Last week Rishi Sunak finally threw in the towel and called a General Election for 4th July. I’m proud to be standing again as Labour’s Candidate for Bristol East, a seat I’ve represented since 2005. There will be boundary changes at the coming election, which mean that some areas – the Eastville, Frome Vale and Hillfields wards – will be going into a new seat of Bristol North East; I’ll be sorry to see them go, having built up so many relationships with communities and constituents over the years. I have written one final farewell piece for the Fishponds Voice, which should be published soon.

These boundary changes happen every 10 years or so to try to ensure that constituencies are roughly the same size. The last boundary changes came into force at the 2010 General Election, when Easton and Lawrence Hill were taken out of Bristol East constituency; now they’re coming back into East, along with the Knowle ward to the south of the seat.

This will be the last newsletter until after the July election. I just wanted to say a massive thank you for reading, and give one last quick overview of what I’ve been up to whilst representing the people of Bristol East in the past month.

Registering to Vote

•  If you’re not already on the electoral roll, you have until 18th June to register to vote.

•  If you’ll be away on 4th July, you have until 5pm on 19th June to apply for a postal vote or postal- proxy vote.

•  Or you have until 26th June to register for a proxy vote (i.e. nominating someone to vote on your behalf at the poling station).

If you’re voting in person you also need to bring photo ID on the day, including a UK or EU passport, UK or EU driving licence, Defence Identity Card, older person’s bus pass or disabled person’s bus pass. More information about accepted forms of ID is available below. You can still use your ID if it has expired, as long as your name has not changed and the photo looks like you.

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need

If you do not have voter ID you have until 26th June to register for a free Voter Authority Certificate. Or another option would be to apply for a postal vote, as you don’t need to provide ID for that. Find out more by following the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Delivering GB Energy

As I wrote in the New Statesman this month the coming General Election will be the most crucial yet when it comes to climate change. The choice is between Conservative climate delayers and deniers and a Labour government which can deliver the biggest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history.

This has been clear during debates over the past few months with a worrying number of Conservative backbenchers peddling net zero conspiracies, and their Ministerial colleagues emboldening them with inaction. I pressed the Government in the latest DESNZ Questions over its failure to secure homegrown energy for the UK.

We already have publicly-owned energy in the UK – it’s just not owned by the UK. 45% of our offshore wind assets are owned by state-led companies, from countries like Denmark and Sweden. Labour plans to switch on Great British Energy, a publicly-owned energy company that will invest in clean, local power. This is the best way forward for both the environment and the economy. Why can Swedish tax-payers profit from investing in our future, but the British people can’t?

Children (Parental Imprisonment) Bill

With good timing, I just managed to get the chance to introduce my 10 Minute Rule Bill on children affected by parental imprisonment the day before the General Election was called. It’s something I’ve campaigned on for a long time.

The Bill calls upon the Government to establish national policy guidelines to help identify children with a parent in prison at the moment of sentence, and then make sure someone has responsibility for checking they’re OK. It has cross-party support, with two former Children’s Ministers and a former Secretary of State for Justice from the Tory side, and some leading Labour figures like Harriet Harman, John McDonnell, Dame Diana Johnson and Jess Phillips. It’s also backed by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza.

It’s thought up to 312,000 children a year may be affected by parental imprisonment, but this is only an estimate as there’s currently no way of identifying them. As Sarah Burrows, CEO of the charity Children Heard and Seen (pictured below) is fond of saying, we know more about the number of Labradors in the UK than we do about these ‘invisible’ children.

Having a parent in prison can be a stigmatising and isolating experience. This Bill is the first step towards getting children the support they need, helping them through any difficulties at school and at home, and making sure they are in the care of an appropriate adult. With more help we can also reduce their risk of developing mental health problems or becoming involved in criminal offending themselves later in life.

You can read the full transcript here, and watch a clip from my speech here.

