Stephen presses Foreign Secretary on Somaliland independence

Stephen has written to the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, outlining the case for recognising Somaliland as an independent state. The letter followed a debate in the House of Commons.

Stephen has long-supported Somaliland in its struggle for international recognition. In the thirty years since its declaration of independence, the country has shown itself to be capable of running itself as a democratic nation state. It has established its own currency, held free and fair elections, and formed successive Governments.

In his letter to Liz Truss, Stephen noted that Somaliland has been held back by its union with Somalia, and its lack of international recognition. He pointed out that the country has been able to hold free and fair elections, establish its own currency and form its own Government.

Speaking about his letter, Stephen said: “The lack of international recognition has caused problems for Somaliland. They have not been afforded a voice when it comes to fighting global warming, an issue it is greatly affected by. Somaliland has also been barred barred from the international institutions and forums where states interact. This in turn prevents it from accessing grants or loans from the World Bank, the IMF, or the UN. 

“It is arguably now more representative of a functioning nation state than Somalia itself! I hope the Foreign Secretary will agree with me.”

Stephen visits Newham Community Project

Stephen has visited Newham Community Project which is helping families who are struggling because they have the No Recourse To Public Funds condition attached to their visa.

The No Recourse To Public Funds condition means individuals are unable to claim most benefits, tax credits or housing assistance that are paid by the state. These include: income-based jobseeker’s allowance; income support; child tax credit; universal credit; working tax credit; child benefit; and housing benefit. Last year, a report by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants found the that policy was pushing families into “abject poverty” and forcing them into unsustainable debt and into homelessness or unsafe, overcrowded, insecure housing.

Newham Community Project has seen a stark increase in the numbers of families accessing food banks – with a huge increase over the last eight weeks. The charity estimates that it gave out over 500 winter food parcels already this week. The foodpacks contain essential groceries such as fruit, vegetable bags, bread, eggs and milk. Those with young children are also given nappies, baby toiletries and baby food.

Speaking after the visit, Stephen said: “I have repeatedly pressed the government to lift the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ restriction – which prevents many families who live and work legally in the UK from claiming Universal Credit if they have to stop work – for the duration of the pandemic. I applaud Newham Community Project. But it can’t be right for the government to wash its hands of the fate of so many young people.”

Stephen’s comments were echoed by Elyas Ismail, Chief Operating Officer, Newham Community Project, who said: “Hunger and poverty remain very much at large, and we provide food and necessities to help support those with no recourse to public funds, facing vulnerability and destitution. Organisations like Islamic Relief UK make this possible.”

Stephen forces publication of DWP report

Credit: Jakub Pabis, Unsplash

The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, has repeatedly asked the Department for Work and Pensions to public research it commissioned from the National Centre for Social and Economic Research (NatCen) on disabled people’s experiences of the benefits system.

The DWP received the evidence in September 2020. The Work and Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, has previously said she had “no intention” of publishing it because she was “protecting a private space for policy development”.

According to the Government’s protocol on publicly funded social research, the report should have been published before the end of 2020. The Work and Pensions Select Committee has now used its powers to order NatCen to hand over to it a copy of the research, so that they can publish it.

Speaking about the development, Stephen said: “After repeated obstruction from the Secretary of State to keep from public view a piece of work that falls within the Government’s own protocol for publication, we have reached the end of the road.

“We would have much rather the DWP had done the right thing and published the report itself, so it is with regret that we must now take the highly unusual step of using our parliamentary powers to obtain a copy from NatCen and publish it ourselves. We have been forced to do this to ensure that the reality of disabled people’s experiences of the benefits system can see the light of day.”

Stephen presses Government on compensation for unpaid benefit claimants

Stephen has spoken in Parliament on ensuring benefit claimants who were affected by processing errors at the Department for Work and Pensions are fully compensated.

In 2018, the Department for Work and Pensions was forced to pay arrears to 118,000 people, after it emerged that there was an error in benefit transfers. The Public Health Service Ombudsman has recently released a report on a complaint from one claimant, who is seeking further compensation following the error.

