Weekly Update
My Weekly Parliamentary Update
👶A Better Future for Every Child - Labour Launches the £500 Million Better Futures Fund
Every child deserves the chance to thrive - no matter their background or the challenges they face. But for too long, too many children growing up in difficult circumstances have been held back by barriers beyond their control.
That’s why this week, Labour is proud to launch the Better Futures Fund - a bold, world - leading initiative to transform outcomes for young people with the toughest start in life.
📢 At £500 million, it’s the largest government-backed fund of its kind anywhere in the world.
The fund will directly support up to 200,000 children and young people, helping to improve their lives in the ways that matter most. That includes:
· 🏡 Safer housing and stronger communities
· 🎓 Better education and learning opportunities
· 💛 Supportive, caring environments where every child can feel safe, seen, and valued
But we won’t do this alone. The Better Futures Fund will work in partnership with local communities, charities, and philanthropists, ensuring the people who know these communities best are at the heart of the change.
This is Labour’s Plan for Change in action - delivering long-term investment, targeted support, and real hope for the next generation. Because a country can only truly thrive when every child has the chance to build a better future.
🌳Making Ponders End Safer - Progress Update
While undertaking my recent walkabout in Ponders End Park, I listened carefully to local concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour.
I want to share the positive progress we've seen since then, thanks to the hard work of local police, Enfield Council teams and the Friends of Durants and Ponders End Parks.
✅ More patrols on foot, bikes, and with drug dogs
✅ Over 20 stop and searches for drugs
✅ Multiple arrests and seizures, including over 40 bags of drugs taken off the streets
✅ New fencing in hotspot areas, with plans to clear overgrown bushes
And the results speak for themselves:
📉 Violent crime has dropped dramatically - April was 50% lower than March, and June is on track to be 62% down.
📉 Antisocial behaviour is also well below last year’s levels, with big reductions in April, May, and projected for June.
This is real progress for our community. I’m committed to keeping the pressure on through the busy summer period to make sure Ponders End stays safer for everyone.
Let’s keep working together to improve our local parks and neighbourhoods.
🌳 Have Your Say on Parking Charges at Forty Hall 🌳
As your MP, I know how much Forty Hall and its beautiful grounds mean to our community. It’s one of Enfield’s most treasured heritage sites - a place enjoyed year-round by families, dog walkers, older residents, and visitors alike.
Enfield Council is currently consulting on a proposal to introduce new parking charges at the Forty Hall and Estate car park. Under the proposed scheme, charges would apply Monday to Sunday, from 9am to 8pm, with just 30 minutes of free parking offered during those hours.
I’ve heard from many of you with concerns about how this might impact access to the estate - especially for those making short visits, walking dogs, or stopping by with young children or elderly relatives.
I share those concerns.
That’s why I’m calling for the free parking period to be extended to at least 60 minutes. This would strike a better balance: helping to manage the site sustainably, while keeping it accessible and affordable for local people.
🗣️ The consultation closes on Sunday 20 July 2025 - just a few days away. I strongly encourage every resident who uses or values Forty Hall to make their voice heard.
👉 You can respond to the consultation via the Council’s Let’s Talk platform here.
Let’s make sure Forty Hall remains open, welcoming, and inclusive for everyone in our community.
🚗 Making It Easier and Cheaper to Own an Electric Vehicle
The transition to cleaner, greener transport shouldn’t be a luxury - it should be affordable, accessible, and practical for everyone. That’s why this week’s announcement is such an important step forward.
🚗 We’re investing £63 million to make owning an electric vehicle easier than ever - while saving drivers money.
The funding will go towards:
⚡ Kerbside EV charging points - making it possible for more people to charge at home, even without a driveway. This can save drivers up to £1,500 a year compared to running a petrol car.
🚑 New EV charging infrastructure for the NHS, helping save millions of pounds and reduce emissions from fleet vehicles.
🚛 Chargepoints for businesses, supporting commercial fleets and helping UK firms go green while cutting long-term costs.
Whether it's making transport cleaner, helping the NHS save money, or supporting local businesses, this is Labour delivering practical solutions that work for people and the planet.
How to apply for vehicle eligibility for the Electric Car Grant.
✨Labour launches major investment in the UK’s AI future✨
In my Ministerial capacity this week, I travelled to Edinburgh to witness first-hand how Labour’s bold new investment in Artificial Intelligence is putting Britain on the map as a global tech leader and ensuring that communities across the country, including right here in Enfield, benefit from the opportunities it brings.
During my visit, I toured the University of Edinburgh, where the Labour Government is investing £750 million in a new National Supercomputer - part of a wider £2 billion Compute Strategy to supercharge the UK’s AI capabilities.
It was inspiring to see the scale of ambition on display - and to hear how Labour’s plan will deliver not just innovation, but real jobs, growth and opportunity for people across the country.
This new investment will power AI systems that help tackle real-world challenges - from discovering new cures to making our industries cleaner and greener, and creating thousands of good, future-ready jobs.
And it doesn’t stop there. Labour’s plan also includes:
🏢 A new National Supercomputing Centre in Edinburgh
🌐 A brand-new AI Growth Zone in Scotland - helping to attract tech investment and deliver local jobs
🔌 More compute power built on British soil - reducing our reliance on other countries and making the UK a serious player in global tech
This is all part of Labour’s Plan for Change: using cutting-edge technology to deliver fairer growth, better jobs, and a stronger economy - with no one left behind.
🌞 Summer Uni 2025 - Free Activities for Young People in Enfield 🎉
I wanted to remind you that Enfield’s Summer Uni 2025 is now open for registrations - offering a fantastic range of free summer activities for young people across the borough.
Backed by Enfield Council, the Summer Uni gives young people the chance to learn new skills 🎓, make friends 🤝, and explore new interests 🎨 over the summer holidays. It’s open to all 11 - 19 year olds, and up to 25 for young people with SEND, living or attending school in Enfield.
This year, there are over 90 free courses and workshops to choose from, running across five themed weeks packed with creativity and fun:
💻 Tech Week
🏆 Awards & Life Skills
🎮 Gaming
⚽ Sports
🎧 Music & Dance
From DJing 🎶, nail art 💅, and martial arts 🥋 to 3D design 🖥️, radio - controlled car racing 🚗, and hip - hop dance 🕺, there’s something for everyone.
🌿 A special highlight this year is the horticulture and wildlife workshops at Capel Manor College’s Enfield campus - an amazing chance to get hands - on with nature, explore green careers, and enjoy the outdoors. 🌻🦋
💸 All activities are completely FREE, and each young person can take part in up to three different courses during the summer.
📝 To sign up, just visit this link.
You’ll need to register to browse and book your chosen sessions.
Programmes like Summer Uni make a real difference - keeping young people active, inspired, and connected while giving families valuable support over the holidays. I’m proud to support it, and I want every young person in Enfield to get the chance to take part.
Let’s make this a summer to remember for our young people! ☀️
☀️Parliamentary recess begins next week so I hope you and your family have a great summer and the weekly update will be back in September ☀️