MEMBERS’ REPORT—January 2019

With 53 days to the date the Prime Minister keeps telling us we will

leave the European Union, my time in Parliament and in Bristol is

dominated by Brexit.

Thank you, Bristol West Labour Party members, for letting me know

your view. Some of you have emailed, some I have phoned back

(which I try to do if I can) to discuss, some came to the meeting I held

on Saturday 2nd February in St Werburghs Community Centre, or

asked me questions after my presentation to last month’s GC, others

have been in touch in person or in other ways.

It was clear to me in the very positive atmosphere at both meetings

that there is no single view on what should happen next. You all

appreciate the complexity of interpreting Labour Policy as passed at

conference, as there are many possible routes. Jeremy Corbyn tried to

force a General Election with the motion of no confidence in the government. We were not successful. We all

want a Labour government as soon as possible but it does not look likely at the moment, so we have to focus

on scrutinising all other possibilities, including that of a further public vote.

In that spirit there were many constructive amendments to the Prime Minister’s ‘deal’ (Withdrawal Agreement

and the Political Declaration on the Future Relationship with the EU) last week. The results of the votes were

very close in every case. One which we won (and I got to announce the result – a rare treat as an Opposition

Whip) was an amendment to inform the government that Parliament does not want us to leave the EU with no

deal (‘Hard Brexit’). This is the threat the PM is holding the country to – but this is reckless and needs to be

stopped. Meanwhile, as a Labour Whip, I will keep passing on views of MPs and members to the front bench,

and will focus on the practical aspects, such as the hundreds of regulatory changes which have to happen.

Brexit has taken up a lot of time this month, but there have been other issues that have required attention.

Not least the Immigration Bill which the government finally brought before parliament. You can read about my

reasons for voting against this Bill on page 3. You can also find out about other issues I’ve raised in parliament,

including the need for education to prevent childhood cancers, fire safety in tower blocks and criticising the

Home Secretary’s shameful reaction to those making a perilous journey across the English channel.

In Bristol, I have addressed the need for local and national government to prioritise air quality, as well as

supporting Veganuary. I’ve also been out and about across the constituency, knocking on doors to listen to

concerns, pick up casework, and persuade people to vote Labour. We knock on doors all year round in Bristol

West—not just at election time, and it’s an excellent way to meet local Labour members and to help us elect

talented Labour representatives when elections come around.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. As always, I am keen to hear your views! You can contact

me via email at thangam.debbonaire.mp@parliament.uk. And you can

keep up to date with what I’m doing on behalf of Bristol West via my

website, my Facebook page, and on Twitter.

IN THIS REPORT…

Page 1— Main story Page 2—Brexit in focus

Page 3—In Parliament Page 4—In Bristol

Page 5—Casework and Media roundup

January 2019

BREXIT IN FOCUS

‘NO DEAL’ MUST BE

RULED OUT

During the many hours of

debate on the Brexit deal, the

Labour party has stressed to the

Prime Minister how crucial it is

that ‘no deal’ should not be a

threat. A no deal Brexit would be

catastrophic for jobs, the economy and the border in

Northern Ireland.

I urged the Prime Minister directly to reach out to

remain voters and those who would be most affected

by a ‘no deal’ Brexit. I highlighted how this would

endanger the livelihoods of musicians and others who

rely on the ability to cross borders within the EU

freely. Sadly her automatic-sounding response

showed that Theresa May is still refusing to listen or

compromise, even after such a humiliating defeat.

When I challenged the Brexit department on their

cavalier attitude towards a ‘no deal’ - stressing how

businesses needed certainty that leaving without a

deal would not be an option. In response the Brexit

minister continued to use the threat of ‘no deal’ as an

incentive to get MPs to back a deal we had

resoundingly rejected days before.

This government is dangerously out of touch. I will

continue to fight against their irresponsible threats.

A DEAD DEAL?

On Tuesday 15 January, the Prime Minister suffered an unprecedented historic defeat in Parliament, as MPs voted against the Withdrawal Agreement she had negotiated with the EU. After listening to members, constituents and businesses across Bristol West, I voted against the deal and as a Labour whip helped persuade MPs from across all parties to do the same.

I believe that the best possible relationship with the EU—both for Bristol West and the UK as a whole—is to remain in the European Union or, failing that, have the closest possible relationship with it. Theresa May’s deal did not maintain that close relationship, and was a bad deal for the UK.

Following that historic defeat on the government’s flagship policy, Labour called a vote of no confidence in the government. This would have brought about a General Election as it would have shown that the Prime Minister could not command a majority in Parliament. Sadly, this motion narrowly failed, meaning we now need to look at every possible option to see if we can find consensus (including, of course, the possibility of a further public vote with ‘remain’ as an option).

In the past week, the Prime Minister put (slightly) revised Brexit plans to the house. There were many amendments to help us examine alternatives and debate. I was honoured to announce the result of a vote on amendment signalling that a disastrous ‘no deal’ Brexit should be avoided. This shows that Jeremy Corbyn and other colleagues in Parliament are right to suggest that Theresa May does not have a democratic mandate to crash us out of the EU without a deal.