Victory for Contaminated Blood Victims

At long last, this month saw a landmark decision for victims of the infected blood scandal, which has rightly been described as the biggest scandal in NHS history. On 20^th May Sir Brian Langstaff published his final report on the Infected Blood Inquiry which concluded haemophilia patients were exposed to ‘unacceptable risks’ when receiving Factor 8 treatment contaminated with HIV and Hepatitis C.

The risks were known by Government authorities and NHS officials years before contaminated treatments were stopped, but were hidden from patients. Some victims will now receive £210,000 interim payments over the summer, with further compensation to come. Keir Starmer has called for the introduction of a Duty of Candour law, to prevent future cover-ups like this and the Horizon/Post Office scandal from happening again.

Ahead of the report’s publication I handed in my petition to the House of Commons, which called for the recommendations of the Inquiry’s second interim report to be swiftly implemented. Nothing will bring back lost years and lost loved ones, but I’m so pleased Margaret, Cath and other constituents can finally see justice. Thank you to everyone who signed my petition or who has written to me about this over recent months.

Nature has the answers

I’ve long wanted to visit the iconic Knepp estate to see its work on rewilding, and this month I finally got to do so, on a visit with Rewilding Britain which also took in a trip around Sussex Bay.

Knepp is a great example of sustainable land management, from farming to biodiversity gain to carbon sequestration. We saw nesting storks and heard nightingales sing, but no sign of the beavers this visit! At Sussex Bay we saw the work they’ve done to become an eco-port and to accelerate seascape recovery along 100 miles of shoreline.

Nature-based solutions are of increasing importance to meeting the UK’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. Our peatlands, wetlands and woodlands are crucial carbon sinks, but also part of helping us combat domestic climate consequences like flooding and food insecurity, and providing essential habitats for flora and fauna.

The potential of this place-based approach was evident too last week when I visited Gair Wood with Labour’s candidate for Leeds North-West, Katie White. She took me to see the work Leeds University has been doing to create a ‘living laboratory’. The project has brought together people from across Leeds to plant trees, create wildflower meadows, install bird and bat boxes, and construct paths and seating areas. The Gair Wood project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared vision for sustainability.

I’ve been doing a lot of work on nature-based solutions in my role as shadow Minister for Climate Change in Ed Miliband’s Energy and Net Zero team. My colleagues in the Shadow Defra team have been setting out Labour’s plans to protect and enhance nature for future generations, whether that be clearing up after the sewage scandal or targeting a zero-waste economy by 2050, that will end the scourge of plastic pollution and the depletion of our precious natural resources.

Challenging the Government on Disability Benefits

I know many constituents have felt alarmed and anxious after reading Rishi Sunak’s recent proposals on disability benefits. The Government’s plans would further restrict Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which helps cover the increased costs of living with a disability or serious health condition. ‘Fit note’ changes would see these issued by assessors without medical training, who would also advise on a patient’s ability to work.

Too many people are locked out of work but nobody chooses to have a disability, a fluctuating illness like ME, or a mental health condition. Rather than blaming people for health problems they can’t control, we should instead look at why NHS waiting lists have rocketed to record highs after 14 years of Conservative rule. I recently raised these points with the Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride, in the Commons, and I have written to him separately to flag constituents’ concerns.

Conflict in Gaza and UK Arms Sales

The situation in Gaza has gone from bad to worse, with appalling scenes emerging from Rafah. This is a catastrophic escalation to what was already a grave humanitarian crisis, and the fallout will be severe. It’s also a clear and obvious breach of international law, making it completely untenable for the UK to continue permitting arms sales to Israel. Labour has called on the Government to immediately suspend arms sales, but to no avail.

Labour has once again reiterated our call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. As David Lammy said, we need a ceasefire to end this dreadful war, rescue the hostages and get aid into Gaza. Israel must abide by the ICJ’s orders, including stopping this horrendous assault into Rafah.

