Last week I had the pleasure of joining the Google Digital Garage event hosted by the wonderful Leyton Orient Football Club, where local small business owners and entrepreneurs could learn more about AI and other digital tools and skills. Great to see so many local businesses taking part and to chat with people about how they’re adapting to AI and new digital tools!

Brilliant to round off UK Parliament Week last Friday with visits to George Mitchell and Newport Schools in Leyton. All the pupils I spoke to had brilliant questions and a real enthusiasm to learn more about the work of our Parliament and my role as their MP!

It's December...and that means it's time for my monthly roundup of November! From pedalling hard in the RBL Poppy Ride to chatting about space and security, here is some of what I got up to last month

I had a brilliant evening with the 21st EFS Cubs in Aldersbrook as part of UK Parliament Week. The group has been learning about democracy, so they split into parties, created manifestos for how they’d improve the club, and elected spokespeople before holding a vote. I was glad to stay to the end and help count the ballots - and they took the process seriously! Thank you to Georgina and all the leaders for the warm welcome and for the work they do for young people in our comm

A big shoutout to East London Boxing Academy in Leyton, an absolute joy to visit and learn about your work. ELBA is a real community asset and one of the best clubs in London!

Last week, I asked the Secretary of State for Transport about the opportunities created by Virgin Trains joining Eurostar at the Temple Mills depot in Leyton. The expansion and competition at Temple Mills is good news for jobs and investment locally, and a real chance to expand cross-Channel rail and hopefully lower costs for customers.

Ahead of the UK National Screening Committee’s decision on prostate cancer screening, as chair of the prostate cancer APPG I got over 120 parliamentarians to sign a letter calling for the Health Secretary to act on prostate cancer screening and to end the delays that are costing men their lives.

Great to be back at Maximus UK in Leytonstone last week to celebrate the local businesses that engage with those seeking support into employment. Maximus delivers training and support to help people find meaningful work in our constituency.

The atrocities that have been documented in Sudan over recent weeks are appalling. There is evidence that the fall of the city of El Fasher in Darfur to the RSF has precipitated a massacre of civilians on an utterly horrifying scale. Some expert estimates put the likely toll of killings at 60,000 or more in just the last few weeks. The systematic use of sexual violence and starvation as weapons of war are evident, as is the targeting of people based on their ethnicity. 

Last week, I got to visit our incredible Police Cadets in Redbridge! A group of young people who are already stepping up to serve their community with pride, discipline, and dedication.

Last week in Parliament, I reflected on Remembrance as a time of unity locally and nationally, highlighting the stories of service present in our community. I reflected on Remembrance services where Royal Air Force cadets from 12F and 241 squadrons, Army cadets from 30 music detachment of Waltham Forest, Scouts, local families, people of all faiths, our councillors and fellow veterans reflected together.

After working so much on cross-channel rail and Leyton’s Temple Mills depot this year, it was high time I actually visited! Grace Williams, leader of London Borough of Waltham Forest, joined me on a very in-depth and compelling visit to the depot.

It was a real privilege to attend remembrance events across the constituency this weekend, including memorials for South Woodford, Wanstead, Leyton and Leytonstone. Each service brought our community together to honour those who served and sacrificed for our freedom.

Great to meet with community members and councillors from Cathall and Cann Hall last week and hear more about local and national issues of concern for residents in this part of the constituency.

It was fantastic to meet staff and pupils at Oakdale Junior School in South Woodford this week! I really enjoyed this opportunity to speak to the school at their assembly about the importance of remembrance and take questions from the children, as well as joining in celebrating their achievements.

Earlier this year, I brought together families, teachers, and local council colleagues for a series of roundtables to hear directly about experiences with the SEND system in our community.

Many of you will have seen news that the Met Police has today published an independent report by Dr Shereen Daniels, commissioned to examine how the organisation responds to racism and discrimination.This report is a powerful intervention. It builds on past reviews such as the Macpherson and Casey Reviews and explains how racism has shaped the Met’s relationship with Black Londoners. It highlights the everyday practices that continue to discriminate against Black people, both

This week, I chaired the latest meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces Community, which focused on the treatment of military compensation within the benefits system. Military compensation is intended to recognise the service and sacrifice of those who have been injured or fallen ill while serving our country. Yet too often, these payments are still treated as income in means-tested benefits, leaving some of the most vulnerable veterans and bereaved