Dear John,

I hope you’re keeping well and that the first half of your summer is off to a great start. To every parent - best wishes as the school holidays begin!

I’ve just finished writing my final set of graduation letters for local Year 6 pupils, wishing them the very best as they head off to secondary school. If your child is also leaving primary school this year but doesn’t attend a Harrow school, please do get in touch — I’d be more than happy to write a letter for them too.

Apologies for any errors- it’s been one of the busiest months yet, balancing graduation letters with Ministerial work (for the first time in a long while) parliamentary debates, Government department meetings, and of course local work here in Harrow!

Below is my newsletter covering some of my work in Parliament and locally in Harrow too – as always, throughout the year, you can find regular updates from me on Facebook and Instagram, or if you have an issue you would like to raise with me, contact me on [email protected] or 02072194243.

100 Years of West Harrow Park and Summer Fun

Preparations are finally complete for this wonderful weekend exhibit celebrating 100 Years of West Harrow Park at OneForty! Proud to help bring this exhibit to life at a great local gallery. It was a pleasure to discuss the origins of West Harrow Recreation Ground and what we might take for granted as we mark a century, with West Harrow resident historian, Mark Sutherland – WATCH HERE.

Huge thanks to the West Harrow Community Forum, pupils from Grange and Vaughan schools, and our brilliant local artists for contributions.

It was a pleasure to open the gallery yesterday – and it’ll be open to the public again today during OneForty’s Saturday morning’s café hours from 8AM–12PM – perfect timing before the West Harrow Park Summer Fun Day!

The Roxeth Show Revival

Closure of Public Counter at Police Station

 I’ve written to Sir Mark Rowley to urgently raise my concerns over the proposed closure of the public counter at Harrow Police Station.

At a time when trust in policing matters more than ever, we must protect face-to-face services in South Harrow. I’ve asked the Met to reconsider and explore reduced hours instead of full closure. 

Met Engage

A brand-new way to stay informed about what your local police are doing in neighbourhoods across Harrow. I have just signed up, you should too.

📲 Get updates directly from your local officers about the issues that matter most to you - from tackling crime to community safety efforts. This will now be the main way the Met shares local updates.

🔗 Sign up here: www.metengage.co.uk

⚠️ Please note: Met Engage is not for reporting crimes.

📞 Call 101 or visit the Met website to report non-emergencies.

Post Office Horizon Inquiry and the Future of the Post Office

Earlier this month, Volume 1 of Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal was published, laying bare the devastating human impact and setting out recommendations for redress.

This was one of the UK’s gravest miscarriages of justice. As Post Office Minister, I am committed to delivering full, fair, and prompt compensation. While nothing can undo the suffering caused, progress is being made with over £1 billion already paid to more than 7,300 postmasters, including £245 million through the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme.

This week, I also launched a 12-week public consultation on the Post Office’s long-term future alongside £500 million in investment to modernise services, support postmasters, and secure the network for years to come.

This includes up to £136 million this financial year to upgrade technology; and up to £118 million this financial year for the Post Office Transformation Plan and necessary network investments. This will support the expansion of banking services, with a target of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament.

To rebuild trust and support postmasters, we are also backing cultural reform, including a new consultative council and postmaster panel, and exploring mutual ownership models.

Now is the time to have your say on how we shape a stronger, modern Post Office:

🔗 Green Paper: Future of the Post Office – GOV.UK

Please note this national consultation is separate from the changes being made to Crown Post Offices, including the Wealdstone branch, which will remain open.

For more information on Wealdstone Post Office, click here:
🔗 Wealdstone Post Office Consultation

See my speech in Parliament here.

Labour's 10 Year NHS Plan

On Thursday 3rd July, the Health Secretary announced Labour’s 10-year plan to rebuild the NHS around its founding principle: care based on need, not ability to pay.

With the NHS in crisis, this plan sets out three major shifts:

1. Care in the Community – New neighbourhood health centres will bring GPs, nurses, physios, and more under one roof, ending the 8am scramble and restoring the family doctor. NHS dentistry will also be rebuilt with contract reforms and more dentists.

2. Digital Transformation – Cutting admin for frontline staff with AI tools and faster phone systems. Patients will gain more control through an upgraded NHS app.
3. Focus on Prevention – A healthier Britain through partnerships with business and local authorities. Food companies will face new health targets, and access to weight-loss jabs will expand.

This plan aims to secure the future of a publicly funded, free-at-point-of-use NHS and a healthier, fairer Britain.

🔗 Read the full executive summary here

Government Launches New Family Hubs

On 7 July 2025, the Education Secretary announced the Government’s new “Best Start in Life” strategy to tackle early years inequality through a network of family hubs.

Inspired by the legacy of Sure Start, these hubs will provide joined-up support across education, health, childcare, and local services, targeting the communities that need them most. A new digital service will help families connect to support, with AI tools explored to improve access to information.

From September, working parents will receive 30 hours of free childcare a week, saving families up to £7,500 a year, supported by £370 million in funding and 6,000 new nursery places.

The strategy also includes:

• A professional register for early years staff
• New training and financial incentives to recruit and retain high-quality educators
• A stronger focus on SEND inclusion

I’m proud to back this plan to give every child the best possible start in life.

My Letter to the Foreign Office on Gaza

Last week, I wrote formally to the Middle East Minister to raise my very serious concerns about Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s appalling proposal to forcibly transfer the entire population of Gaza to a camp in the devastated city of Rafah, without allowing them to leave. 

Palestinian territory must not be reduced, and civilians must have the right to return to their communities. 

I am appalled by the reports coming out of Gaza, in which civilians and aid workers have been killed, including women and children. Civilians in Gaza must be protected from attack and able to access aid without fear. I join calls for an immediate and independent investigation into these devastating attacks.

The ongoing blockade on aid is inhumane. The suffering caused by food shortages and malnutrition is horrific, and I continue to call on the Israeli government to lift these restrictions and allow critical aid to enter.

I will continue to support efforts to work with international partners to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza, for the immediate release of hostages and for a ceasefire deal and open a pathway to lasting peace.

Climate and Nature Update

Earlier this month, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary addressed the House of Commons on the climate and nature crisis. Climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most pressing challenges of our time. The UK is experiencing hotter, wetter conditions and more extreme weather, while also suffering one of the worst declines in nature globally, with species abundance down by a third since 1970.

These crises are already affecting our lives: heavy rainfall led to the second-worst harvest in 40 years, and heatwaves caused over 10,000 excess deaths between 2020 and 2024. The OBR warns that nearly 3°C of warming could reduce UK GDP by 8% by the 2070s.

As the Secretary highlighted, no part of society is immune. We must act now - by cutting emissions, restoring nature, and adapting to unavoidable impacts - to safeguard our way of life.

Domestic leadership drives global action and brings local benefits: lower energy bills, cleaner air, better health, and good green jobs. That’s why I support the Government’s goals of clean power by 2030, economy-wide net zero, protecting 30% of land and seas, and halting species loss by 2030.

All of us in Parliament have a duty to protect the safety of our natural world and the country that we pass on to future generations. I can assure you that I take this duty seriously.