June 2025 Update
I am pleased to bring you my June 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,
Another month of U-turns from the Government. First up was the decision to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs. While I welcome this development - which has local relevance because of the long history of work by our local council and police dealing with trafficking through Heathrow - it comes after months of delay, deflection and smearing by the Prime Minister, at great cost to victims. I hope to see tighter safeguards in place and justice for those affected.
Next, we had a series of U-turns on the Government's flagship Welfare Bill. This was a real opportunity to rebalance our welfare system, but instead provided rushed proposals that hit the most vulnerable in society. The events that followed were shambolic. The gutting of the legislation that we saw just hours before the votes is a clear demonstration of the Prime Minister's lack of control over his MPs. The Government has already embarked on higher spending, which they had planned to fund with a savings forecast of £5bn, so this now achieves nothing aside from a blackhole that the Chancellor must fill - a cost that will no doubt fall to constituents in the autumn.
Locally, the campaign to save the Urgent Care Centre at Mount Vernon continues and with the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust unmoving on the recommendation they will be making to the board, residents support is more important than ever. More on this can be found below.
I have also been out and about holding my surgeries, attending community events and engaging with the London Wildlife Trust.
If you would like to keep up to date in between newsletters, I would encourage you to visit my website or Facebook page.
In the Constituency
Surgeries
I have continued to meet with constituents at my regular surgeries. I am grateful to the teams Marjan’s in Northwood, Café Hills in Northwood Hills and We Love Coffee in Harefield for hosting me this month.
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]
Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner Service at Mount Vernon: Update
The future of the Urgent Care Centre at Mount Vernon remains unclear. While the decision sits with the North West London Integrated Care Board (ICB), a recommendation will be put forward by the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust.
In my discussions with Lesley Watts (Chief Executive) and Alan McGlennan (Managing Director) from the Trust, I was given assurances that no decision on the recommendation had been made. I was also very clear about the importance of engagement and pressed for both staff and the local community to be an integral part of a consultation process, so that all the implications of any changes could be clearly considered.
I was therefore deeply disappointed to learn that Lesley Watts and Alan McGlennan told a meeting organised by the Northwood Residents’ Association that they will be recommending pushing ahead with the closure of this much-valued urgent care facility.
It is clear that, despite assurances, there has been no meaningful engagement with staff or the local community ahead of the recommendation decision. This had very plainly already been made by the Trust, leaving no scope for residents' concerns to be taken into account or to shape the recommendation in any way.
Unfortunately, there appears to be an issue with the consistency and transparency of communication from the department, in addition to a fundamental issue with the proposals to move the unit to Hillingdon Hospital's A&E. This coincides with the NHS urging patients to avoid A&E where possible and the Government's 10-Year-Plan, which encourages more out-of-hospital care. The move will deliver more patients, more traffic and more demand on an already over-stretched service.
The decision is imminent, but there remains a lack of clarity on a number of issues. I have therefore written to Executive and Non-Executive directors of the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust for reassurance that the decision is the right one for the Trust, staff and residents, that it is consistent with the 10-Year-Plan for the NHS and that the Pembroke Centre, where some services are meant to be moving, has the capacity to take on the work. A copy of the letters can be read here.
The fight is not over, and I urge residents to support the campaign to keep the pressure on the Trust to reconsider this damaging decision.
London Wildlife Trust and Greenbelt Protections
The protection of the greenbelt is a priority for me both as your MP and in my shadow ministerial capacity.
In June, I met with Richard Barnes from the London Wildlife Trust at Ruislip Lido. We discussed their important work to enhance this popular greenspace and to hear their thoughts on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which returned to Parliament this month.
I was also interested to learn about plans for rewilding London that will help to support the biodiversity that I know is valued by residents. The Government is putting these areas under risk via pieces of legislation such as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and I will continue my work with Hillingdon and Harrow Councils and with colleagues in Parliament to protect these cherished assets.
British Values Day at Whiteheath Junior School
With an interest in education since my time in local government, I enjoy visiting schools around the constituency to meet with staff and pupils.
This month, I visited Whiteheath Junior School to take part in their British Values Day – a visit I have made for the past number of years. We had a lively debate in the assembly, and I took questions on a number of topics about life as MP, Parliament and democracy.
I am grateful to the pupils and staff for their time, and I look forward to visiting the school again in the future.
Care Home Week at The Harefield
It was a pleasure to return to The Harefield Care Home again this month to celebrate Care Home Week, which ran between 16 and 22 June.
Visiting care homes and meeting with staff and residents is one of the most enjoyable parts of my role. It is always a pleasure to hear from those who have lived in the area for a long time about the changes they have seen.
It was fantastic to see the investment that is being put in to support residents and to talk to Rebekah about the role her staff play in making life comfortable for the residents. I am grateful to all for their time.