On 13 January, an urgent question was raised in the House of Commons: "to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will make a statement on the historic underpayment of benefits to 118,000 benefit claimants and their plans for compensation." During the debate, Stephen raised the physical and mental toll this error has had on victims and asked if interest payments would be included in compensation. He also invited the Department for Work and Pensions to report back to the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which he chairs.

During the statement, Stephen said: “in this particular report, the Ombudsman has found that the failing had a “severe effect on [the claimant’s] existing mental and physical health problems.” No doubt the same would have been true for quite a number of the other 118,000 people affected, so will the Department proactively work out who should be getting compensation?”

You can watch Stephen’s full contribution, and the Minister’s response, below.

Stephen raises plight of leaseholders trapped in unsafe buildings

During a statement to the House of Commons on 10 January, Stephen pressed Michael Gove - the Secretary of State for Housing - on the Government’s plans to support those trapped in unsafe housing.

The Government has announced new plans to help protect leaseholders trapped in dangerous buildings. Developers will now be made responsible for the costs of removing flammable cladding. During his statement, Michael Gove confirmed that building firms will now be expected to fix dangerous cladding in buildings higher than 11m by March.

It remains unclear whether leaseholders will still be expected to shoulder the cost of other fire safety defects and interim measures, such as firebreaks, alarms and waking watch personnel.

Stephen pressed Michael Gove on this during his statement and asked “will the Minister spell out how the statutory protection he has announced will help leaseholders in developments like Waterside Park, built by Barratt in my constituency, where there is not a cladding problem, but the apartments have become valueless because of other serious building defects?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Minister’s response, below.

Stephen presses Government on Afghan citizens resettlement scheme

On Thursday 6 January, Stephen spoke in the House of Commons about family reunion in the UK for those fleeing persecution and danger in Afghanistan.

Following the withdrawal of NATO troops in Afghanistan last summer, the Taliban have returned to power and the UK concluded its evacuation flights from Kabul shortly after. On 18 August, the UK Government announced that the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme would be established to allow those "who have been forced to flee their home or face threats of persecution from the Taliban" to "set up home in the UK permanently." Through the scheme, the Government aims to help 5,000 Afghan nationals resettle in the UK in the first year, and 20,000 Afghan nationals in the long-term.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the Minister for Afghan Resettlement - Victoria Atkins - announced the opening of the scheme. Stephen asked her to ensure Afghans coming to the UK are placed near their families.

Speaking in the chamber, Stephen said “will every effort be made to place people arriving from Afghanistan who do have close family here wanting to help them, in temporary accommodation close to their relatives?”

You can watch Stephen’s full question, and the Minister’s response, below.

Stephen congratulates co-founders of Money A+E on MBEs

Stephen has praised Greg Ashby and Jerry During, the co-founders of MoneyA&E, after they were awarded MBEs for services to Disadvantaged People and Social Enterprise in the New Years Honours list.

MoneyA&E - which began in 2011 - provides a free expert one-to-one debt, benefits and money advice service. It also offers money management workshops for young people and adults to build long-term financial resilience.

Greg and Jerry were inspired to set up MoneyA&E by their experiences of debt and exclusion when growing up in Newham. The pair were motivated to become money advisors after observing that East London had few organisation which helped residents effectively manage their money. Thanks to their efforts, MoneyA+E’s service reached 1,629 people last year, supporting individuals to manage £2.7 million of debt. They also put £526,000 back into the pockets of those struggling financially.

Speaking about the honours, Stephen, who is a member of MoneyA&E’s advisory board, said: “I am delighted that Jerry and Greg have been honoured in the New Year list.  Their awards are well deserved, reflecting hard work and tireless commitment. 

“Recognising a pressing need, they have built MoneyA&E from scratch into an institution benefiting our whole community.  The MBEs are a feather in Newham’s cap too.”

