It was great to visit JobsPlus on the Beaumont Estate in Leyton and see first-hand how a community-led approach to employment support is transforming lives. JobsPlus are working in partnership with L&Q and other housing associations in social housing communities, bringing together one-to-one employment support, skills training, confidence-building and local partnerships - all delivered in the heart of the neighbourhood. It’s designed to reach people facing complex barriers to

January marks a year since my appointment as the UK’s Trade Envoy for Southern Africa.ver the past year, I have undertaken visits to Angola, DRC, Mozambique, and Zambia, engaging with Presidents, Ministers, High Commissioners and Ambassadors from across the region, to break down barriers to the trade and investment needed to meet our shared growth and security goals.

Marking Blue Monday with a 4.5k run in support of the Labour Men and Boys Group. The distance reflects the 4.5-year life expectancy gap for men, and the need to make it easier for men and boys to look after their health and ask for help.

Really lovely to visit Good Shepherd Studios in Leytonstone again and catch up with Danie! From coworking and independent film to youth projects and community events, it’s a really fantastic example of how local spaces can bring people together and support creativity in Leytonstone.

This week in the Defence Select Committee, I spoke about the incredible work of our local Air Cadets here in Leyton and Wanstead - young people from every background learning skills, teamwork and service. They are representative of modern Britain, but our armed forces still aren’t. The Ministry of Defence has more to do. Women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented, even though young people want to serve - despite what some headlines might suggest. The recruitment p

Great to meet residents at our Cann Hall and Cathall coffee morning last week - a really useful chance to talk through local issues and help with casework. Also good to catch up with Vicky from Idea Space the Leytonstone-based community arts charity doing brilliant work to make the arts accessible to everyone!

Great to meet with colleagues from the Netherlands Embassy - Defence Attaché Captain (N) Rick Ongering and Economic Attaché Mohamed El Yemlahi - to discuss shared military mobility challenges and the essential role of rail links in enabling rapid and efficient mobilisation to Eastern Europe. 

Last week, I was proud to lead a debate on therapeutic play and children’s healthcare -inspired by my constituent Sarah and her son Hari, who was helped so much by therapeutic play after his leukaemia diagnosis.

Great to visit another local school in the constituency recently! Thanks to Wanstead Church School for hosting me and another brilliant set of questions from pupils in Key Stage 2.

Just before Christmas, it was great to meet with Rail Minister Lord Hendy. 2025 had been a year of focused work to support the expansion of cross-Channel rail links, in which I have made the case for the role of Leyton’s Temple Mills depot in enabling growth.

Following my recent visit to The Northcote Arms, I’ve written to the council to explore options to secure the pub’s future as a valued local community space. I’m committed to supporting local businesses and keeping our communities vibrant.

With December drawing to a close and the new year almost upon us, it has been a busy month – from visiting Mozambique as UK Trade Envoy to Southern Africa to talking to students at Leytonstone School. Here are some of the things I’ve been up to

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank everyone who has supported me and engaged with our work. This year has seen real progress - inflation rates are down, interest rates have been cut, and families are benefiting from expanded free school meals, cost-of-living relief, and new opportunities for young people.

Hello folks, the festive season is upon us, which means my team and I are at reduced capacity. The office will be closed for the holidays from 24 December 2025 to 3 January 2026.  My team and I will be checking our inbox periodically for urgent matters. If you are a constituent, please do still reach out for urgent matters

Last week I joined a parliamentary roundtable on the growing risk of lithium-ion battery fires in waste and recycling. Battery fires are rising sharply and pose real dangers to workers, services and the environment.

Had a wonderful visit to Leytonstone Salvation Army to support their Christmas Toy Appeal! It’s such an important initiative to make sure every child in our community can have a joyful Christmas. You can also help by donating to your local branch: Christmas Present Appeal | The Salvation Army

Great to meet with World Jewish relief last week and hear about their work supporting people both in Ukraine and in the UK, including their employment programmes for refugees after resettlement.

Today we are grappling with the horror of the attack in Sydney. My thoughts are with our Jewish community at this awful moment. What should have been a time of joy and peace was turned into an atrocity by antisemitic hatred. Rabbi Eli Schlanger grew up here in London, while Alexander Kleytman had survived the Holocaust as a child, and the youngest victim, Matilda, was just ten. This was an unspeakably evil act. 

Last week, as Chair of the Armed Forces Community APPG, I was pleased to host a meeting on social care and the Veteran Friendly Framework for care homes. With over 26,000 veterans living in care homes across England and Wales, it’s essential that social care services recognise military service and understand the unique experiences many veterans and their families bring with them.

This week, I met with L&Q Housing Association’s Chief Executive, Fiona Fletcher-Smith, and senior officers to discuss urgent steps to address the issues raised by constituents living in their properties.