Last weekend marked our first 100 days in government, and it was brilliant to mark this with a National Campaign Weekend, it was great to speak to so many residents about the steps Labour has already taken in our first 100 days of Government. In these 14 weeks, we have already made more positive change than the Tories were able to make in 14 years. 

In this short time, we have set up GB Energy, established a child poverty task force, kickstarted work to build 1.5 million homes, introduced a Bill to return rail to public ownership and this is just a snippet of what we have done in this time. For a full list see here. 

After 14 years of division and chaos – austerity, Tory infighting and the mini budget that crashed the economy – we now have a stable, united government for the first time. Our country is once again open for business and if we stick to our plan, then by the end of this Parliament, we will have witnessed one of the most radical and transformational governments in history. 

Labour Conference 

Last month I was incredibly proud to be the first Labour Government Minister to address Party conference in 15 years. The last time was when Harriet Harman closed conference in 2009. All in all, it was a brilliant conference and was our biggest ever. As Party Chair I had back to back engagements for pretty much the whole event! 

I gave the opening and closing speeches, chaired several sessions of conference and a panel on winning the next general election. I also chaired the NEC AGM, spoke at the TULO AGM and the TULO reception, as well as all of the national and regional receptions. 

I also spoke at the Communities reception, the socialist societies reception, CLP Secretaries, GMB staff drinks, the business day lunch, and spoke at length to our sister parties and on a TBI panel on how we won the general election. I also hosted a post speech reception for our international guests and gave out the awards at the Exhibitors reception. 

Finally, I covered a lot of media over the conference period, appearing on Westminster Hour on the Sunday evening (listen here), fielded the post leaders press pack questions and spoke ahead of conference with the Guardian (read here) and a profile interview with the Independent (read here). 

Party Chair 

Aside from all of the work preparing for and delivering conference I have also been involved in a lot of the preparations for our National Campaign Weekend and the recent council by-elections, including getting to Harlow to campaign in the by-election there.  

I have also been closely monitoring the results of the Conservative Leadership Contest. Both candidates are central figures in 14 years of hapless leadership and decline and have already proven they’ve learned nothing from the mistakes that took the Conservative Party to its worst defeat in modern history. 

Serious questions of ethics and integrity have long been raised about Robert Jenrick and you can see my letters to the Electoral Commission and Parliamentary Standards Commissioner about his leadership campaign receiving donations from a company that took a loan from an untraceable firm based in a tax haven here and here.  

Parliament 

A lot of my work these last few weeks has been preparing for the Second Reading of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. This Bill will finally end hereditary peers from sitting in the House of Lords and I was proud to close the debate on the behalf of the Government on Tuesday. In 21st Century Britain, it’s not right that anyone should get a seat in our Parliament by virtue of the family they were born into, see here. 

On Monday, I responded to an urgent question on Ministerial standards in relation to gifts and hospitality. I was clear that this Labour Government are clamping down on Tory ministerial donation loopholes and attacked their record in government, see here. 

Last week we voted to ban No-Fault Evictions and give greater protection to renters by making sure landlords are keeping homes safe. The Tories first promised to end no-fault evictions back in 2019, they never did it. We have begun the process within our first 100 days. 

On Thursday we also introduced the Employment Rights Bill to Parliament, bringing about the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. This key piece of legislation will end exploitative zero hours contracts, fire and rehire practices, give new protections against unfair dismissal from day one on the job and make flexible working the default where practical. 

Last month, I was also delighted to be able to welcome pupils from Forest Hill and Sydenham 6th Form, and Our Lady of St Philip Neri to Parliament and speak with them about my role and answer their questions.  

Community

One of my favourite aspects of being an MP is being able to get out and about in our local community. 

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting Peartree Care Home and join in with the activities they were doing with their residents to mark Black History Month, see here. 

I have also been able to meet with several local organisations such as the Lewisham Police, where I was pleased to learn about the work they are doing with local businesses to crack down on shoplifting. I also met with Southern Housing, one of the largest housing associations in Lewisham West and East Dulwich, to discuss how we can best raise the issues bought to me by local residents. 

One of the issues I have been contacted about most frequently since the General Election is missing and frequently delayed postal deliveries in the SE22 area, therefore I was pleased to be able to visit the Peckham and East Dulwich delivery office to raise this issue with Royal Mail directly.   

While I understand they are seeking to recruit more staff to address the issues, if anyone continues to be affected by late or missing post, please do let me know as I am continuing to monitor this situation closely. 

I was also able to visit Crofton Park Library and meet with the CEO of V22 communities to discuss the challenges they face and their future plans. I was very impressed by the variety of groups who use this facility and in the number of customers even in the short time I was there!     

Thank you for your continued support. 

Best wishes,

Ellie 

Ellie Reeves MP