Weekly Update
🔥 Cutting Energy Bills & Tackling Fuel Poverty in Enfield North: Labour’s Warm Homes Plan
Families across the country are facing the sharpest affordability pressures in a generation - and energy bills remain one of the biggest worries. That’s why Labour is taking decisive action with the Warm Homes Plan announced this week, the biggest ever investment in upgrading homes to cut bills and tackle fuel poverty.
🏠 What is the Warm Homes Plan?
Labour’s Warm Homes Plan will help up to 1 million households improve their homes, reduce energy costs, and stay warm - turning the page on more than a decade of failure under previous Conservative governments.
Backed by £15 billion of government investment, this plan will deliver long-term savings for families while accelerating the transition to clean, home-grown energy.
💷 Lower Bills, Fairer Support
£150 off energy bills from April, helping families with immediate cost-of-living pressures
Targeted support for low-income households, alongside a universal offer so households of all incomes can benefit
Access to upgrades including insulation, solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and other clean technologies
This means millions more families can lower their energy bills permanently - not just through short-term fixes, but by upgrading homes for the future.
🏘️ Stronger Protections for Renters
Labour is also introducing new protections for renters, ensuring landlords invest in energy efficiency upgrades so renters and social housing tenants benefit from warmer homes and lower bills.
❌ Fixing a Broken System
Under the Conservatives, home insulation installations collapsed by more than 90% between 2010 and 2024, leaving millions paying higher bills. Too many installations that did happen were poor quality, due to a fragmented and broken regulatory system.
The Warm Homes Plan ends that failure, restoring standards and delivering upgrades that genuinely cut costs.
⚡ Clean Power = Energy Security
Labour’s clean power mission is the long-term answer to energy insecurity. By sprinting towards clean, British-grown energy, we can:
Take back control of our energy supply
Protect family finances from volatile fossil fuel prices
Deliver cleaner, more affordable power for the future
Labour’s Warm Homes Plan is about warmer homes in Enfield North, lower bills, and real security for families - now and for the long term.
📱 Keeping Children Safe Online & in School
Over the past couple of weeks, my Enfield North mailbox has shown just how important this issue is to many families. Parents and carers have raised real concerns about children’s use of mobile phones and social media, and the impact this is having on wellbeing and behaviour. I share those concerns, which is why the Government is now taking firm action to better protect children - online and in school.
🛡️ Strong protections – with more to come
The Online Safety Act, which I played a key role in delivering, already provides one of the strongest systems anywhere in the world to protect children online. Recent events have shown its power in forcing tech companies to act.
But the Government has always been clear: this is the start, not the finish. We will continue to build on these protections and listen carefully to parents, children, teachers, and those with lived experience.
🗣️ A new consultation – and a national conversation
Last year, the Government made clear that further action would be needed. Today, that action is being delivered.
A short, three-month consultation is being launched on additional measures to keep children safe online. This will include:
The option of banning social media for children below a certain age
Raising the digital age of consent, so companies cannot use or profit from children’s data without parental permission
This will be a formal consultation - but also a national conversation, putting the voices of parents and children at its heart. It will sit alongside rapidly growing evidence from the UK and overseas, including developments in Australia.
Importantly, a child-friendly version of the consultation will also be published, using clear, age-appropriate language so children themselves can take part in this vital debate.
🏫 Mobile phones in schools: firm action, real enforcement
The Government has been working closely with schools and is clear that current guidance is not strong enough. Mobile phone policies are not being enforced consistently - and that must change.
Action is now being taken to ensure all schools are phone-free by default, with proper enforcement:
Stronger guidance making clear that schools should be phone-free by default, supported by real-world case studies of what works
Lead schools through Attendance and Behaviour Hubs supporting others to implement and enforce phone-free policies
Ofsted inspections will now check mobile phone policies at every inspection - including how well they are enforced - as part of judging behaviour
This is about real enforcement, not just rules on paper.
This approach puts children’s wellbeing first - online, in school, and at home - while making sure parents’ voices are heard and schools in Enfield North are properly supported.
🌳 Action Taken Over the Whitewebbs Oak
I have been pushing for firm action following the shocking destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak, and so I am glad to see Enfield Council has now acted to hold those responsible to account.
Residents across Enfield were as rightly shocked and angered as I was by the destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak. This centuries-old tree was an irreplaceable part of our borough’s natural heritage, and the damage done to it was reckless, avoidable, and devastating.
Following this incident, Enfield Council has now taken firm action. The tree was felled without the Council’s knowledge or consent, and in clear breach of the lease governing the site.
Enfield Council has now confirmed that it has served a formal Section 146 notice on Mitchells & Butlers, the company responsible for operating the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs Park. Due to their failure to engage meaningfully or make reparations, the Council has begun forfeiture proceedings for serious breaches of the lease.
The Council is calling on Mitchells & Butlers to:
Issue a public apology
Provide financial reparations for the irreversible damage caused
Compensate the Council for the significant costs incurred
This case is about accountability and about upholding our shared responsibility to protect Enfield’s environment and heritage. The people of Enfield deserve nothing less.
