January 2026 Update
I am pleased to bring you my January 2026 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,
Never let it be said that January is a quiet month in politics. Despite defections from the Parliamentary Conservative Party, I remain optimistic about its future. There is a renewed confidence under Kemi's leadership, which was evident during her visit to Pinner this month. The encouraging response from passers-by and business owners clearly demonstrates that she has steadied the ship and is steering it in a direction that is being positively received by voters.
Elsewhere, it seems to have taken being banned from their local pubs for Labour MPs to realise the extent of the damage inflicted on the hospitality sector by the Chancellor. It has resulted in yet another U-turn designed to mitigate the impact of changes to business rates, but in reality won't touch the sides. The planned relief will only apply to pubs and so I will continue to work with colleagues to call on the Government to extend support across high street businesses.
In the constituency, it has been a busy month of visits, including a meeting at the Kol Chai Synagogue and attending the opening of the new PureGym in Pinner. There have also been concerns raised about proposals to move the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to Watford General, which you can read more about below.
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 held my first surgeries of the new year this month. In addition to the team at Marjan's in Northwood, I would also like to thank Josa on Joel Street for being excellent first-time hosts. It is always great to see investment in our high streets, and I look forward to returning in the near future.
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]
Mount Vernon Urgent Care Centre Impact Review
Last year, I secured a commitment from the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust to review the impact of the Urgent Care Centre closure at Mount Vernon.
I wrote to Chair of the Trust, Matthew Swindells, to follow this up. His response noted that the 'transfer of services had been safely managed', but appeared to brush over any detail. Considering the feedback from residents, I pressed further on how the impact was being measured, particularly the 'patient experience' the letter cited.
The response I have received, which includes preliminary data, continues with the narrative that all is well. If the information provided is an accurate and complete picture, then it is of course to be welcomed. However, I remain unconvinced, especially by the commitment to transparency, given the process running up to the closure lacked exactly that.
I know residents may have concerns, but rest assured I will continue to scrutinise the data and hold the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust to account.
The letter and provided data can be viewed here.
Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
The East and North Hertfordshire Trust is consulting on proposals to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to Watford General, which I know has caused concern amongst residents.
While I am pleased to see a consultation process - which, as we know, was absent when deciding on the future of the Urgent Care Centre - I remain sceptical. The rebuild of Watford General has already been delayed by this Government with no indication of when work will commence. Furthermore, the current plans do not include a cancer centre, and I am therefore unclear as to what the consultation is really based on.
I am also concerned about seeing another example of the community being ignored and what appears to be the dismantling of services at Mount Vernon will continue. However, I am engaging with the team responsible for the consultation at NHS England imminently, and I will endeavour to keep residents updated.
In the meantime, I would of course encourage you to share your views via the consultation process, where you can also find a list of confirmed consultation dates.
Pinner Police Station
I am disappointed that an FOI request submitted by a resident to the Metropolitan Police has failed to justify the decision to close Pinner Police Station. Volunteers were told that £600,000 was required to meet safety and security standards that will enable them to continue to provide a front desk service available to the public.
In response, the Metropolitan Police have said that 'no item-by-item breakdown has been prepared for this site. The amount quoted in the request was a high-level estimate' and 'no works have commenced or been quoted for at this time.'
I struggle to reconcile this clear lack of knowledge with the imminent closure, which has been confirmed for 28 February. I ask why there is a need to press ahead with it so quickly when basic questions about the costs to keep it open cannot be answered.
Furthermore, it is not surprising that I have still not received a response to my letter sent to the Mayor of London in November. While I don't anticipate it will be particularly illuminating, it requires his attention, and I will therefore be following this up with him as a matter of urgency.
PureGym Opening
This month, I attended the opening of the new PureGym on Bridge Street in Pinner.
I met with Divisional Director Mark who showed me around the facilities and told me about their partnership with Health Hive, a local wellness business on Cannon Lane.
There was also an opportunity to speak with residents. One lady described how being a member of a gym had improved her and her husband’s, who suffers from Parkinson's, physical and mental wellbeing.