Opening of Eggholic, Hatch End
I was pleased to attend the opening of Eggholic this month, a new Indian street food restaurant in Hatch End.
We are lucky to have a real variety of restaurants, pubs and cafes across the constituency. Many of these are in Hatch End, and I know that Eggholic will be a welcome addition to the high street there.
Community Events
We are fortunate to have a wide range of community groups across Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner – from resident volunteering groups to charities – there are many different people to meet.
This month, I was grateful to Community Connex for inviting me to their coffee morning at Fairfield Church. For readers who may not be aware, the charity – formerly Harrow Mencap – supports individuals with learning disabilities, autism, mobility issues and additional mental health needs.
There was an enjoyable Q&A session with Community Connex members, supporters, advocates and family members, with plenty of interesting points raised on a variety of both local and national issues. The morning certainly provided lots of ideas for me to take back to Westminster, as well as to colleagues at our local councils.
I have previously met with the Friends of Eastcote House Gardens, a volunteering group who maintain this beautiful greenspace in Eastcote. I was pleased to attend their picnic this month – while the rain meant some of it had to be cancelled, I was pleased to see lots of visitors and the plethora of things to see and do indoors, including a very impressive local history of VE Day.
This month, we celebrated Eid. I was grateful to the Hatch End Islamic Centre for inviting me to their celebrations at the Harrow Arts Centre.
The Orchard Planning Application
There was a welcome development concerning Lidl’s proposals to build a supermarket and car park at The Orchard site in Ruislip this month, after Hillingdon Council’s Planning Committee refused the application.
I know residents will be pleased with this outcome, and I am grateful for the extensive work by the Ruislip Residents’ Association and Ruislip ward councillors, Philip Corthorne, John Riley and Peter Smallwood.
There were a number of issues that contributed towards this decision, notably concerns around the memorial Spitfire, as well the impact of increased traffic on the area.
I welcome this as an excellent outcome for the community.
In Parliament
Asylum Seekers in Hillingdon
This month, I have had the opportunity to press Ministers on providing funding for local authorities to support asylum seekers.
This responsibility is falling disproportionately on London Boroughs like Hillingdon and Harrow. It will not be a surprise to hear that over a third of the total asylum seekers being supported in hotels are in London. Hillingdon alone hosts 3,000 in Home Office accommodation, primarily around Heathrow Airport.
With the Government looking to close Home Office accommodation this parliament, these asylum seekers are being pushed onto local authorities for support. This has caused a shortfall in funding and the bill is falling to residents to pick up.
This month, I have asked the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor and the Minister responsible for local government about this. At every turn, the Government has refused to support local authorities like Hillingdon with further funding, and I am disappointed that the council has been forced to pursue legal action on this matter.
For my part, I will continue to support the council in their campaign in the coming months.
APPG for Migration trip to France
This month, in my capacity as Chair of the APPG on Migration, I joined a cross-party delegation to Calais to deepen our cooperation with French authorities and to gain a better understanding of their work to tackle small boat crossings in the English Channel. These crossings not only endanger countless lives at sea, but they also fuel a growing and costly wave of asylum admissions in the UK—particularly affecting London boroughs like Hillingdon.
Hillingdon is housing approximately 3,000 asylum seekers in Home Office-provided hotels— the most per capita of any local authority and enough to create a £5 million annual shortfall in Hillingdon alone. This exceeds the council’s entire libraries and culture budget. With over 13,000 asylum seekers in hotels across the capital—accounting for over a third of all those in such housing—this pressure is clearly not confined to one borough. Councils face difficult trade-offs: raising council tax, cutting services, or even considering legal action to secure fair funding from the Government.
By seeing the situation on the ground firsthand, our visit aimed to better understand the challenges French authorities face in preventing small boat crossings—and to explore how we can deepen cooperation to tackle the issue more effectively. In Calais, we engaged directly with high-level French border and security officials to explore how joint coastal surveillance systems—like the UK-funded TERMINUS camera network and BELVEDERE video system under the Sandhurst set-up—help detect and deter crossings at source. We also visited frontline teams on Hemmes-de-Marck beach and learned about how France’s OLTIM anti-smuggling units operate in close partnership with their UK counterparts.
By disrupting smuggling networks, enhancing real-time intelligence-sharing, and scaling up joint coastal security, we can prevent these dangerous crossings, save taxpayers’ money, and protect essential local services.
Grooming Gang Inquiry
There has rightly been a lot of focus on the Government’s response to Baroness Casey’s investigation into the Grooming Gangs scandal.
Hillingdon has been at the forefront of protecting children from exploitation and trafficking stemming from Heathrow Airport. During my time on the council and at the Local Government Association, I was closely involved in leading our response to these issues.
I therefore used this month’s statement on Baroness Casey’s Review into Grooming Gangs to ask the Home Secretary about the response of the Government, which can be viewed here. In particular, I was keen to stress the importance of information sharing between investigating authorities and accountability.
