"I would like to request all the members of the Poplar and Limehouse constituency to support Apsana Begum.
She has born and brought up in Shadwell and has lived and worked locally, educated at Queen Mary University and brings experience from campaigning on issues such as saving public services."
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Today, I led a debate on domestic abuse and public life.
I’m working with MPs from all parties calling for a duty of care to be placed on employers & political parties, so that survivors who are in public life are not exposed to further harassment in their roles.
1/8
Domestic abuse can affect people from all walks of life and in all forms of employment, as I and Kate Kniveton MP know too well.
2/8
It’s commonly assumed that a person should just leave and their problems will be over, but post-separation abuse is about power & control.
I have a choice — to submit — to be crushed and then swept under the carpet as an unsightly problem — or speak out.
🧵Today the APPG on Domestic Abuse & Violence launched our report:
“Road to Recovery:Meeting the mental health needs of domestic abuse survivors”.
We’ve taken evidence from experts by experience, policymakers & specialists.
[A gentle alert on sensitive content]
Mental-ill health is frequently weaponised against survivors or misunderstood by healthcare professionals.
Survivors too often experience re-traumatisation by the very system that’s meant to support them.
The consequences of this are serious & tragic including death & suicide.
Today we heard from Tom Guha, an expert by experience, whose mother died by suicide.
Tom explained how public authorities will have survivors with mental ill-health come forward for support,
but SO many are failed by long waiting lists, especially when they have to move home🏡.
A few weeks ago I attended a #SaveUEL event & listened to concerns about staff redundancies at The University of London during the pandemic. I wrote to the university about their plans following the event.
I’m disappointed to learn @UEL_News is proceeding with plans.
The financial pressures being faced by universities is an expected side effect of the pandemic.
In July, EDM743 called on the Govt to provide essential support for institutions like these.
Institutions in this position have managed a financial plan to retain staff. So can UEL.
UEL students often obtain qualifications against the odds. Many are women, working class & from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The same background of many staff members being made redundant today without time to serve notice.
This doesn’t instil confidence in my constituents.
The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill is being debated tomorrow.
It has alarming consequences for human rights standards - it could potentially be issuing a “license to kill” for covert ops & risks decriminalising torture in certain situations.
"It is deeply alarming that the proposed law does not explicitly prohibit MI5 and other agencies from authorising crimes like torture & killing. It must be amended to do so...”
Today in Parliament the Government are trying to legislate to prevents acts of torture and other serious crimes by the UK army from being prosecuted, if they took place more than five years ago.
The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill.
Earlier in the year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor determined that there is basis to allegations that UK armed forces committed war crimes against detainees in Iraq.
In addition, thousands of allegations of torture & mistreatment from Iraqis and Afghans have been lodged against British soldiers serving in the US-UK led invasion in Iraq & Afghanistan.
We know we must never again embark on imperialist wars. All people have a right to justice.