Last month, I attended a heartbreaking event. Outside Bristol City Hall, dozens of pairs of little (and big!) children’s shoes were carefully placed on the grass, each pair carrying the story of a child with special educational needs and disabilities who has been let down by this country’s broken SEND system.
I’ve heard devastating stories from families who have been stretched to breaking point by the SEND crisis. Parents waiting so long for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) that by the time they’re issued it’s too late for the child to access support. Some families are spending thousands at SEND tribunals fighting for support – and all the while, the child or young person at the centre of the case is missing out.
After hearing these stories, I wrote to the Education Secretary to get answers on when she will start the process of listening to parent and expert groups across the country to resolve this crisis.
The failures of the SEND system are a stark consequence of the failure of this government, and governments before it, to fund local authorities properly. This has left councils like Bristol struggling to provide the vital services that communities rely on and I will continue to fight for the government to fund local authorities properly.
This month I’ve also written to Rachel Reeves to highlight an appalling scandal: that every year, the government is handing
£2.7 billion pounds in tax breaks to oil and gas companies like Shell and BP. These are the same companies that make billions in profits every year, all while laying off huge numbers of workers. It’s time to end this scandal.
Thank you to the tens of thousands who have signed my petition calling on Rachel Reeves to scrap these tax breaks, and instead fund a Jobs Guarantee for workers currently employed in oil and gas, to support them to retrain and find work in renewable energy. You can find my petition at www.linktr.ee/carladenyer.
As we take action to secure a safe climate for us and future generations, one thing the government needs to fix is electric vehicle charging – many residents tell me the shortage of charging points and unfair price difference between home and public charging are a barrier to them getting an electric car.
I know that Bristol City Council is working hard to get more public charging points across the city, and make it easier for those without a driveway to charge at home, with a trial scheme opening shortly. To sign up for the trial, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/charge-an-electric-vehicle.
Meanwhile I will take up the pricing issue with the government to ensure everyone is able to charge their EVs at a fair price.
Finally, I was honoured to lay a wreath of red and white poppies at Bristol’s Remembrance parade earlier this month, in memory of all those who have lost their lives to war, and in hope of a more peaceful future.
If you live in Bristol Central and need help with a local issue, email me at bristolcentraloffice@parliament.uk or write to Carla Denyer MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA For national issues email me using carla.denyer.mp@parliament.uk