The psychodrama of a Downing Street presiding over chaos is about to come to an end and be replaced by a government which will bring stability – fixing our public services, investing in skills and jobs for a modern economy and taking strategic decisions on the many challenges facing us at this time.
Despite the climate causing ever more frequent flooding events, and river levels stubbornly high for longer, this week the Prime Minister forced through legislation to expand oil and gas production.
Tone deaf to the pleas at COP28 for a rapid just transition, he is set on propping up the profits of his cronies in the oil and gas sector.
Labour are set on a path to deliver zero-carbon energy by 2030, creating a new generation of green collar jobs and helping us use less, as it retrofits 19 million homes over the next decade.
While mentioning flooding, can I once again thank all those at the Environment Agency, city council and other agencies who spent their Christmas and New Year keeping us safe? It is so appreciated.
How things have changed since Boxing Day 2015. With the vastly improved resilience measures, which I fought hard for in Parliament, and the restoration of barriers, our city can be secure while the rivers rise.
We cannot be complacent, however, and now need a laser focus on upper catchment mitigation to slow the river flow.
This week we have also debated the traumatic situation in the Middle East.
The rising death toll across Israel/Palestine is unacceptable, not least with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza where 1.9 million people (including 893,000 children) have been displaced, 300,000 homes have been destroyed, 22,000 people senselessly killed and 53,600 people injured without the medical support to nurse their wounds as 203 health facilities have been targeted.
Perhaps most worrying of all is that 93 per cent of the population is now facing starvation as the flow of humanitarian aid is hindered from reaching those in need.
Government must do more to deliver aid, utilising the support of the Armed Forces in the region and demanding borders to open so aid can reach all in need.
The Government’s failure to join with the majority of nations in calling for a permanent and immediate ceasefire is enabling the US to justify the continuation of bloodshed. As complex as it is, the politics must change.
Closer to home, it looks like the arts have woken up the need to address the Post Office Horizon Scandal, which served such injustice to those who served in our local Post Offices – like that in Clifton, which ended up closing.
It is time full compensation was paid and justice served, including on those who scapegoated the sub-postmasters and mistresses, while profiting to the tune of £100,000s for themselves.
Since my time in Parliament, I have called for expedient redress to this shocking scandal. I believe it is time that the Post Office, alongside Royal Mail and the other businesses, are brought back into public ownership with strong accountability and oversight.
Parliament is also focusing on children with Special Educational Needs this week. First on Free School Meals, a cause I have long called for to improve the attainment of all children and remove the stigma that a segregated policy causes.
I am delighted that Labour in York are seeking to put a warm meal on the table for children across the city, piloting in Westfield from this term.
Later in the week I will be focusing on wider issues associated with SEND, and the urgent need for increased resources and funding for the Local Authority.
Following my public meeting , it is clear that children and parents need better communication, easier navigation, and ultimately better access to services.
However all agencies have a major role to play in supporting children with SEND. Just this week, another parent shared with me the challenges she is facing with her child’s school.
Taking a whole-school therapeutic approach does not just benefit children with SEND, but all children. The evidence is there.
I will shortly be meeting with the Minister to discuss the harm caused by one Multi Academy Trust in York, that parents feel ignores the evidence, and is failing their children.
So as Parliament returns I am not only ready for a change in Government, but also, as ever, serve you. I wish you the best – Happy New Year.
Rachael Maskell is the Labour MP for York Central
