November 2025 Update
I am pleased to bring you my November 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,
This month, the Chancellor finally delivered her Autumn Budget following weeks of speculation, indecision, U-turns and leaks. The final result was as expected, with hardworking people set to suffer the consequences of poor decisions, financial mismanagement and a failure to control the Labour backbenches.
Of course, the blame is being firmly directed at the 'inheritance'. The Chancellor seems to forget that she already used that excuse last year - in her own words, it was a 'once in a parliament budget to wipe the slate clean'. What has followed, therefore, has been entirely of her own making, and I don't believe the multitude of excuses we continue to hear are washing with the public. Not least because the Chancellor has been accused of misleading the public in the run-up to the Budget.
Over the last 16 months, Labour has introduced tax and policy changes that have driven up costs for businesses and squeezed household finances, and I understand the challenges this has thrown up for so many locally. So, while we hoped for a Budget that restored confidence, we instead received another £26 billion tax grab, downgraded growth and productivity forecasts, and further damage to investor confidence in the UK- at a time when we can least afford it.
In the constituency, I have continued my regular engagements, including weekly surgeries and visits to schools and community groups. The campaign to reopen the Urgent Care Centre at Mount Vernon and save the front desk at Pinner Police Station have continued, 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
Mount Vernon's Urgent Care Centre: Letter to the Chair & Health Survey
Last month, I wrote to the Chair of the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust, Matthew Swindells, about the Urgent Care Centre impact review that was promised prior to its closure.
I have since received a response, which fails to provide much detail and seems very much to say 'nothing to see here'. It references early data that suggests 'the transition has been safely managed' and outlines the indicators being used to monitor the impact.
One of these was 'patient experience' which stood out to me, particularly in light of the anecdotal feedback I have been hearing from residents who have been required to use local A&E services or the Pembroke Centre and do not feel as though they are filling the gap left by the closure at Mount Vernon.
I have therefore written a follow-up letter asking for further clarity and detail on how the patient experience data is being collected. You can read both this and the initial response from the Chair here.
A reminder that my health survey remains open until 12 December and is a chance for residents to have their say. You can respond to that here.
Campaign to Save Pinner Police Station: Letter to the Mayor & Survey
The campaign to save the front desk at Pinner Police Station has continued. This month, it was a pleasure to meet with one of the brilliant volunteers, Maxine, at my Pinner surgery. The first-hand examples she shared demonstrate just how valuable this service is, particularly for older and more vulnerable residents.
Safety and security have reportedly been given as reasons for the closure, but I have some concerns with the transparency around this. It is a really important point, especially given the growing feeling amongst residents that their voices are being ignored when local decisions impacting local people are being made.
Volunteers have been told that £600k is required to make the necessary changes, which is simply unaffordable for the Met. When questioned, however, they have been unable to provide clarity around how the total of £600k has been reached. I know Cllr Susan Hall, in her capacity on the GLA, has pressed the Mayor for an answer, and I have now also written to him on this matter. You can read a copy of that letter here.
Local councillors are continuing to lead the campaign to save Pinner Police Station. If you would like to sign the petition, you can do so here.
Surgeries
I have continued to meet with constituents at my regular surgeries this month, and I am grateful to the teams at We Love Coffee in Harefield and Vito's Café in Ruislip for hosting me.
I would also like to thank The Pinner Table on Marsh Road for being excellent first-time hosts, 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]
Remembrance Day 2025
I am always honoured to take part in Remembrance Day commemorations and this year has been no different.
In Parliament, I continued the tradition of planting a cross in the Constituency Garden of Remembrance on behalf of residents in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner to pay tribute to those who served in the UK and Commonwealth Armed Forces.
Locally, I attended Remembrance Day services in Pinner and Harefield and on Armistice Day, I joined council colleagues in Ruislip to honour the two-minute silence.
It is so important to remember those who served and sacrificed. We will never forget them, or those who continue to serve our country.
UK Parliament Week 2025
UK Parliament Week takes place annually in November and is an opportunity for younger people to learn more about our democracy.
I am delighted that this year, 38 organisations in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner signed up to take part, from schools to care homes to volunteer groups. As always, I wrote to these organisations hear more about their planned activities and how I can help support those.
I had a jampacked constituency attending sessions at Pinner High, Newnham Junior School in Eastcote and Haydon School in Northwood Hills. I met with pupils to answer their wide range of questions – from my motivation to work in politics to the economy – and it was great to see so many young people engaged.
I was disappointed not to be able to attend the event with Ruislip Explorers, as well as the Eastcote Scouts. However, I did send a video to thank them for taking part, and I hope to be able to meet with these groups in the near future.
I am grateful to all for taking part this year.
Tesco Winter Food Collection 2025
It is always a pleasure to join the team at Tesco in Pinner Green to show my support for the Winter Food Collection, which took place between 27 and 29 November.
Speaking with the in-store team and volunteers, I was interested to hear how their work helps to support the most vulnerable in our communities, as well as the other initiatives Tesco has in place. I am really grateful to all for their efforts.
In Parliament
Supporting residents in Parliament: FirstPort and Colne Valley
As Member of Parliament for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, one of my primary duties is to advocate on behalf of residents in Parliament. This can mean working cross-party on campaigns that impact residents at a wider-than-constituency level.
An example of this is FirstPort. My office has managed a number of cases on behalf of residents who are dissatisfied with the property management company. This feeling is clearly shared outside of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and so this month, MPs representing a range of constituencies had the opportunity to question FirstPort's Managing Director, Martin King.