I welcome the significant investment in a business that will serve constituents and support improved physical and mental health.
Northwood College for Girls
I was pleased to attend a Student Leadership Conference hosted by Northwood College for Girls, which invited students from a host of nearby schools to take part.
The afternoon session focused on the political landscape, policy development and leadership, and I was interested to engage with each group and to listen to their policy ideas. At the end, they fed back their concepts on things like climate change, house building and international affairs.
As ever, it was great to speak with so many engaged young people, and I am sure we will see many of them enter the world of politics in the future.
Kol Chai Synagogue
This month, I met with Rabbi Naomi at the Kol Chai Synagogue in Hatch End, who led a discussion on citizenship, social cohesion and issues that continue to impact the Jewish community.
As co-Chair of the APPG on British Jews, Migration and a Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, these issues align with my parliamentary work, and so I was pleased to be able to offer my insight and address concerns.
Also in attendance were Ruth Simons and Paul Decker from the Synagogue, as well as Fatma Mohamed, co-founder of charity Nomad, and Froi Legaspi, Lead Organiser at North London Citizens. Both are grassroots charities that seek to address social inequality and effect meaningful change within communities.
We discussed the benefits of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) in overcoming language barriers and improving integration, though provision and a decline in funding are clear concerns. These have in part been addressed by the Immigration White Paper, which sets out more stringent English language requirements for immigration applications, but also promises a simpler way for those already in the UK to access additional help. However, I understand the detail on how improvements will be implemented is limited.
There was also a conversation about migration, pathways to citizenship and welfare access, with an emphasis on child refugees. While it is right that the decision process should be sped up, I believe that relaxing rules around access to benefits would be unfair to the taxpayer. I do think, however, child refugees should be an exception - they already have access to free school meals, for example, a policy introduced under the previous Government, which I was involved in implementing.
More generally, residents will be aware that I have always advocated for an asylum visa system. This would give us greater control over who we allow into the country, ensuring we help those in genuine need while at the same time strengthening grounds for refusing and returning those with no right to be here.
Away from migration, we also touched on concerns held by the local Jewish community, particularly following attacks in Manchester and Bondi, with a promise to meet with members of the synagogue at a later date.
Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride Visit to Pinner
It was a pleasure to host Kemi Badenoch (Leader of the Opposition) and Mel Stride (Shadow Chancellor) in Pinner this month.
We met with PromoVeritas, a global marketing company based in Pinner. Residents may recall that CEO Jeremy Stern and his team were recipients of the King’s Award for Enterprise in 2024, which celebrated the success of a small enterprise built on hard work and dedication.
Despite these accomplishments, however, PromoVeritas – like so many other businesses across the constituency – are facing huge challenges. It is clear that Labour’s national insurance and business rate hikes are creating significant hurdles to growth and investment.
I will continue to work with Conservative colleagues to advocate on behalf of these businesses and to ensure their voices are heard.
In Parliament
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day invites us to remember the six million Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust. The anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is rightly commemorated both locally and in Westminster.
As co-Chair of the APPG on British Jews, I was honoured to deliver a reading at the Speaker's Holocaust Memorial Day service. I Kept on Walking by Mark Hayward reflects on the role of ‘the bystander’ and what can happen in society when hate and discrimination are left unchecked. It reminds us of our collective responsibility, and I was privileged to highlight such a powerful message.
Also in Parliament, I signed the Holocaust Education Trust's Book of Commitment. This is to honour those who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the extraordinary survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
Locally, the Harrow Arts Centre held its annual Holocaust Memorial Day event, which I am sorry to have missed, owing to Parliamentary business.
Future of the British Indian Ocean Territory
Earlier this month, I intervened during a debate on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory. This Government’s much-maligned deal to cede British Sovereign Territory to a state that is allied to our enemies is rightly being exposed by the Conservative Party as the surrender treaty that it truly is.
