Across Bristol East
As regular readers will know, one of the things I really enjoy about representing Bristol East is the community spirit and diversity within the seat. This month I joined events across the constituency which showed just how strong these communities are and how they work to bring people together.
I visited Rodney Road Harvest Festival and the Repair Cafe in Brislington: both fantastic initiatives that unite their local communities. The Harvest festival was a lovely celebration, well supported by local people and businesses, which brought Whiteway and Two Mile Hill residents together. The Repair Cafe showcases community in a very different but equally vital way. Running every third Saturday in St Cuthbert’s Hall, it promotes sustainability and an end to the throwaway economy. It’s also a vibrant social space, bringing people from across Brislington together to connect, and have a cup of tea and cake, while getting their broken things repaired by volunteers.
The Trinity Centre has long sat at the heart of the Easton, Old Market and Lawrence Hill community and I was privileged to attend the Trinity Thank You Awards this month. These awards celebrate the local people in Easton and Lawrence Hill who go above and beyond to make the area a fantastic place to live, work and visit. It was inspiring to see just how much is going on in the local area.
I was also reminded this month of the importance of some of the brilliant charities and institutions which support people across Bristol East. I met with Rethink Mental Illness to learn about the work of the Racial Trauma Support group, and hear about the impact on mental health of direct and indirect abuse and discrimination.

I also visited SARSAS, which supports people who’ve experienced rape or sexual abuse, no matter how long ago incidents took place, as well as doing preventative outreach work. The statistics on the number of victims of rape or sexual abuse are truly shocking, and I have now written to the relevant Minister about the need to support services like SARSAS.

I was pleased to hear that Brigstowe’s funding has been protected by the council after Labour pressure. I am, however, concerned about the prospect of other cuts in support to sheltered housing residents and will continue to press the Council to maintain services.

Other Constituency Visits

I met with Avon Fire and Rescue Services’ Chief Fire Officer to discuss the range of challenges they face. As well as dealing with fires the Service is responsible for everything from rescuing climbers in Avon Gorge to dealing with floods. I was treated to a impressive display from the New Temple Fire Station team as they demonstrated how they would handle a road traffic collision.

I really enjoyed my visit to Knowle Park Primary school where I met with children taking part in the Eco Squad and School Council, as well as discussing SEND support with staff. I heard how Eco Squad members take part in environmental action from Year 1 upwards. They have – very impressively – managed to collect and recycle 15,000 used batteries, while also cultivating their school’s relaxing Peace Garden. I also took questions from the School Council about how I got into politics, my recent Ministerial visit to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and what I enjoy most about being an MP.

Last weekend I had a walk about on Sandy Park Road ahead of essential works taking place. The local businesses there form the heart of the local Brislington community and they remain open during the works. Please do keep supporting them in the run up to Christmas!

Finally I was out with councillors and Labour activists in Lawrence Hill, Easton, Brislington and St George this month, meeting residents and seeing what I could do to address their concerns.

East Bristol Liveable neighbourhood

A cautious welcome to the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood, with the first measures being rolled out over the last few weeks. This includes Beaufort Road being closed to through traffic.

I hope that the Liveable Neighbourhood will mean safer, more pleasant streets in East Bristol, with better air quality, and – as has happened elsewhere – will reduce traffic more generally. However, I am very aware that initially the scheme may be disruptive. It is important to note that this is a trial. It may well need refinement to ensure that it works for residents across the area. This is a Council-led project, but I will be keeping a close eye on it as the trial progresses, and will feed back to the Council any concerns I hear from constituents.

In Parliament

The Budget

It was a privilege to hear the first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer deliver Labour’s first Budget for over 14 years. When Labour took office we promised to transform Britain and to fix the country’s foundations. This Budget delivered that, with investment the key theme – to get our economy moving again, to fix our public services and to deliver a just transition towards clean energy.

