June 2026 Update
I am pleased to bring you my June 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,
The chaos within the Labour Party reached its crescendo in June. It was always a matter of when, not if, Keir Starmer's premiership would end before the next election - and the answer became clear soon after the result in Makerfield.
It is now a near certainty that Andy Burnham will be unchallenged, paving the way for a coronation before the end of July. Despite having over 400 MPs, the Labour Party has been forced to source its next leader from outside of Westminster.
The direction in which a Prime Minister Burnham will take the Government remains to be seen, but from the lack of scrutiny he's allowed thus far, perhaps even Andy isn't sure of that himself. Time will tell, but please be assured that I will continue to work with colleagues to hold the new administration to account.
Away from Westminster, I have been continuing my regular constituency engagements. In addition to hosting surgeries, I have visited Harrow Crown Court and attended an event in Hillingdon to mark Armed Forces Week. Below, I have also shared updates on Mount Vernon Hospital, Pinner Police Station and my campaign for a banking hub in Eastcote.
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
This month, it was a pleasure to hold surgeries at Café Amici in Pinner and Cofix in Northwood. I'm also grateful to Namaste Lounge in Northwood Hills for being first class first time surgery hosts.
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].
Eastcote Banking Hub update
In response to the closure of NatWest in Eastcote last month, I put forward a case for a banking hub at the Post Office on Field End Road, with support from manager Jay. Regrettably, LINK - the body responsible for ensuring sufficient access to cash - have rejected the application based on the following:
- There remain a number of facilities where residents and businesses can access cash within 1 mile of Eastcote High Street.
- The closest bank – HSBC in Ruislip – can be reached in 4 minutes by train (additional services cannot be recommended where a bank branch can be reached within 15 minutes on public transport).
- There have not been any significant changes in the community since the last review took place.
Following this, I spoke with Adam Wilkinson, Senior Public Affairs Manager at LINK, which was an opportunity to question the extent to which constituency-specific factors had been considered as part of the review process. As expected, there was an answer for everything, and an assurance that all components - including local demographics - had been taken into account.
I am sure that residents and businesses who would benefit from a banking hub will share my disappointment with this outcome. I am keen to hear about your experiences - wherever you are based in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner - with access to cash, business banking and the limitations of post office banking. Please get in touch with my office if you would be willing to share your views.
LINK's response can be read here.
Mount Vernon Hospital
Ministerial Response
Almost two months after challenging the Prime Minister in PMQs on the future of Mount Vernon Hospital, I have received a letter from the Health Minister, Karin Smyth, which can be read here.
It seems to follow the same reticent pattern as previous communications and predictably absolves her and the Department of any responsibility. Of course, this is hardly surprising given the lack of interest from government prior to the urgent care centre closure last year, despite overwhelming support to keep it open.
I want to see local services protected, and I will work hard on behalf of my constituents to secure this commitment.
Cancer Centre Consultation
The consultation on proposed changes to specialist cancer services at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC) closed in March and a full report on that consultation is now available.
There are a number of concerns highlighted around travel and accessibility, as well as the suggestion that some groups - including older people and those with limited mobility - will be more negatively impact by the proposals. This is worrying, particularly in the context of local demographics.
In terms of next steps, the consultation will go through a formal governance process and inform the Decision Making Business Case. This is expected to be reviewed by the end of September.
Residents can be assured that I will continue to engage with the NHS to ensure that views of staff, patients and residents have been properly considered.
Pinner Police Station
In March, I wrote to Sir Mark Rowley about the volunteer-run front desk at Pinner Police Station after City Hall failed to justify the decision to close the service earlier this year.
Residents may recall that this principally related to repair costs, which were said to be a requirement to meet safety and security standards that would enable volunteers to continue to provide a front desk service to the public.
This month, I received a response from the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Frontline Policing Headquarters, Hayley Stewart, which can be read here. It states that no item-by-item breakdown was prepared for the site and that the suggestion of using volunteers to staff front counters – as was already the case in Pinner – was not taken forward based on learnings from other volunteer sites. Candidly, I am unsure whether that provides a satisfactory answer to the questions asked.
However, I did read with interest some of the measures the police are using to engage with the community. This is especially important for older and more vulnerable residents, for whom that engagement and visibility is key. I am interested in what may have been learnt from things like weapon sweeps and community licencing patrols and will be writing to the Met to ask whether there is any available data.
