Christmas 2025 Update
I am pleased to bring you my Christmas 2025 Update. As ever, if you would like to sign up to my mailing list, you can do so on this page or by emailing [email protected].
Dear constituent,
As we approach the end of 2025, it is a pertinent time to reflect on the last 12 months. It has been another catalogue of disasters for the Labour Government, including a failure to deliver promised welfare reform, a sharp increase in small boat crossings and another damaging Budget that has left businesses, workers and families feeling worse off. This is in addition to internal conflict and in all but name leadership bids within the Government itself.
It was also extremely regretful not to have received any support from the Government to safeguard the future of Mount Vernon's Urgent Care Centre. This was one of my personal disappointments of the last year, but I am incredibly proud of the efforts - locally and in Parliament - to save a service that has been invaluable to so many. I secured a commitment to review the decision, and I will continue to hold the Trust to account and ensure that what was promised is honoured.
To end on a more positive note, I am grateful to the residents, businesses, schools and many others I have met this year. To them, and the readers of this newsletter, I extend my best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I endeavour to keep residents updated with my monthly newsletters, but those who would like to see what is going on in between, I encourage you to visit my website or Facebook page.
In the Constituency
Surgeries
I am grateful to the teams at Bucket List Coffee in Eastcote and Café Amici in Pinner for hosting my final two surgeries of 2025.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of this year's surgery hosts, as well as the residents who have taken the time to meet with me over the past 12 months.
If you would like to make an appointment to meet with me at a surgery, or are a business who would be interested in hosting, please get in touch via 0203 545 2462 or [email protected]
Pinner Synagogue Executive and Antisemitism
I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with the Executive and the new Rabbi of Pinner Synagogue this month for a valuable discussion on local and national issues.
While I was reassured to hear the Jewish community in and around Pinner feel supported by local police, there are understandable concerns about the rise in antisemitism, both nationally and globally. Tragically, we saw the most abhorrent manifestation of this take place in Bondi on the crowds who gathered to celebrate the first day of Chanukah. This was nothing short of an appalling act of terror against the Jewish community.
Following the Manchester attack in October, I made it clear that while increased security is absolutely necessary at this time, it should not serve as a long-term solution. Meaningful steps must be taken to bring about fundamental change, fostering greater understanding, cohesion and engagement between all faith communities. Strengthening this on a local level is a priority, and I look forward to working with faith leaders in the new year to achieve this.
In parallel, we must also challenge the ideologies which threaten peace and fuel hatred and violence, and I know colleagues on the shadow front benches are pressing the Government to ensure this is taken seriously. In addition, as co-chair of the APPG on British Jews in Parliament, I actively support the Board of Deputies in their objectives to challenge antisemitism and promote interfaith engagement, and I will continue this work as we enter 2026.
Bishop Ramsey Q&A
It is always a pleasure to visit schools in the constituency. This month, I joined Year 12 and 13 students at Bishop Ramsey to answer a wide-range of questions, from what motivated me to become a Conservative Member of Parliament to international affairs and the economy, which certainly felt as though it was at the forefront of many minds following the Autumn Budget.
I am always pleased to see so many people engaged with what is going on and that is clearly reflected in the questions I'm asked. As ever, I am grateful for the invitation, and I look forward to visiting again in the future.
Jungle Monkeyz: Local Success Story
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is proudly home to many small and medium-sized enterprises. This month, it was great to visit Jungle Monkeyz in Pinner to catch up with CEO Nicolas.
Having spoken with Nicolas during the pandemic about the challenges that he and so many others were facing, it is fantastic to see what he and his team have achieved since then. Jungle Monkeyz 'Golf Adventure' and 'Santa's Grotto' have become additions to Pinner and last year, centres were opened in Shepherds Bush and internationally in Lithuania, providing 42 new jobs in total.
However, Nicolas did share his concerns about the impact of measures introduced by the Labour Government, particularly around employment, energy and business rate costs. Despite the challenges, however, I am really pleased to see Jungle Monkeyz thriving and look forward to seeing what is next.
Michael Sobell House Winter Market
Michael Sobell at Mount Vernon Hospital is invaluable to residents in and around Hillingdon living with serious or terminal illness and their families.
It was a pleasure to attend their Winter Market this month, where I joined the community to raise funds that will help support patients and families cared for by this vital local service.
I also spoke with Chief Executive Officer Jane about the service provided by Michael Sobell and the opportunity to visit and see this work first-hand in the new year.
Christmas Card Competition: Winner Announced
There were so many fantastic entries to my 'Flag for Christmas' card competition this year. As ever, it made my job of choosing one winner and only a handful of runners up extremely difficult.
Nevertheless, I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to Penny, Aged 8 from Northwood College for Girls, on being this year's winner (entry below).
