The following article originally written by Nickie and appeared in Westminster Extra
It has been a huge honour to be the MP for the Cities of London & Westminster, but it has not entirely been the first year in parliament I was hoping for nor expecting. As 2020 comes to a close, I have been reflecting on the past 12 months. For the first three months I was very much finding my feet; putting together a team and beginning to become more familiar with parliamentary processes.
Within three weeks of the team working together, Covid-19 hit, the country was plunged into lockdown and we continued to learn our roles in isolation. Every workplace has been challenged by Covid-19, but I am incredibly proud of my team’s continuing enthusiasm and hard work. Together we have all come through what has literally been a roller-coaster ride rest of the year, responding to over 11,000 emails and counting. Central London has been hit disproportionally hard by the fall-out from Covid-19. Our businesses have suffered more than most due to their reliance on income from commuters and tourists pre-pandemic.
I have consistently pushed the government to recognise the importance of central London to the whole of the UK’s economy and ensure it secures the support it needs. Given the importance of the eco-system that combines the hospitality, retail and culture and leisure sectors in the Two Cities, I lobbied hard for financial support for all and was delighted with the government’s response with the furlough system, the business rates holiday, cut in VAT, the grants and loans and the Eat Out To Help Out programme. All have helped thousands of businesses in my constituency.
Sadly, not all self-employed people have been supported, and I am acutely aware of those particularly working in the creative and arts industries and I continue to lobby for financial support for those left behind. I am also proud to have been part of the campaign that secured the £1.57billion Culture Recovery Fund.
There has been time for work on non Covid-related areas of policy and legislation. I am proudest of securing an amendment in the Domestic Abuse Bill insuring children are included in the definition of victims, meaning they will receive help and support even if not abused directly but witness abuse. I laid down my first Private Member’s Bill – calling for licensing of pedicabs. I hope, Sir Christopher Chope MP willing, that it will receive the support for it to go to committee stage early next year. I also established back in February a “New Born Baby Screening” campaign to increase the number of diseases babies are tested for in the first week of their lives. Before lockdown the campaign secured positive feedback from the health secretary and I plan to return to this issue next year.
As we look towards 2021, with the first of several effective vaccines approved and beginning to be administered as well as the roll-out of rapid tests, there is hope that we are making progress towards defeating this dreadful virus. There are green shoots of optimism ahead which I hope will see us returning to our pre-pandemic way of life. Whatever my second year as your MP brings, it can surely be nothing like the first. While Christmas may not be as we imagined, or hoped for, I wish you a peaceful and safe yuletide and my very best wishes for 2021.
