Chariot Festival

It was a pleasure to be at the colourful Chariot Festival this weekend organised by the Enfield Hindu Tamil Cultural Association.

Thank you to Shan and his committee, everyone at the Hindu Temple Edmonton and the stewards for making this cultural event such a success.

North London Bangladesh Mela

It was lovely to attend the North London Bangladesh Mela yesterday in Haringey, and to honour the Mayor of Haringey as the first Mayor of the borough of Bangladesh origin.

Thank you to everyone at Bangla Shur UK for inviting me to join the celebrations!

Recognition of Palestine

Please see below the letter I have signed to the Prime Minister calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Health and Social Care Questions

This week, I asked the Minister for Public Health and Prevention if targets for cancer diagnosis, referral, and treatment will be prioritised in the National Cancer Plan.

Listen to her response below, or read her response here.

Foreign Secretary’s Statement on Gaza

I am horrified at the famine-like conditions in Gaza.

Last night, I asked the Foreign Secretary what steps he is taking to ensure that United Nations NGOs can deliver the aid that Gazans so desperately need.

Listen below.

Read my question and the Foreign Secretary’s answer here.

Education Questions

Today, I asked the Secretary of State for Education if the Government were going to extra efforts to improve teacher retention and recruitment at schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged students.

Listen to her response here.

ASDA Southgate in Parliament

It was wonderful to celebrate 60 years of ASDA in the UK and meet Sejal and Washington from the Southgate Circus store in Parliament.

It was great to discuss ASDA’s community action in Southgate and Wood Green, their partnership with Parentkind, and celebrate the whopping £5,015 raised and donated to local schools. ASDA were joined by many of their charity partners who were pleased to celebrate the nationwide impact the store is having.

Southgate Children’s Literature Festival

This weekend, it was wonderful to be at the Southgate Children’s Literature Festival at St Andrew’s Church and the Halo Theatre, and have the privilege of saying a few words.

It was great to meet so many children’s books authors and to see a buzz about the local area for such an important cause.

Well done to James Okoro and his team for organising such an amazing community event!

Chapmans Green Summer Fair

Over the weekend, I enjoyed a wonderful, sunny day at the Chapmans Green Summer Fair.

The event was full of great food and craft stalls, live music and lots of activities for the kids.

Well done to everyone involved for organising such a successful community event!