Here are a few of the things which stood out to me:

• Increasing the National Living Wage by 6.7%, giving the lowest-paid workers a pay rise;
• An extra £25.6 billion for the NHS resourcing and capital, allowing us to cut waiting times and build capacity;
• Preserving the Triple Lock on state pensions, worth over £475 per year to 12 million pensioners;
• Increasing the maximum earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance to £195 per week, as well as widening eligibility;
• Investing in Great British Energy to make the UK a clean energy superpower, and in the Warm Homes Plan to make our homes more energy efficient and bring down bills;
• Investing £6.7 billion in education, including £1.4 billion for rebuilding our crumbling schools and £1 billion for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision;
• Investing £500 million in the Affordable Homes Programme, helping us to tackle the housing crisis
• Cutting alcohol duty on draught products to help support British pubs.

You can find the full details here.

10 Years of Children Heard and Seen

 Children Heard and Seen has just celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of life-changing support for children with a parent in prison. I was proud to speak at their reception in Parliament and pay tribute to Sarah Burrows and her team’s incredible work.

Children Heard and Seen has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a small charity based in Oxfordshire. After years of campaigning and tireless work, this year Labour committed to provide official support for children with a parent in prison in its manifesto. This was a huge step and I was pleased to get the opportunity to celebrate this, and their many other achievements, with them.

Update on the Middle East

The suffering and destruction continues in Gaza and the wider region. Alongside the suspension of arms export licences and our continued calls for a ceasefire:

• On 15^th October the FCDO announced more sanctions on groups that have supported and sponsored illegal settlers in the West Bank;

• The Foreign Secretary released a statement following UN reports about the severity of the food crisis in Northern Gaza, calling on Israel to ensure routes are open to allow life-saving aid through. This Government has already restored funding to UNRWA, supported UK field hospitals, given extra funding to UNICEF and led calls for a polio vaccination campaign.
• An Urgent Question was brought forward by a Labour MP on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon. The Minister for Development highlighted the joint UN-statement that the UK has signed calling for an investigation into attacks on UN peacekeepers in the region, and the £10 million in support sent by the UK to Lebanon for access to shelter, water, and healthcare.
• The Prime Minister has criticised the Israeli Government’s decision to block the vital work that UNRWA delivers in Palestine through humanitarian aid.

In my role as Minister for Climate…

COP29 Preparations
Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in November I headed out to Azerbaijan for pre-COP29 sessions. Our aim is clear – to galvanise international action to protect people who are on the front line of the climate crisis. We’ve seen flash floods devastate parts of Spain and Hurricane Milton wreak havoc on the US coast; a constant reminder of what is at stake. This is where a Labour Government can make a difference, showing domestic and global climate leadership. I’m delighted that I’m able to play my part.
GB Energy
The Great British Energy Bill took another step closer to becoming a reality in October, having passed Report Stage and 3rd Reading in the Commons. I’m pleased this Government is fulfilling another manifesto commitment, one which also represents a central tenet of our mission for Clean Power by 2030.
Bristol Wind Terminal
I’m delighted to see plans confirmed for Bristol Wind Terminal, a new offshore wind terminal to be developed by the Bristol Port Company in Avonmouth. We’re told that the latest round of the project ‘will create 4.5GW of new renewable energy capacity, enough to power more than 4 million homes, with the potential to unlock a further 12 GW of capacity in the Celtic Sea in future rounds.’ It’s great to see renewable energy generation on our doorstep here in Bristol, creating jobs, opportunities, and growth in the economy. You can read more about plans here.

Casework Roundup

It was good to visit Bricks at St Anne’s House for a constituency surgery, and to see the new cafe being so well-used while we were there.

Our immigration cases included the successful reunification of a family fleeing the conflict in Lebanon. My team and I have also worked hard to help those experiencing difficulties navigating the benefit system, including those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

We have successfully managed to help a number of constituents get registered with an NHS dentist, after many months of difficulties, and managed to get one constituent an emergency same-day appointment. Another constituent emailed to say she had never seen a dentist in her adult life; after we signposted her to an NHS dentist taking on new patients, she wrote back to tell me that she and 8 of her friends had managed to sign up!

As always, if you’re having trouble with any of the above – or anything else – and don’t know where to turn, you can contact my office on 0117 939 9901 or by emailing kerry.mccarthy.mp@parliament.uk. I hold regular surgeries in locations around Bristol East, based on constituent demand, so please do get in touch.