Page 38 - Demo
P. 38
38CITIES OF LONDON AND WESTMINSTER Rachel Blake MPThe first months as your Member of Parliament have been a whirlwind.IN PARLIAMENT I made my Maiden speech, speaking about being a proud Londoner, and what an enormous honour it is to represent your home city. I thanked and paid tribute to Nickie Aiken, the previous MP, for her important and tireless work as a local representative. We are getting stuck into the Bills introduced in the King%u2019s Speech. For example, I spoke in the debate on the Renters Rights Bill, supporting measures to improve recourse to justice for the tenants of unscrupulous landlords, and to bolster tenant rights for families, and those with pets.In September, I led my first debate in Westminster Hall on the regulation of short-term lets. An increased number of short-term lets in small geographic areas hollows out our communities and creates all kinds of practical issues. It can also mean there are fewer homes available for local people to rent, worsening the housing crisis. It was good to hear that the Government are reviewing the options for regulation of short-term lets.At the time of writing the first Budget delivered by a Labour Chancellor in 14 years is just a few days away. That won%u2019t be without challenges considering the economic legacy of the last Government, but it is an important milestone as we begin to deliver change, and improve the lives of residents in the Two Cities and beyond. IN THE COMMUNITY I%u2019ve been out and about in the constituency, taking advantage of our rich civic life. I%u2019ve visited mosques, synagogues and churches, speaking with our community faith leaders about what I can do to support their work on community cohesion and supporting vulnerable people. I%u2019ve spoken to young people about how they can influence politics before they can vote and met various Residents Associations.WORKING FOR RESIDENTS I run a regular series of surgeries at venues across the constituency, speaking to local people on an individual basis about the challenges they face in accessing the support they need.I have written to the Post Office about the closure of their Eccleston Street branch, to the Deputy Mayor of London about the delays in implementing Pedicab regulations, and I have spoken with the senior NHS team locally about investment in St Mary%u2019s hospital and leaders from the City of London and Metropolitan Police about improving safety in our neighbourhoods. I have begun discussions with the Department for Transport regarding the regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters. I also met recently with two companies which provide e-bike and e-scooter hire in London, to talk about what more they could do to prevent dangerous parking. Cycling is a key part of our transport mix, and there is of course a place for new technology in encouraging more people to use bicycles to get around, but they have to be managed in a way that works for the local area. At the moment, that%u2019s not happening, so I will continue to call for councils to have the powers to fine riders who park dangerously, and to fine the companies who fail to remove hazards. It%u2019s a privilege to represent you, and if you ever need to raise anything with me, I can be reached via rachel.blake.mp@parliament.uk