After I pushed for decisive action, the Council has been clear that everything within its power will be done to seek justice for the Whitewebbs Oak and to send a strong message that reckless disregard for our borough will never be tolerated.
🚗 High Court Upholds Ban on Illegal Car Cruising in Enfield
The High Court has upheld Enfield’s borough-wide injunction banning illegal car cruising and car meets, following a review of the order in December 2025. I’m glad to see this decision means the injunction will remain in force, with annual reviews. This is an important step in keeping our streets safer for residents, businesses and visitors.
✅ A proven impact on safety
The Court accepted evidence from Enfield Council showing the injunction has:
Reduced dangerous driving and illegal racing
Cut noise pollution and antisocial behaviour
Improved safety for residents and road users across the borough
The injunction makes it illegal to gather to engage in, promote, or organise motor racing, stunts, or other forms of dangerous driving on Enfield’s roads and public spaces. Anyone breaching it can face arrest, fines, or in the most serious cases, imprisonment.
⚖️ Strong enforcement
Since the injunction was introduced in December 2024:
Six individuals have been prosecuted for breaching the order
In June 2025, two defendants committed particularly serious breaches
After pleading guilty, they received three-month custodial sentences and were ordered to pay over £5,000 in fines and costs
This shows that the Council and police are prepared to take robust enforcement action where necessary.
🚦 Working with partners
Alongside the injunction, Transport for London has worked with the Council and the Metropolitan Police to extend average speed cameras towards Edmonton, further helping to reduce road danger and antisocial behaviour.
A big thank you to Cllr Gina Needs and Joanne McCartney AM for being pivotal in securing these measures.
📞 How to report concerns
Residents are encouraged to report dangerous driving or antisocial behaviour:
Call 101 or report online via the Metropolitan Police website
In an emergency, or if someone is in immediate danger, call 999
This ruling sends a clear message: dangerous driving and illegal car cruising will not be tolerated in Enfield North and beyond.
Appointed UK Trade Envoy to Germany
This week I was honoured to have been appointed UK Trade Envoy to Germany.
Germany is one of our closest neighbours, a key ally, and one of the UK’s most important trading partners. Strengthening this relationship really matters - for jobs, growth, and opportunity here at home.
In my new role, I’ll be working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to champion British businesses, identify new trade and investment opportunities, support exporters, and help attract inward investment to the UK. That includes leading trade missions, welcoming German delegations, and tackling barriers that hold UK firms back.
At a time when economic growth is vital, deepening our partnership with Germany is about delivering for working people and businesses across the UK.
I’m really looking forward to getting started. Auf geht’s!
Urgent Action Needed on Violence in North-East Syria
This week, I submitted an urgent question to Government, called for an immediate debate and wrote to the Foreign Secretary calling for swift and decisive action in response to the escalating violence in north-east Syria, which is having a devastating impact on Kurdish communities and placing other ethnic and religious minorities at serious risk.
Credible reports from the BBC indicate significant civilian harm during the January 2026 escalation, with Kurdish authorities stating that more than 150,000 people have been displaced. Syrian forces have moved into areas east of Aleppo following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces, while thousands of civilians have fled amid warnings of landmines and unexploded ordnance.
There are also grave concerns about the conduct of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led authorities, including allegations of indiscriminate attacks on Kurdish communities and the release of Islamic State detainees. For many Kurds, this represents the return of ISIS-era threats under a new “state-like” structure.
I have urged the Government to strengthen its response by condemning violence against civilians at the United Nations, pressing for international accountability and targeted sanctions, intensifying diplomatic efforts with allies, and ensuring humanitarian access is protected and properly funded.
The safety of Kurdish communities and other minorities is a matter of deep concern to many constituents and the Kurdish diaspora across the UK. I have asked for an urgent response setting out the concrete steps the Government will now take.
🎓 Honoured to Receive an Honorary Doctorate
On a personal note, I was deeply honoured this week to be awarded an honorary doctorate from my alma mater, Kingston University. It was a very special moment to return to a place that played such an important role in shaping my own journey.
Speaking to graduates at the ceremony, I wanted to share a simple message drawn from my own experience: your degree is a foundation, not a finishing line. It gives you tools, confidence and direction - but it does not lock you into a single path for life. And that is a good thing.
Changing direction is not failure. It is learning. It is growth. And it will likely happen more than once over the course of your career.
So to graduates here in Enfield North and beyond: be open to change, say yes to opportunities, and trust yourself to pivot when the time is right.
Reminder: Community Recycling Day Tomorrow ♻️
Are you planning a home refresh, declutter or reorganisation for 2026 in Enfield North? Got items you need to get rid of but can’t easily take to the recycling centre? If so, come along to the next Community Recycling Day:
📍 Lytchet Way parking area (near EN3 5XT)
📅 Saturday 24 January
⏰ 9am – 2pm
If you live locally, please do come down. On the day, the teams will be accepting:
🔌 Electrical items
👕 Textiles
🛏 Furnishings
You’ll also be able to ask questions about household recycling, find out what goes where, and meet the recycling crews who keep our neighbourhoods clean and tidy.
A great opportunity to recycle responsibly in Enfield North and start the year clutter-free!
Have a great week.
Best wishes
Feryal