What a special evening at the Faizan-e-Islam Centre for their Community Iftar last Sunday. Thank you to Al-Shaykh Ghulam Rabbani for hosting such a warm and generous gathering, and for bringing together MPs, councillors, faith leaders and local civic leaders to share in the spirit of Ramadan.

I welcome the Government’s decision to extend the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme by two years, a positive step forward following the conversations and engagements I’ve had with our local Ukrainian community.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

I was proud to host and bring together race equality organisations from across the UK alongside partners from Black Equity Organisation and Global Counsel. The discussion focused on pressing issues shaping our national equality agenda — including new research on systemic inequality, the forthcoming Race and Disability Equality Bill, and the growing need to stand united against racist mobilisation wherever it appears.

It was important to meet with the Police Federation of England and Wales team to discuss the challenges facing officers - particularly around recruitment, retention, and mental health. We also spoke about the loss of police housing, whic

It was wonderful to drop by the Wanstead Beer Festival last week and see so many people from across the community coming together to enjoy a fantastic local event.

Like many Londoners, I am disgusted and angered by the BBC Panorama investigation into Charing Cross Police Station. Serving police officers engaged in misogynistic, racist, anti-immigrant language and glorified violence in deeply disturbing ways. This conduct should have no place among those who are meant to serve and protect us.