However, this amendment is not legally binding, and all other opposition amendments were defeated. The Tories pushed through a separate amendment asking Theresa May to reopen negotiations with the EU. Given senior EU politicians have refused to countenance further negotiations, I am sceptical to say the least.

I recognise that the parliamentary debates on Brexit are frequent and often difficult to follow. Please keep an eye on my website and Facebook page where I will post updates as regularly as possible on where we are in the process, as well as live videos where you can post questions directly.

FINGERPRINTS OF UNITY

Amidst the

uncertainty

surrounding Brexit, I

was delighted to help

facilitate some good

news and positivity in

Westminster while

supporting a local

Bristol artist!

I invited artist Elaine

Robinson to spend a

week in Parliament,

coinciding with the

week of the Withdrawal Agreement vote. Elaine invited

anyone who came past to leave their fingerprint on a

large piece of paper, which will eventually encased in

resin.

This simple idea caught the imagination of MPs, peers,

researchers, journalists and Parliamentary staff. The

work was a huge success and Elaine was invited back

to Parliament for a second week! As the project

demonstrates, we are all different, yet all have so

much in common. It’s only by finding that common

ground that we will get beyond Brexit and come

together as a country.

IN PARLIAMENT

EDUCATION TO HELP

CATCH CHILDHOOD

CANCERS EARLY

Last year, the APPG on

Children, Teenagers and

Young Adults with

Cancer—which I chair—

published a report calling for more education to help

the early diagnosis of (thankfully rare) childhood

cancers. Yet there is no mention of prevention or

early diagnosis in the NHS Long Term Plan, and I am

concerned the NHS will not have the resources to

deliver this. I raised these issues in a Westminster Hall

debate this month, and I am pleased that the minister

Steve Brine agreed to meet with the APPG to discuss

these issues further.

FIRE SAFETY IN TOWER

BLOCKS

The catastrophic fire at

Grenfell Tower in July 2017

shocked us all. Yet the

government are still failing to

regulate the use of

combustible material in cladding.

One issue I highlighted in a recent debate is that the

Coalition government failed to act on

recommendations from a similar fatal fire in 2009.

Bristol City Council have taken action to check all

cladding on council blocks in Bristol, and will Install

sprinkler systems. The UK government should follow

Bristol’s lead as a matter of urgency.

AN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM WHICH WORKS FOR NO ONE

“I believe that our immigration system should be based on rules that are

grounded in human rights; that value the contribution of migrants and allow

them all to work, including asylum seekers; that do not put people in

desperate people in desperate conditions;… that give a warm welcome to

those fleeing war and persecution; and that show those who have already

made their homes here that they are still properly and warmly welcomed.”

After a year of repeatedly asking the government for its whereabouts, I

finally got the opportunity to scrutinise and debate the Immigration Bill—

a key piece of legislation which outlines how our immigration system will

operate if and when we leave the European Union. I believe what the

government is proposing will not secure a fair and robust system of immigration rules. Whether you voted

leave or remain, you deserve a better system than this.

Their proposals for granting settled status to migrants from the EU runs the risk of repeating the unacceptable

injustices of the Windrush scandal. And the Bill makes little attempt to address the clear flaws in our asylum

system: substandard, unsafe accommodation paid for by the taxpayer; restrictions on the right to work; delays

and mistakes in assessing applications, and the outrage of indefinite detention.

For all of these reasons, I voted against the bill, but unfortunately the Tories voted it through to its second

reading. I am, however, confident that we can change some aspects of the Bill, and this will be a major focus of

my cross-party work in the coming months.

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS IN PARLIAMENT

I asked the government to make

representations to the Nepalese government

after a woman and her two children were

suffocated after being confined in a so-called

‘period hut’.

I asked the Minister of State for prisons if the

government would do more to ensure staff have

the training, support and supervision needed to

tackle misogynistic attitudes—particularly in the

case of offenders convicted of domestic abuse

and sexual offences.

WELCOMING THOSE

SEEKING ASYLUM

Over Christmas, the Home

Secretary opportunistically used the

tragic cases of migrants trying to

cross the English Channel as to look

tough on immigration, rather than

showing humanitarian concern for those taking such

extreme measures to reach the UK.

I argued with the Home Secretary that sending out

Border Force staff to Calais to process family reunion

claims would be more effective than sending out

speedboats to patrol the channel pointlessly.

IN BRISTOL

CLEANING UP

BRISTOL’S AIR

I was disappointed to see the

government threaten to take

Bristol City Council to court

over its plan to improve the

city’s air quality. This plan was

a condition of the £500,000 grant I helped to secure

from the government in 2016, so I am determined to

help the government and council find a solution.

In January, I met Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey

to help resolve this situation. I am clear that both local

and national government need to act to help clean up

our air. While Bristol City Council needs to submit its

plan to DEFRA, the Tory government also needs to

take responsibility for improving air quality—rather

than simply shunting more responsibility onto

stretched local authorities.