The issues raised largely reflected those that had been raised with my office, including service charge fees, lack of transparency, poor communication and conveyancing. While FirstPort claim to be making improvements, it is clear that residents are not quite seeing the results, and I will be meeting with the regional coordinator in the constituency in the new year to discuss further.
The protection of Colne Valley Regional Park has also been a long-standing campaign and, since my election, I have worked alongside parliamentary colleagues Joy Morrissey and Gagan Mohindra to safeguard its future. With the Government's desire to weaken greenbelt protections in order to export housebuilding to the London suburbs, this is even more pressing.
Residents may recall that prior to the summer recess, there was an adjournment debate in Parliament on the need for the park to be granted enhanced protections and highlighting the risks of overdevelopment. Responding to the debate, the Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook, agreed to meet with impacted MPs to discuss how we can work together to protect this valued local asset.
This month, a group of cross-party colleagues met with the Minister. I am encouraged by what was discussed, and I am hopeful that he will engage further with MPs so that we can secure the protections that the Colne Valley deserves.
APPG on British Jews
This month in Parliament, members of the APPG on British Jews re-elected me as co-chair. I am delighted to continue my role with this important parliamentary group on behalf of my Jewish constituents. In this role, I am now joined by Dr Peter Prinsley, the MP for Bury St Edmunds and a long-standing advocate for the Jewish community here in the UK.
During the same meeting, we heard from the former Director of BBC Television, Danny Cohen. Mr Cohen told the assembled parliamentarians of the systemic problem of bias facing the corporation and how it can be addressed. In the wide-ranging discussion on the landscape for Jews in media and culture, feeding into the APPG’s work on antisemitism. Mr Cohen warned:
“Until it [the BBC] cleans house and addresses issues with biased reporting, poor due diligence, and open antisemitism at BBC Arabic, it will continue to face a crisis of credibility.”
During the same meeting, parliamentarians heard from the Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg. The President discussed the impact that the Heaton Park attack has had on British Jews while he suggested key measures needed to tackle antisemitism.
I am delighted to continue my work with this APPG to highlight the impact of antisemitism in the UK. It is important that we not only support British Jews but also to celebrate their contribution over the centuries to British society.
Farm Retail Association Drop-in
Farms in outer London are constantly adapting to changing consumer patterns. Residents will be aware that some of the farms we are fortunate to have in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner are operating as retailers in their own right, offering roadside stalls, hospitality and direct supply to local cafes.
This month, it was a pleasure to meet with the Farm Retail Association in Parliament. The organisation represent farms across the country that operate on-site shops. Over the last few decades, it has sought to support farms that preserve and protect our natural world. Buying from local farms not only supports farms, but also local jobs and the environment.
I was delighted to be able to share the work being done by local farms who have divested into the industry and show my support for their work.
Shadow Ministerial Update
MHCLG Questions: Homelessness
In the first sixteen months of this Labour Government, we have seen a sharp increase in homelessness and rough sleeping. This is particularly acute in London and the south-east, which is largely the fault of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who has failed to build the necessary housing our capital needs.
The demands on London’s boroughs to provide temporary accommodation has risen exponentially. At the same time, housebuilding in the capital has collapsed due to the burdens being placed on developers by our disastrous Mayor.
During this month’s oral questions session, I pressed the Government on this issue. I asked the Minister responsible whether the Government will help alleviate the plight of councils who are under immense strain by removing the restrictions placed on the use of the homelessness reduction grant.
I was disappointed that the Minister continues to delay the publication of their homelessness strategy. Simultaneously, the Government will reduce the funding given to many of our councils at the forefront of this crisis.
Planning & Infrastructure
The Government has struggled to get its Planning and Infrastructure Bill through Parliament. Rebellions on the Government backbenches and reasonable suggestions from the House of Lords have meant that the Labour administration has had to delay its introduction.
In the House of Commons this month, the Bill returned from the House of Lords, where the Government faced several defeats. The Opposition has routinely suggested sensible amendments that would have ensured that infrastructure is delivered swiftly, that value is added to communities through development and that the market is allowed to build the homes we desperately need. These amendments were necessary because, as it stands, the legislation will fail on all three metrics.
During my speech in this debate, I not only discussed these issues, but I also alluded to the very real debates we have had in the constituency. One such debate was the protection of chalk streams, such as the River Colne, which runs along the border of my constituency. The Conservative Party has sought to create new protections in this Bill for chalk streams, and I was disappointed that the Government did not agree to include such carve-outs in the Bill.
Sadly, it is clear that the Government will use its large majority to punish first-time buyers, homeowners and homebuilders. The Bill will now return to the Lords for a final round of debate, but I expect that the Government will not move its position.
English Devolution Bill
Following our detailed scrutiny in October, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (EDCE) came back before the House of Commons this month. I have been warning about the impacts of this Bill, and I regret to say that the Government has not listened.
From the outset, I set out my support for much of the Government’s ambitions. I support their ambition to deliver more homes, I support their ambition to grow the economy, and I support their ambition to deliver true devolution across the country. This legislation, however, stifles house building, strips communities of their voice and increases centralisation.
It is now evident that the Government is seeking to use this Bill to further its ideological goals. Through the legislation, the Labour party will remove councillors, allow unlimited tax rises to support failed Labour administrations and govern communities through Ministerial diktat.
In the debate towards the end of this month, the Conservative Party forced votes on protecting local democracy, protecting residents from tax rises and ensuring homes are built in the right places. Sadly, the Government did not accept any of our reasonable amendments.
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