Another significant development was the ICC’s issuing of warrants for the arrests of Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and a number of Hamas leaders, over potential war crimes. While Labour supports the ICC’s efforts to uphold international law, the Government still won’t even publish the legal advice it’s received.

At the very least the UK ought to be playing its part in providing refuge for those fleeing conflict and persecution. This month, I spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on a family reunification scheme for Palestinians with ties to the UK. We set up a similar scheme for Ukrainians, yet the Government refuses to extend the same rights to Palestinians; understandably this has led to many people feeling that the lives of Palestinians are seen as worth less.

Unfortunately now that the General Election has been called, Parliament won’t be sitting until the King’s Speech on July 17th. There will be no MPs – only candidates – after dissolution on May 30th, but Ministers remain in post, so Lord Cameron is still Foreign Secretary. To date, however, the Government’s stance on Gaza hasn’t changed; the Tories still refuse to call for a ceasefire, to suspend arms sales to Israel, or to respect international law.

Western Rail Link to Heathrow

I spoke briefly in a debate on the creation of a Western Rail Link to connect Heathrow with the South-West. As well as boosting connectivity and creating employment opportunities, a railway service linking the West of England to Heathrow would make it easier and cheaper for people to get to the airport by rail instead of driving. If we’re serious about our net zero targets, we should be encouraging the use of public transport wherever possible, which will not only help reduce surface emissions but bring down air pollution too.

There’s a lot of work being done on reducing emissions from aviation, including airspace modernisation, exploring electric and hydrogen flight, and mandating the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. We also need to make rail an affordable alternative to domestic flights. Labour’s plans to renationalise the railways will help us do that.

Biodiversity Loss (Westminster Hall Debate)

In this debate on biodiversity loss, I highlighted the worrying report from the Office of Environmental Protection that the Government is wildly off track in meeting most of its environmental targets; in fact it’s on track to meet a mere 4 out of 40.

I pressed the Minister on what the next steps actually are? Because in the face of this failure we’re just told that it’s all going swimmingly…and it’s not. If this was the case people would be able to actually go swimming in local rivers without fear of a mouthful of sewage!

It was clear from her response that the Tories just don’t have any answers when it comes to protecting nature in the UK. You can watch a clip of my speech here.

Employment (Allocation of Tips) 2023

It’s taken far too long, but this month Parliament finally gave the go-ahead for the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 to come into force from this July. This is great news for employees in the hospitality sector. It means tips must be allocated to staff fairly and without any deductions. Employers must have regard to a statutory Code of Practice in deciding what is a fair allocation; they will also need to keep records of tips received and how they’ve been shared. What we now need is a robust system to ensure that employees are aware of the law and aren’t afraid to speak up if employers aren’t passing them on. We also need to make sure that all workers are eligible to receive tips, whether they are permanent staff, agency workers, or on zero hours contracts.

Final Commons Oral Questions… for now?

At Treasury Questions this month I was able to press the Minister on two separate points. The first of these was about signing a new veterinary agreement with the EU. Research from the University of Bristol has suggested harmonising standards with the EU could boost British agrifood exports by more than 22%. Labour has committed to doing so if in power, to remove trade friction experienced in the aftermath of Brexit, but we heard no such commitment from the Minister in response.

The second thing I raised was mortgage repayments – in light of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget which crashed the economy and sent payments sky-rocketing. A typical family remortgaging this year will pay £240 a year more in mortgage payments as a result, but the Chancellor showed little contrition. You can read the full debate here.

At Education Questions I asked the Children’s Minister for an update on the Government’s work with the Youth Endowment Fund. The charity does brilliant work with schools to reduce exclusions and support pupils with a persistent record of unauthorised school absence. Despite following up with the Minister in a Written Question, he didn’t provide much in the way of new information, which was disappointing. Missing school without a valid medical reason and being excluded are two risk factors for later involvement in criminal activity, so it’s essential we take action and support children to return to the classroom.