Stephen raises benefit levels with the Government

During Work and Pensions oral questions on Monday 13 December, Stephen pressed the Minister on support for low-income and out of work families.

Polling from YouGov shows that one in ten Brits say they could not afford a £5 per month increase in their cost of living - or £1 a week. During oral questions, Stephen explained that the cost of living is increasing, which is proving to be most difficult for families affected by the £20 a week Universal Credit cut, which he has long campaigned against.

Speaking in Parliament, Stephen asked the Minister “with prices rising so fast, is not the social security safety net now just too low?”

You can watch the full exchange below.

Stephen presses Government on visa fees

On Tuesday 7 December, Stephen spoke in the Nationality and Borders Bill debate on the cost of citizenship in the UK.

The Government has introduced the Nationality and Borders Bill to Parliament. Stephen signed New Clause 8, which would stop the Home Office from charging fees that exceed the cost of processing a citizenship application for a child.

In the debate on the Bill in the House of Commons, Stephen highlighted the current costs of applying for British citizenship which, at £1,330, are nearly four times the cost to the Home Office of processing the application.

Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “for 10 years, [migrant families] get no child benefit, even if the children are British citizens; no Universal Credit if somebody loses a job; and no free school meals if the family hits hard times, prior to the pandemic. That is the hostile environment for law-abiding, hard-working migrant families, which is why families are so worried about what is in this Bill.”

You can watch Stephen’s full speech below.

Stephen urges Government to tackle online scams

On Thursday 2 December, Stephen spoke in the House of Commons on pension scams and urged the Government to act.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, has reported back on its inquiry into pension scams. The Committee heard evidence from a number of different people and organisations, including the Pension Scams Industry Group, who have estimated that £10 billion has been lost to pension scams by 40,000 people since 2015.

During the Backbench Business debate on Economic Crime, Stephen raised this issue in Parliament. He urged the Government to include paid-for scam advertisements in the Online Safety Bill, which is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny.

Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “if [the law] is not changed, crooks will continue to ruin the lives of thousands by advertising scams online. That would be an unforgiveable failure of Government.”

You can watch Stephen’s full speech below.

Stephen: "Cuts to the DLR would be devastating"

Credit: Amir Toossi, Unsplash

Stephen has joined five other Labour MPs in warning the government that the future of London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) could be under serious threat unless a sustainable funding deal for Transport for London (TfL) is agreed.

The six MPs, all Labour members in East or South East London constituencies, wrote to transport secretary Grant Shapps yesterday. The letter stated “…some of the [DLR] trains are now close to 30 years old” and that failure to give TfL a long-term deal means “…there is a risk that the existing contracts for new trains may have to be unpicked”.

TfL has received four short-term bailouts worth more than £4bn from central government since the start of Covid-19. The first came after revenues fell by more than 90 per cent during the first lockdown. The latest funding package runs out in five days.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, echoed the calls of Stephen and his colleagues. He warned that TfL services will likely need to be cut if a deal cannot be agreed.

Having sent the letter, Stephen said: “These cuts would have devastating effects on the DLR and the East London communities that rely on the network. I am particularly concerned about what it would mean for residents in the Royal Dock, where the DLR is the main transport option.”

Stephen criticises Windrush Compensation Scheme

Stephen has criticised the Windrush Compensation Scheme after it was revealed that only 5% of Windrush victims had received compensation.

The Home Affairs Select Committee today issued a damning report on the Scheme. They called for it to be taken out of Home Office control.

The report found that the compensation scheme, for which up to 15,000 people were expected to qualify, had compounded injustices faced by the Windrush generation, with some applicants saying the process has become a source of further trauma rather than redress. The Committee discovered that twenty-three eligible applicants have died before getting a payment, the committee found.

The new report identified a “litany of flaws in the design and operation” of the compensation scheme including an excessive burden on claimants to provide documentary evidence of the losses they suffered. Claimants faced a "daunting application process", "unreasonable requests for evidence" and were "left in limbo in the midst of inordinate delays", the MPs said.