I welcome the Home Secretary’s response, where she highlighted the importance of both collaboration and accountability in the upcoming national inquiry.
Situation in the Middle East
I am deeply sympathetic to all the constituents who have contacted me about the evolving situation in the Middle East. The intervention of Israel and the United States to prohibit Iran from procuring a nuclear weapon was welcomed across the political spectrum in Parliament. The escalation, however, did have a personal impact for a number of residents who have loved ones in the region.
In Parliament this month, I raised the case of my constituent who was in Israel at the time of Iran’s retaliatory strikes, and I am glad that they have since been able to safely journey back to their family in the UK. Although the situation does seem to have deescalated, my team are ready to support any constituents who find themselves unable to leave the region, and I would encourage anyone with such concerns to contact my office as soon as possible.
Driven Grouse Shooting
This month, I took part in the Westminster Hall Debate on Grouse Shooting. While I personally have never been grouse shooting, in a constituency where London blends into the countryside, it is part of a wider debate about how we support and engage with our green and pleasant land, and an opportunity to highlight the importance of conserving its character.
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is also home to Holland & Holland, an ancient London gunmaker, which is a source of local employment and a creator of opportunities for young people to take up this sport.
I have a great interest in nature and biodiversity. I am incredibly proud of the natural beauty that is found at the edge of London, and I am keen to ensure that these habitats are preserved for local wildlife. We cannot ignore that many of these habitats have been created by human hands. From chalk streams that are almost unique to the UK such as the Colne Valley, to our ancient woodlands, human management is vital to protect these environments.
Put bluntly, these unique habitats that we take for granted are only possible because of human management. In my view, a responsible approach to animal management is necessary and by abdicating our responsibilities it will only be to the detriment of biodiversity and animal welfare.
A link to the full speech can be found here.
Supporting Pubs
I had the privilege of attending a drop-in with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) in Westminster this month. The BPPA do outstanding work to protect and support our local pubs, and I was eager to show my continued support for their work.
We are fortunate to have many excellent local pubs that often form the centre of our communities. I know that many residents will be enjoying the warm weather with family and friends in a pub garden over the next few months.
The BBPA is keen to raise awareness of the impact of Government policy on our pubs. Sadly, the number of pubs is declining across the country as a result of rising inflation, and the impact of the Chancellor’s fiscal decisions.
Summer Reading Challenge
I was delighted to show my support for the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge in Parliament this month. I was also pleased to see this being promoted in libraries by our two excellent councils in Hillingdon and Harrow. Reading plays a vital role in a child’s development, and I hope children across the constituency are inspired to take part.
Shadow Ministerial Update
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Those that read my update last month will be aware that I was due to sit on the important Planning and Infrastructure Bill Committee as an Opposition Whip. While this meant that my interventions were limited, it allowed me the opportunity to vote against the Government’s plans to bulldoze our greenbelt and pave their way over the concerns of locally-elected councillors.
This is a vital piece of legislation that the committee spent hours pouring through in detailed line-by-line scrutiny. The goal of ensuring more homes are built is certainly admirable, however, I was disappointed by the way in which the Government dismissed the concerns raised by MPs.
During the course of the public bill committee, we debated everything from protection for badgers through to the housing crisis we are seeing in our capital. What came from our discussions was sadly not enough to ensure this piece of legislation is fit to deliver and leaves space for further debate when the Bill returns to Parliament.
High Streets
Residents will know that we are fortunate to have resilient high streets locally. Thanks to careful support from successive Conservative Governments and from Hillingdon and Harrows councils, local businesses thrive across the constituency. Sadly, the current Labour Government’s policies have put these institutions at risk.
Increasing business rates, shirking calls for rates reform and increasing National Insurance Contributions have put these small businesses at risk. I therefore used a question to Ministers responsible for protecting local communities about support for local high streets. Sadly, the Minister declined to offer any reassurances.
This can be viewed here.
Departmental Spending
Estimates Day Debates allows MPs to scrutinise departmental expenditure and ensure that taxpayer funds are being used appropriately. Thanks to the hard work of colleagues on the Housing Select Committee, MPs had the opportunity to discuss local government funding on the floor of the chamber.
While to many this may be an obscure part of our parliamentary system, it is important to remember this affects every person in the United Kingdom. There is a common conception that Local Authorities are just there to collect bins and fix potholes, but the reality is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Councils have extensive budgets that support the most vulnerable in society. Indeed over 70% of a council’s budget is often spent on social services.
This month’s debate comes at a critical time as councils are struggling to finance such important functions. The Budget last year left councils net £1.5 billion worse off and as inflation rises, some are even looking at turning off street lighting to keep the books balanced.
As the Shadow Minister responsible, I had the honour of setting out an alternative, suggesting we provide sufficient funding to councils so that they continue delivering their vital services.
As ever, my office is open and the team are on hand to help. If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Kind regards,
David