At Women and Equalities Questions I raised the need for minority ethnic business owners to benefit from regeneration opportunities and schemes like Temple Quarter here in Bristol. Having spoken to some business owners, they are frustrated when it’s falsely assumed their work only focuses on their own communities, rather than being of benefit to the wider economy. The Minister’s response showed we still have a long way to go, with only 42 Government start-up loans in Bristol East recently awarded to ethnic minority entrepreneurs.

Between January and May 2024 I have made 48 contributions in Parliament; each of these an opportunity to raise issues that matter to you as my constituents in Bristol East. I have also tabled many Written Questions and met with Government Ministers to discuss constituency matters on several occasions. If I’m re-elected, I will continue to speak up for constituents at every opportunity.

The Rest of the Month in Parliament 

‘Build a Future Free From Homelessness’ (Event) – I heard from people who have experienced homelessness, and from Crisis about the frontline services they offer. Homeless support is vital, but it benefits everyone to tackle the issue upstream, by preventing homelessness in the first place. A Labour Government will make that a priority. It’s disappointing that the Renters Reform Bill has now been lost, with the calling of a General Election, and even more disappointing that the ban on s.21 no-fault evictions wasn’t included.

Grassroots Football (Event) – I spoke to Emile Heskey, former Liverpool and England striker and now Head of Football Development at Leicester City Women, about the importance of investing in football at the grassroots – especially for growing the women’s game, at this event hosted by the FA’s Football Foundation.

Urban Pesticides (Event) – This event focused on glyphosate (commonly found in urban pesticides) which are not only carcinogenic to humans, but lethal to a range of plants and animals. They’re already banned in the EU, but the UK Government hasn’t been prepared to act.

Alzheimer’s Society Drop-In (Event) – Without being diagnosed, people with Alzheimer’s may in future be unable to take advantage of promising new disease-modifying treatments like donanemab and lecanemab which could help slow down its progression. 91% of patients who took part in an Alzheimer’s Society survey said they had noticed the benefits of getting a diagnosis. I know this is important to so many people in Bristol East, so I was pleased to attend.

Trussell Trust Drop-In – In the last year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels – the highest number in their history. This paints a disturbing portrait of the hardship that communities are enduring across the country. It’s incredibly important that the next Government turns the tide on the necessity of food banks.

Repair Cafe – I also went along to a ‘Repair Cafe’ event that the Design Council and Green Alliance were hosting. The UK is the 2nd highest producer of electronic waste per capita in the world, and it’s great to see efforts to achieve a more circular, sustainable economy. I also heard about the ‘Right to Repair’ campaign, based on proposals that have already been approved in the EU, that will make repair and reuse an easier and more attractive option.

Local work in Bristol East

Cossham Hospital Birth Centre  

The excellent birth centre at Cossham Hospital unfortunately remains closed due to midwife shortages. I’ve had regular updates from the local Integrated Care Board and North Bristol Trust, and they’re doing all they can to help the centre reopen, but sadly this is a symptom of a national problem.

Damien Egan, Labour’s MP for Kingswood and candidate for Bristol North East and I have written a joint letter to the Health Secretary. As you can see here, we call for action to tackle retention and recruitment problems in maternity care. This got a write-up in this month’s Fishponds Voice.

For every 30 new midwives who train up, the Royal College of Midwives estimate 29 midwives leave their roles. Midwives make up only 1.75% of the NHS workforce, compared to 1.97% in December 2019. Only Labour has so far committed to significantly increasing numbers of training places for midwives; given that we have UWE’s nursing and midwifery campus in east Bristol, at Glenside, I hope that we will soon be able to benefit from that pledge.

St George Van Dwellers Survey

Thank you to everyone who has filled out my survey for St George residents regarding the vehicle encampment at the top of St George Park. The level of participation, and the range of views and suggestions, has been incredibly helpful. My aim is to get as thorough an understanding of residents’ views and needs as possible, in order to work out next steps.