Throughout my time as an MP I have worked with the

Council to solve Bristol’s air quality problems, and I

will continue to do so. Pollution affects all of us,

whether we are walking about the city, or sitting in

our car or on the bus. It’s in everybody’s interests that

we have clean air to breathe.

You can keep up to date with my campaigining on this

issue by liking my #BristolBreathingBetter campaign

page.

SUPPORTING

VEGANUARY IN BRISTOL

January is often a time when

people take up new challenges

to get healthy. And in recent

years going vegan for

January—or Veganuary—has

been a popular challenge for

those not used to cutting meat

or dairy products out of their

diet.

I’m already vegan, but was pleased so many people

used this as an opportunity to enjoy more plant-based

foods, and lots of food outlets offered more vegan

options.

Cutting down on meat has far-reaching effects. In

2016, agriculture was responsible for 10% of our

national greenhouse gas emissions. And meat farming

(particularly cattle) is a significant contributor to this.

I’ve previously stressed to the government that giving

more information about the impact of diet choices on

our health and on climate change would help all of us

make informed decisions.

But in the meantime, whether you’ve given Veganuary

or Dry January or any other type of January challenge

a go, I hope it was a success!

JOIN US TO CAMPAIGN FOR A LABOUR GOVERNMENT

The chaos this Tory government have inflicted on the country should convince

us all that we need a Labour government as soon as possible. But we can only

achieve that by maintaining our contact with voters, listening to their concerns,

an convince them that our principles and vision can bring the country together.

That’s why I’ll be travelling to Plymouth on Saturday 9 February to campaign for

our excellent candidate Charlotte Holloway, and I encourage all Bristol Labour

members to come and join me.

And here in Bristol, with local elections a little over a year away, it’s vital that we

help local council candidates make contact with voters to ensure we build on our successes here in the city.

In the run-up to this month’s Brexit debates, it’s been invaluable to speak to people across Bristol about their

views to ensure I can represent Bristol West as faithfully in possible in Parliament.

We knock on doors all year round in Bristol, and full training is provided if you’ve never campaigned before (we

also usually convene for a hot drink afterwards!). So come and join us, and I hope to meet you on the

campaign trail soon.

Bishopston and Ashley Down: Saturdays, 11am-1pm, meeting at Sainsburys on the corner of Gloucester

Road and Longmead Avenue

Redland: Sundays, 3-5pm, meet at Sainsburys on the junction of Gloucester Road and Elton Road

Ashley: First Saturday of the month—2pm, Sainsbury’s Local, 2-4 Gloucester Road, BS7 8AE

- Second Saturday of the month— 1pm, Mina Road Post Officer, 84-86 Mina Road, BS2 9XW

- Third Friday of the month—1pm, The Star and Garter, 33 Brook Road, BS6 5LR

- Fourth Friday of the month—1pm, St Paul’s Learning Centre, 94 Grosvenor Road, BS2 8XJ

CASEWORK AND MEDIA REVIEW

JANUARY 2019

OVERVIEW

We have had 66 new enquiries this month. For the first time since 2015 housing enquiries (26%) have

overtaken immigration enquiries (21%). In January 42% of our caseload was dealing with Bristol City Council

enquiries.

I held a busy surgery at the Junction 3 Library where I met with constituents who wanted to discuss a wide

variety of issues including asylum, pavement cycling, mental health provision for students, proportional

representation, housing and employment.

CASEWORK SUCCESSES

We’ve had many successes, including:

Assisting a constituent with a tier 4 visa application

Liaising with the council to repair a drain which was causing significant flooding of a constituent’s home.

Assisting with the application for a child’s first British passport.

Successfully supporting visit visa, spousal visa, naturalisation and leave to remain applications.

Successfully made the case for a specialist Parkinson’s nurse in the North Bristol area.

Expediting specialist counselling for a victim of sexual assault.

Referring a case to the Financial Services Ombudsman which resulted in a significant financial settlement

for a constituent.

Assisting constituents with applications for a Security Industry Authority license.

Expediting a crisis loan application.

MEDIA ROUNDUP

The Guardian interviewed me and several others in

Bristol about Labour supporters’ Brexit views. The Guardian also interviewed me about Bristol

artist Elaine Robinson’s project on unity, which I

also wrote about in my monthly Bishopston Voice

column. My work in Parliament during the key Brexit

debates was covered in BBC News, Bristol Post, ITV

News, Sam FM and The Breeze. The Bristol Post wrote about my views on a second

referendum. The Mail Online covered my comments on abuse

received by MPs such as Melanie Onn. Beyond Brexit, the Bristol Cable interviewed me for

two stories, on rising hate crime and the possibility

of a drug consumption room in Bristol. Last but not least, many of you have contacted me

on my surprise appearance on the BBC 10 O’Clock

News, when I announced the result of one of the

Brexit votes.