I also commend this year's runners up (also pictured below), who are as follows:
Aarvi, Age 3 - Northwood College for Girls
Arin, Year 4 - St John's
Brij, Age 11 - Reddiford School
Eashvar, Age 6 - Reddiford School
Kabir, Age 8 - St Martin's School
Maja, Age 8 - Holy Trinity CofE Primary School
Mille, Year 3 - Bishop Winnington-Ingram CofE Primary School
Muhaymin, Year 4 - St John's
Siya, Age 6 - Northwood College for Girls
I am grateful to all entrants to this year's competition. I know how much effort goes into the designs, and I am delighted to display them all on my website here.
In Parliament
Employment Rights Bill
Residents may be aware that the Government’s flagship Employment Rights Bill has been receiving scrutiny in Parliament. This poorly thought-out piece of legislation will drive unemployment up and make hiring staff in the UK more expensive.
We know the Government has so far failed to support job creation. This Christmas, there will be 192,000 fewer people in private-sector employment than at this time last year. Devised by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, this union-backed legislation will have a disastrous impact on our high streets.
Speaking on the Bill this month, which you can view here, I advocated for local businesses in the constituency who are struggling to stay profitable. With increasing business rates, energy costs and now employment costs, it is evident that this Government is more concerned with satisfying its union paymasters than local entrepreneurs.
The particular debate I participated in focused on a very specific amendment to this Bill. Having failed to convince Government peers to support this measure, the Government sought to use its sizeable majority to force it through despite the implications.
Prior to this debate, there had been a consensus among opposition parties on this issue. Shockingly, the Liberal Democrats have caved and sided with the Government against British business.
Only the Conservative Party is on the side of jobseekers, wealth creators and local businesses, and I remain opposed to measures in this legislation.
Campaign Against the Heathrow Third Runway
My constituents will have lived with the threat of expansion at Heathrow airport for decades. It is now evident that this Government is seeking to overrule local concerns to force expansion in the most disruptive way.
Residents will have seen that the plans accepted by the Government for the third runway include a tunnel over the M25 and all the disruption that comes with it.
Throughout my time as a local representative both on the council and as an MP, I have worked constructively to oppose these plans. Working on a cross-party basis, local councillors and MPs have successfully managed to halt previous plans, and I was hopeful this alliance might come together again.
I am delighted that both parties on Hillingdon Council, along with the MP for Hayes and Harlington, have been forthright in their opposition. It is disappointing that my constituency neighbour, Danny Beales, has not felt the need to speak on this issue.
Early in the New Year, I have secured a question to the Secretary of State for Transport on this matter. I appreciate that the concerns being raised are multifaceted, and so I will continue to engage with all constituents on this matter.
Shadow Ministerial Update
Urgent Question: Local Elections
The Government has forced devolution on local authorities across the country. They have held local councils to ransom as they forced through a top-down approach to devolution that ironically strips local communities of their voice and power.
Having pushed some of our country’s largest councils into reorganisation, the Government has now taken the decision to suspend elections for the new authorities in 2026. These elections had already been delayed by a year and the Government is now clearly petrified of losing vital Labour seats.
This month, it was announced that all scheduled elections in regions such as Essex, Surrey and Hampshire have been cancelled – leaving voters without their democratic voice.
While we are unaffected in London and our elections will go ahead, the Government mustn’t believe it can do this whenever they please. I secured an Urgent Question this month to push the Government on their plans, which you can view here.
During the Urgent Question, I asked the Minister to provide greater certainty for the areas affected. This is important as residents rely on services provided locally, whether they are children in need of special educational supports, adults who need housing or residents who just need their bins collected.
The Minister was unable to provide any certainty or restore our local government leaders’ confidence in the decisions being made in Whitehall.
Local Government Finance
The Government has now brought forward its funding settlement for local government. This multi-year settlement has been significantly delayed and was published on the penultimate day before the Christmas recess.
The finance statement comes at a time when local authorities across the country are on the brink of financial collapse. Councils are being hammered by this Government’s decisions that have constricted the economy, driven unemployment up and increased the price of running local authorities.
I can see why the Government hoped to sneak out this statement without much fanfare. It deprives areas of their funding, whether they are well-managed councils or failing authorities. In London, boroughs like Kensington and Chelsea will be forced to raise council tax by millions of pounds over the next few years to stay solvent, while Northern towns like Burnley may struggle to sustain the hit.
Councils of all colours have been calling for greater certainty for a number of months now. Given that this is the biggest shake-up of local government funding in a generation, I had hoped that the Government would provide greater support and information for councils.
Having forced the Minister to come to the House of Commons for scrutiny, I outlined their Government’s failings in this respect and asked simple questions that any Minister should be able to answer.
I was disappointed that the Minister chose to turn this into a political debate and failed to answer the questions I put to her.
As ever, my office is on-hand to support those who need it. If you require any assistance over the festive period, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Once again, I wish all readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kind regards,
David