Following the publication of the report, Stephen, who Chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Immigration Law and Policy said: “In March last year, the Home Office published the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. It highlighted – very starkly – some of the deep problems which were pervasive in the Home Office. In the Foreword, the Home Secretary made some encouraging promises.

“Today’s report by the Home Affairs Select Committee shows that little has changed. Many of the Windrush victims are still being penalised by the systemic culture of failure in the Home Office. They are being asked to provide evidence via an onerous and lengthy application process which is causing great hardship.

“I remain hopeful the government will introduce a similar scheme to compensate victims of the Toeic scandal. However, the apparent indifference by Home Office Ministers to improve the current system is troubling. I hope any scheme that is devised is more flexible and efficient than what the Windrush claimants have had to endure.”

Stephen signs EDM on Afghan resettlement

Credit: Hansard

Stephen has signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) about the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. The EDM urges the government to get the scheme up and running without any further delays.

The Afghanistan Citizen’ Resettlement Scheme is a new route opening for the resettlement of Afghan refugees, prioritising those most in need including women, girls and children given their particular vulnerability.

Having signed the EDM, Stephen said “I am deeply frustrated that the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme has still not opened for applications, despite being first announced on 18 August.

“I have pressed the Home Secretary on a number of occasions to give a date as to when the scheme will start accepting applications. I have not received an answer. This is hugely frustrating for my constituents who have family stuck in Afghanistan.” 

The full text of the EDM can be read here.

Stephen presses Government on state pension levels

On Monday 15 November, MPs debated the Lords Amendments to the Social Security (Uprating of Benefits) Bill. Stephen spoke in the House of Commons on the value of the state pension.

The Government made a manifesto commitment in 2019 to maintain the triple lock, under which pensions rise each year in line with average earnings, inflation, or by 2.5% - whichever is higher. However, the Government has since introduced legislation to disapply the triple lock for the financial year 2022/23. It has cited the forecasted 8% rise in average earnings as the reason for this.

The House of Lords amendment to the Social Security (Up-Rating of Benefits) Bill would have reinstated the triple lock, which the Bill has made redundant. The Lords amendment would have allowed the Government to adjust the earnings-linked increase to account for the aftershock of Covid-19.

Stephen backed the amendment, but it was voted down by the Government.

Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “It is quite likely, depending on the increases in prices and earnings next year, that the state pension will never catch up with earnings in the future, unless there is a catch-up initiative of some kind…if there is not, then that will be contrary to the Government’s long-held intention that the state pension should at least keep track with earnings.”

You can watch Stephen’s full speech below.

Stephen endorses 2022 Social Mobility Foundation Programmes

Credit: Štefan Štefančík, Unsplash

Stephen has welcomed the launch of employer and sector insight programmes, run by the The Social Mobility Foundation (SMF).

The SMF looks supports ambitious young people from low-income backgrounds to access top universities and professional careers. Their new programmes - which are free of charge - include mentoring, internships with top companies, university application support, and skills workshops.

The charity provides support in 11 professional sectors, including Law, Medicine and Accountancy. Students apply to join the programmes in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (Northern Ireland) and S5 (Scotland). Support continues from this point throughout university to help young people obtain graduate jobs.

Applications are now open for the 2022 programme. More information and the closing dates can be found here.

Stephen presses Government on unemployment support levels

During oral questions to the Department for Work and Pensions on Monday 8 November, Stephen asked the Minister why unemployment support is at its lowest level in over 30 years, in real terms.

At the end of September, the Government reduced Universal Credit by £20 a week. According to independent research, this is costing six million families an estimated £1,000 a year and support for those out of work is at its lowest level in decades.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen asked the Work and Pensions Minister, “why has the level of unemployment support been set at this historically, extremely low level?”

You can watch Stephen’s full contribution, and the Minister’s response, below.

Stephen congratulates local charity walkers

Stephen has congratulated a local family who have completed a 55km walk in support of the mental health charity, MIND. The walk – which took fourteen hours to complete – raised over £3,000.

