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

I am deeply shocked and saddened by the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester today. This horrific act of violence highlights the very real and rising threat of antisemitism impacting communities nationwide, including here in Leyton and Wanstead.

I recently visited our local Boots on Wanstead High Street after concerns were shared at a Business Forum I organised on crime and anti-social behaviour. While I was pleased to meet a security guard there then, I understand that provision is still unreliable and shoplifting sadly remains a regular occurrence, so I will be writing to Boots UK to follow up further. Thanks to staff and customers for their ongoing vigilance.

As many of you will know, over recent weeks there have been a number deeply concerning incidents in our community. Flags have been placed on the George Lane viaduct in South Woodford, directly outside one of our local mosques. This was a deliberate and provocative act that has caused real upset, and it has no place here.

Following concerns which have been rightly raised by Cllr Jo Blackman about the growing nuisance of illegally adapted e-bikes, I recently spoke in my colleague Dawn Butler’s important debate on Phone Theft to highlight how these bikes are now increasingly being used to commit phone thefts and criminality across our community.

Fantastic to join local PC Anna Cork from the Cann Hall Safer Neighbourhood Team at the Public Sector reception in Number 10 Downing Street last week.

This week, I am in France and Germany with the Defence Select Committee, so I was unable to vote on the Crime and Policing Bill on Tuesday. Although I could not participate in any of the votes on amendments to this bill, I supported my constituency neighbour Stella Creasy’s amendment (New Clause 20), which sought to enshrine abortion access as a human right and to prevent women who have terminated their own pregnancies from being criminally investigated.

I attended a meeting with the Met Police to discuss the use of stop and search powers, a topic that has impacts many across London, especially within marginalised communities.