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.

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!