The Alaudin family from East Ham resolved to undertake the walk for charity after seeing friends and family struggle with mental health problems, particularly over lockdown.

The walkers – who were aged between 13 and 42 – undertook a number of training walks prior setting off for Woking earlier this week. They aimed to raise £1,200 but their current donations have totalled £3,200. Some of the group suffered injuries along the way, but refused to give up. They eventually arrived in Woking and were met by a jubilant group of local residents who had been monitoring their progress.

The group’s organiser, Shafiq Abidin, said: “Mental health is a topic which still generates a lot of stigma, both in silence and out loud. This is especially true in the Asian community, where the pleas of many that are suffering in silence are still being ignored.

We wanted to participate in a charitable cause that we thought could accumulate a meaningful amount of money for MIND. I am glad we did it, even if we did have to fight through the pain barrier to do so!”

After speaking to the group outside East Ham Town Hall, Stephen said: “The pandemic and social distancing measures have had a profound effect on the people’s mental health, and particularly in East Ham. The pressures that have been placed on those already suffering from mental ill health cannot be underestimated, and we must do our best to help.

“I congratulate the Alaudin family on completing such a gruelling walk. They have raised a huge amount of money which will, no doubt, go some way to helping those who are struggling with mental health problems in our community.

“It is not too late to make a donation – I made one earlier this week – and would encourage others to do so!”

Should you wish to donate to the group, then you can do so here.

Stephen leads debate on adult dependent relatives

On Wednesday 3 November, Stephen led a debate in Parliament on adult dependent relative visas.

In 2012, the Government made significant changes to the immigration rules which made it harder for British nationals to bring their elderly parents or grandparents to the UK to care for them. Family members are only permitted to stay in the UK if they can demonstrate that they require a level of long-term personal care that their home country cannot provide.

Before the rule changes, thousands of applications for adult dependent relative visas were approved. In 2016, the Home Office reported that, in 2010, 2,665 applications for adult dependent relatives were successful. After the changes, in 2014, only 723 were successful. In 2017, the Home Office did not issue a single adult dependent relative visa.

Stephen led a Westminster Hall debate on this matter, to highlight the impact of this immigration policy on healthcare professionals in particular. He told the story of one doctor, a British National based in Birmingham, who came from India in 2004 to train as a GP. He lost his father to Covid-19 in India earlier this year. His 70-year-old mother wants to join him here, but is being prevented from doing so as she does not qualify for an adult dependent relative visa.

Speaking in the debate, Stephen said “there is no justification for forcing committed, dedicated NHS doctors to choose between their work and their home in the UK, on the one hand, and their deeply felt duty to their elderly parents on the other, to support and care for them in difficulty and in old age. Will the Minister commit today to review this unfair policy?”

You can watch Stephen’s speech, and the Minister’s response, below.

Tribute to David Amess

David was a kind and generous man.  His wife and children have my deepest condolences. He was committed to his constituency in Southend, and gave his life - tragically and appallingly - in serving his constituents. Members of Parliament must always be accessible to their constituents, as David was.

David also loved Newham.  He was born in Plaistow and grew up in Forest Gate, where his mother lived until her death, aged over 100. David was proud of his old school, St Bonaventure’s - an excellent Catholic boys’ school when he was there, as now - and was known to wear his  school tie in the House of Commons. He used to visit the school often.

He stood for election to Newham Council in 1974 and 1978.  He wasn’t successful, but, despite party differences, always took a supportive interest in the Council.  When I was Council Leader, trying to persuade the Conservative Government to bring the Channel Tunnel Rail Link through a station in Stratford, he was our one committed and unwavering ally on the Government benches. His contribution was crucial to the success of the campaign, which led on to London hosting the 2012 Olympics with the stadium at Stratford, and to the regeneration under way now.  Newham has lost a great friend today.

T: 020 7219 4000 | E: Email stephen here