Good to meet Minister Alex Norris last week to discuss changes to asylum and settlement, and to raise constituents’ cases, including our many Ukrainian refugees. This Refugee Week, I want to reaffirm our constituency’s pride in offering sanctuary to some of the world’s most vulnerable

Great to shout out some of our small hospitality businesses in Parliament - Noted Eel & Pie House in Leyton, Homies On Donkeys in the ’Stone, Bare Brew and City Place in Wanstead, and Fresh as a Daisy in South Woodford.

Pride month should be a time for celebration and joy. Sadly, that isn’t what I’ve heard from LGBT+ constituents and allies since the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance was published this week.

Valuable meeting with Yusuf Hamza, Chair of the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques, this week to discuss what more can be done to address mosque security and combat Islamophobia and division in our society.

Last week, I visited Leyton and Wanstead Synagogue in Leytonstone to offer my support to our local Jewish community in light of the attacks on synagogues across London. This week has sadly shown again why we must continue to speak out against the evil bigotry of antisemitism wherever it arises.

My message to our Jewish community in Leyton and Wanstead following the horrific attack on Jewish Londoners in Golders Green.

A big thank you to everyone who supported my London Marathon run last weekend! Finished in 03:26 and even got my medal from Dawn Butler MP. I ran for the Samaritans, to show support for our wonderful Waltham Forest branch.

Today marks the anniversary of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, my friend’s brother.We must tell a positive story of Englishness grounded in the England we are, not the England the far right wants us to be.

I recently attended a parliamentary reception celebrating Repair Cafés across the UK and it was fantastic to see our own Wanstead Repair Café represented among the community groups!

This week I attended the Vaisakhi celebration at No.10. The event recognised the tremendous contribution Sikh communities make across the UK. Awesome to meet so many incredible people, including fellow service personnel!

It was a pleasure to join members of the local Jewish community for a Passover Seder meal at the East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue last week. Sharing a meal with Rabbis Richard Jacobi and David Hulbert was a real privilege. I hope everyone who celebrated enjoyed a joyful Passover!

Great to join Deputy Mayor Debbie Weekes‑Bernard and Cllr Grace Williams at Waltham Forest Migrants Centre last month. The centre provides a vital immigration drop‑in service, helping residents connect with government services and access the support they need to settle, thrive, and feel welcomed in our community.

We can see the problems that need to be fixed in our asylum system. But those who dehumanise and misrepresent refugees undermine progress and only seek to sow division for their own political benefit.

Over the Eid period I had the pleasure of visiting mosques across the constituency to join local communities in their celebrations.

Last month I joined the brilliant team at Idea Space for one of their Art Social coffee mornings at Cann Hall and Harrow Green Baptist Church in Leytonstone.

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.