One unintended consequence is an influx of Chagossian families presenting themselves for support at Hillingdon’s Civic Centre. Since the Prime Minister agreed the deal with Mauritius, Chagossian families fleeing the repressive regime in Port Louis that criminalises them for wanting to live in their country have been arriving in London.
Hillingdon Council is under immense financial pressure as it houses and supports these families fleeing persecution. This, on top of the influx of asylum seekers it needs to support, is putting an incredible burden on the council’s cash reserves.
The Government needs to provide relief for Hillingdon Council, and it could immediately lighten the burden by cancelling their grubby deal with the Mauritian Government.
Transport Questions
Like many residents in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, I rely upon the tube network to get to and from central London. The number of times that the trains have been cancelled or heavily delayed has made commuting difficult and unpredictable. I have a great deal of sympathy with all those who have missed meetings and family events because of the unreliable service in the constituency.
I have regularly raised the state of the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines with the Mayor of London, who is responsible for the services throughout my time as your MP. I am disappointed that the neglect of these lines leaves my residents out in the cold and at the mercy of a few leaves on the line. With the Mayor of London increasing tube fares by 5.8% this year, it is unacceptable for this to continue.
To escalate this matter, I raised this with the Transport Secretary during January’s oral questions. I am glad that the Secretary of State promised to raise my concerns with Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, but I have not had an update from her about these discussions.
Housebuilding in Hillingdon
Under this Labour Government, housebuilding in the UK has collapsed. The burdens placed on housebuilders is unprecedented and rising taxes have effectively killed this important industry. As a result, we are seeing rising house prices, which have unfairly punished the aspirational looking to buy their first home, parents moving into a family home, and residents looking to downsize as they need less space.
In London, it has been the case for quite some time that the homes we need are simply not being built. Over the last decade, housebuilding has slowly fallen under the Labour Mayor. Rather than take responsibility for their failures, London MPs are quick to shift the blame onto others.
I recently became aware that my neighbour had incorrectly attributed the failure to build local homes onto the hardworking local council when the decision rests with the uninterested Mayor of London. Earlier this month, I raised a Point of Order in Parliament to correct the record.
Shadow Ministerial Update
Local Government Association Engagement
It is immensely valuable to have regular engagement with the Local Government Association (LGA).
For those who are unaware, prior to entering Parliament, I sat on a number of LGA committees, which included a time on the LGA Children and Young People Board from 2011-15. Now, as the Shadow Minister for Local Government, I am delighted that the LGA continues to provide a bridge between our team and local government colleagues.
This month, I took part in weekly meetings with local government leaders as the Government continues its botched reorganisation of local government. On top of this, I had the privilege of meeting with an inspiring group of young Conservative councillors from across the country. I was interested to hear about their own constituencies and why they chose to stand up for their residents.
Leasehold Reform
The Government has now realised that leasehold reform is not as simple as they once imagined, and sector experts have criticised the delay in bringing this forward. While there have been some initial announcements, it has become evident that there will still be a lengthy delay before the full Bill is brought before parliamentarians.
I have a great deal of sympathy for leaseholders across London who are facing uncertainty as the Government delays the implementation of its promised reforms. This is part of a broader trend of over-promising and under-delivering.
In the last eighteen months, the Government has botched much of its promised reforms. Local Government Reorganisation has effectively ground to a halt as the Government has delayed council elections across the country, while ripping planning powers away from local authorities.
As Shadow Minister, I asked the Minister about the delay. It is clear from his response that there is still a lot of work to be done behind the scenes before we get a clearer picture of what this legislation will entail.
Planning Consultant Engagement
As part of our policy renewal programme, the Shadow Ministerial team has been engaging with experts on a series of issues. It has been beneficial to speak with businesses who are ultimately responsible for delivering housebuilding projects in the UK.
It is clear that there is a lot of work to be done if we are to increase housebuilding and the delivery of large infrastructure projects. The current Government has not and is not listening to the sector, and I am eager to assure them that the future is bright.
There was some encouraging feedback from those in the room, and there is plenty of appetite for further engagement with the sector.
As ever, my office is on-hand to support those who need it. If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Kind regards,
David