Harrow Crown Court
This month, I had an interesting visit to Harrow Crown Court. It was a great opportunity to see the safety and improvement works that have been undertaken after the discovery of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) in August 2023.
I also had an insightful discussion with members of the Bar about the key issues facing the justice system both locally and nationally. I'm grateful to all for their time and to the Bar Council for arranging the visit.
Also this month:
- Positive news for grassroots sports in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. Haydon School has received a grant from the Football Foundation that, in partnership with Ruislip Rangers FC, will provide a new 3G pitch to support the growth of women and girls’ football locally - an ambition to be celebrated.
- Nower Hill and Haydon schools have been awarded the Department for Education’s Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) for 2026-27. This means that local children will be seeing an improvement to their school buildings, benefiting their education in the long term.
- I caught up with Alex Dewsnap, Chief Executive of Harrow Council, at Caffe Pascucci in Hatch End. We had a useful discussion about a number of local issues, as well as the impact of central government decisions on councils like Harrow.
- I was proud to support the start of Armed Forces Week at the civic centre in Uxbridge, alongside representatives from RAF Northolt, members of the public, the Mayor of Hillingdon and local councillors. This was an important time to honour our service personnel.
In Parliament
Westminster Hall: Brain Cancer
In June, MPs had the opportunity to debate an online petition on brain tumours, which attracted over 100,000 total signatures, including almost 200 of my constituents. I have met several of those constituents over recent years, and I want to pay tribute to their remarkable campaigning despite the exceptionally personal and emotional nature of this topic.
What was clear during the debate is that there is cross-party consensus on this matter and a need to do more to boost research into brain tumours and unlock the funding that has been promised.
While I was unable to make a full speech, I had the opportunity to intervene and ask how we can improve international collaboration. This also allowed me to highlight the excellent work of Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood. It is a crucial and valued service at the forefront of trials and treatments, but it is simply not possible for one single hospital to achieve all the work that is needed.
We must work more closely with international partners to share knowledge and expertise to affect the change we need. You can watch some of my remarks here.
Summer Reading Challenge
I was pleased to show my support for the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge in Parliament, which runs between 20 June and 30 September.
This challenge encourages 4 to 11-year-olds to keep reading during the summer holidays. The event was an excellent opportunity to encourage local children to read and make the best of our brilliant local libraries across Hillingdon and Harrow.
Further information can be found here.
Shadow Update
MHCLG Questions: Business Rates
In this month's session of oral questions, I stood up for our excellent local high streets, which are suffering gravely under this administration.
Since Labour came into power, businesses across the country have been hit with more regulation and higher taxes. When in opposition, the Prime Minister and Chancellor promised to keep taxes low, but quickly reversed that position by raising national insurance contributions and now we have found that over the course of this Parliament, business rates are rising.
The Conservative Party has a fully costed plan to protect our high streets by cutting business rates for 250,000 local businesses. We will introduce a permanent 100 per cent relief up to £110,000 for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses, ending business rates for thousands of them, and delivering substantial savings that can then be reinvested in better premises, more staff and lower prices.
I am proud of our excellent local high streets across Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. So, I asked why the government is failing these businesses and why they won’t act to protect them. You can view my question here.
Westminster Hall: Local Government Reorganisation
Constituents will be aware that I have deep reservations about the Government's plans for local government reorganisation. The top-down reforms will strip people of a genuine local say and allow construction on our precious green belt.
Responding to a Westminster Hall debate this month as the shadow minister, I had the opportunity to raise my long-standing concerns about the purpose of reform, voice the frustration felt by local people as they have been largely excluded from decision-making, and to question the motives of ministerial decision for Strategic Unitary Authorities.
I raised the issue of elected representation for constituents and highlighted the disparity in the level of democratic representation in this country compared to our counterparts in Canada, France, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It is staggering that Labour want to remove more local accountability and representation. I want to ensure that local people maintain their local voice.
I then turned to the sensitive situation we face in the country, I outlined the importance of having credible local leadership to respond to these challenges effectively. Local government is not as the former Minister stated it to be: ‘a delivery mechanism for central government policy’. But rather an opportunity for leaders of neighbourhoods and communities to genuinely affect decision-making and make a difference locally.
I posed a number of questions for the Minister to consider in the hope that we may understand how the new reforms will impact local people and their daily lives. You can watch some of my remarks here.
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
