 January. So I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Olivia |