September 2024 Newsletter
Since the election, it has been good to begin the process of delivering the change that people voted for. Back in July, in the Kings Speech we set out an ambitious and mission-focussed agenda for change that will fix the foundations of our public services, restore trust with a service focused Government, and begin a decade of national renewal.
In terms of delivering change, the new Government has already hit the ground running.
We’ve met NHS bosses to get the 40,000 extra NHS appointments we need each week and 700,000 urgent dental appointments up and running as quickly as possible. We’ve lifted the ban on onshore wind. We’ve created a national wealth fund to invest in and grow our economy.
The Department for Education is kickstarting our promise to hire 6,500 new teachers. We’re taking emergency measures to pull the justice system back from the brink of collapse.
And, on day one, we scrapped the Rwanda gimmick and began setting up a new Border Security Command to smash the people-smuggling gangs for good.
Party Chair and Minister without portfolio:
It has been fantastic to begin my roles as Labour Party Chair and Minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office. My role as Chair is to ensure the smooth working between the Labour Party and the Government as we work to deliver on our missions and to ensure that we remain on a campaign footing as a Party, ready to fight the next General Election.
So far I have met with a number of stakeholders across the Labour movement including the Socialist Societies for their AGM. It was great to catch up and thank them for their fantastic support to delivering a Labour government. It was also great to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of London staff, activists, councillors, returning and new MPs at a thank you reception.
At the end of August, I lead the morning media round ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech on how Labour will fix the foundations of our country, I spoke to BBC Breakfast, the Today Programme, Good Morning Britain, Sky News and others. You can see me speaking to Sky News here.
I recently met with Eluned Morgan, the first female First Minister of Wales. I look forward to working with the Welsh Government to deliver the change people voted for across Wales and the wider UK.
I also spoke at the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Congress in Brighton as the Sororal speaker from Labour. It was a pleasure to speak to the Congress and set out Labour’s New Deal for Working People.
I am currently in the process of working on preparations for Party Conference later this month in Liverpool and I hope to see many of you up there.
As Minister without portfolio, I gave my first ministerial statement before the summer recess on the global CrowdStrike IT outage and the immediate steps the new Government took to begin legislating to protect public services and the third-party services they use.
I also had my first Cabinet Office questions. You can see me here speaking about how our New Deal for Working People will highlight the importance of social value and transform the world of work.
Community engagement:
In the 11 weeks since I was elected MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, I have enjoyed being out and about in the local community.
After the election in July, I attended the pre-school graduation at Pitta Patta nursery in Crofton Park to present certificates to the children for reaching this important milestone. It was clear to see that the children loved their nursery.
I’m proud to support and be a member of Lewisham Credit Union in Sydenham, and it was great to visit recently and speak to staff and members about what they do to support residents struggling to get by during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
I also visited both Sydenham and Forest Hill Schools for A-Level and GCSE results day respectively. It was fantastic to see great results across Lewisham West and East Dulwich and students should be very proud of their hard work.
At the end of August, I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Lordship Lane with the Goose Green councillors where we visited some of the fantastic independent shops and heard from retailers about some of the challenges they are facing, and what they would like to see from this Government. I am really proud to have such a thriving High Street in my constituency.
I also visited the much-loved East Dulwich Community Centre. It was great to hear from the team of staff and trustees who run this facility. I was delighted to learn about all of the different classes and activities, and I was very struck by the trustees and volunteers’ dedication to maintaining this space and ensuring it remains accessible to the local community.
In addition, I recently met with Friends of Blythe Hill Fields to hear about their annual festival in the park and their plans to improve biodiversity, including a Community Wildlife Garden and how to ensure the park appeals to people across the local community. I also attended the Peckham Rye fete, a brilliant event for local residents with lots of wonderful food, plant and book stalls for people to enjoy!
I was delighted to visit Little Village Southwark, in Peckham Rye to hear about the important work they are doing to support low-income families with children’s clothes, toys and equipment. While it is disappointing that such a service is necessary, it is heartening to see the community working together to provide these resources.
Finally, I was lucky enough to drop into the Horniman Museum and catch up with the Chief Executive to hear about their exciting and pioneering coral regeneration project – it’s great to see such world-leading research happening in Forest Hill!
Thank you for your continued support
Best wishes,
Ellie
Ellie Reeves MP