Leytonstone Family Hub is doing fantastic work supporting local families and children - a great example of what a Labour-led council delivers for our community.

It’s important to celebrate World Book Day today. Books can empower and open doors. But data shows that a quarter of boys say they enjoy reading in their free time, compared with 39% of girls, contributing to stark disparities in educational progression.

We can only build stronger communities if we set out a strong, positive message built on true patriotism. We love our country in its diversity and will stand together against the attempts to trash it from destructive racists and divisive politicians.

A big thank you to Health Minister Ashley Dalton MP for addressing a joint meeting of all Parliament’s cancer-focused APPGs about the new National Cancer Plan and answering our questions.

Last week I co-hosted a roundtable with Alex Baker MP and Minister for School Standards Georgia Gould on an issue I care deeply about; the experiences of Armed Forces families with children who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities.    

As February comes to a close, here’s some of what I’ve been up to across the constituency and beyond, as we look ahead to March. Visited Build Academy with the Minister for Industry. Spoke in Parliament on the importance of UK participation in the EU’s SAFE programme.

After visiting Build Academy in Wanstead last week and meeting learners preparing for careers in construction, I took the opportunity to raise their work in Parliament.

Four years since Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to stand strong – sovereign and independent. I flew the penultimate UK mission into Kyiv, delivering materiel essential to Ukraine’s defence ahead of the full-scale invasion. Back then Russia thought it could take Ukraine in three days: Ukraine has proven Putin wrong.

Military families are disproportionately affected by SEND-related issues, and the unique challenges of Service life often intensify the shortcomings in the current system. Today’s announcement on SEND reform will therefore have a significant impact on the Armed Forces Community.

he school supports young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, including neurodivergent students. It’s clear the leadership team is working hard to give students the stability and support they need.

This week I met with members of our local Ukrainian community during one of my constituency surgeries. Any changes to our asylum and immigration system must be fair, compassionate, and allow refugees to contribute fully to our communities and economy.

It was a really brilliant to visit Build Academy in Wanstead with Minister Chris McDonald for Stockton North and see first-hand how they are equipping our young people with vital construction and maintenance skills.

Awesome to meet with Lenz, the CEO of East London’s London Lions this week! Great to see how the Mayor’s London Basketball Taskforce is backing the team and helping grow the sport across our communities.

On Thursday, as Chair of the Armed Forces Community APPG, I and APPG officer Alex Baker MP, met with Minister Gould, Minister for School Standards. The meeting followed our January APPG session focused on Service children with special or additional educational needs, and provided an opportunity to raise the concerns highlighted then, particularly in the context of the forthcoming White Paper on SEND reform.

I had a wonderful time visiting Downsell Primary School in Leyton to present their Silver Rights Respecting School Award, a fantastic recognition of their commitment to children’s rights and wellbeing.

Awesome to drop into Earl’s Sandwich Shop in Cann Hall! I even filmed a quick Instagram Reel with founder Tim - you can catch it on my page or on Earl’s. If you haven’t visited yet, definitely pop by - they’ve got fantastic food and a brilliant team that offers so much to our community.

I joined residents at the Avenue Road drop-in to listen directly to their experiences and concerns after years of uncertainty. Avenue Road remains the council’s highest priority regeneration scheme, and it was important to be there alongside council representatives from London Borough of Waltham Forest and the Cann Hall Labour Team to answer questions and explain the next steps.