Unfortunately, though, with Parliament being dissolved this Thursday ahead of the General Election, I won’t have an opportunity to take those next steps or contact you directly before the election. Responses to the survey are still coming in, so I can’t close it and analyse the results just yet. I can assure you, though, that if I am re-elected, I will pick this up as a priority, and use the feedback you have given me to write to the Council with specific proposals on your behalf. I aim to write to everyone who has filled out the survey detailing follow-up actions as soon as I am able to do so.

GP Survey – Results

Thanks to everyone who completed my Bristol East GP survey. As always, I really appreciate the feedback you’ve shared.

Most participants had an ‘average’ experience of GP services, rating their experience 3 out of 5. 68.3% of participants had put off or avoided seeking medical help because they didn’t think they would get an appointment with their GP. 65.5% of patients responding had encountered problems in contacting their GP via eConsult and a staggering 84.5% of constituents had difficulties getting through over the phone.

Most people said when they requested an appointment from their GP it took them two weeks to be seen. 24.6% of people said they were usually seen by their doctor within a week, but the same proportion said it took them three weeks. Most respondents who experienced delays or difficulties in getting through (67.9%) were not offered a reason or explanation.

Explanations for delays varied from staff shortages, to annual leave and sickness, to the surgery being fully booked. A few patients who couldn’t book an appointment were diverted to NHS 111, which worked out in some cases, but not in others. I received a mixture of concerns, and compliments about individual GPs and practices.

St Brendan’s Sixth Form College Visit

Earlier this month, I ran a Q&A session with Politics students at St Brendan’s. I think I told the students very confidently that there wouldn’t be a General Election till the autumn!

I also met with the Principal, Marian Curran, for one of our regular catch-ups, to discuss provision of 16-19 education across the city and the need for a varied offer for students, especially those who don’t want to go down a purely academic route.

Emmaus Visit

This month I visited the offices of Emmaus, a supported housing provider that also offers upskilling and employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness or leaving the criminal justice system. Emmaus’ aim is to give these people the independence they need to find work and re-enter non-supported accommodation. It’s a long-term approach to homelessness that focuses on the factors driving people out of their homes in the first place.

The work of homelessness charities has never been more important, given the housing crisis. The number of people sleeping rough is now 61% higher than it was ten years ago and 120% higher than in 2010. There are also many more people in temporary or unsuitable accommodation, or ‘sofa-surfing’ with friends and family. While it shouldn’t be left to charities to do this vital work, I am always happy to support the essential services that organisations like Emmaus provide to those with nowhere else to turn.

Casework – May 2024

In May, my team and I opened 55 new cases for constituents, alongside working on our existing caseload.

In May, whilst housing has remained our biggest source of casework, we saw an increase in cases relating to local government. We have been able to ensure that constituents’ arranged bin collections are respected, and we secured Council Tax reductions for constituents with additional health needs. I have also been contacted by several constituents who are worried about the future of Barton Fields, and I have raised these concerns with the Council.

My team has also continued to work on a range of cases relating to immigration and asylum, which range from arranging replacement BRPs, checking on the status of asylum applications, and following up on family reunion applications.

We understand that constituents often turn to our office as a last resort, seeking support and help after exhausting other avenues. However, my team will only be able to take on new casework which is urgent during the upcoming election period. If you need my assistance during the election period – which I must stress would be in my role as a parliamentary candidate rather than as your MP – then please do email kerry.mccarthy.mp@parliament.uk or call 0117 939 9901 as normal.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact Citizens Advice Bristol who provide free, independent, and confidential advice to whoever may need it. You can contact them via their website or by calling 0808 278 7957.

If you have an active case, but live within the new Bristol North East constituency, please let me know what you would like my office to do with your personal data. We can arrange for the transfer of case files to the new MP for Bristol North East once they have been elected. Alternatively, we can securely destroy all of your personal data.

Best wishes,

Kerry McCarthy

MP for Bristol East