AS you may have seen, on 1st September I returned to Parliament after taking a leave of absence for health reasons. As anyone who’s ever had serious health issues can tell you, recovery isn’t linear, but I am making good progress and am proud to be back and able to amplify the voices of those living in Bristol Central.
I firstly want to say a huge thank you to all of you, my constituents, for your understanding and compassion while I have been working on my recovery. Thank you especially to those who sent me supportive messages during my time away, sharing your own stories of burnout and recovery, and words of advice. I have been blown away by your kindness.
I recognise that I have been enormously fortunate to have been able to take this time, and that many people faced with the same situation would not be so lucky. No one should be penalised for being too unwell to work, and no one should have to jeopardise recovery because of job insecurity. This is something I am determined to change.
My immediate priority as I return to full-time work is tackling the issues that are most important to our community. As you may have read in these pages, over the summer my team has been working tirelessly to help with the individual issues and collective concerns that you have raised. I will now be taking those further: demanding answers and action from those in power.
Already I have put questions to ministers on issues like the delivery of council homes, expanding bathing water designation, and the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists. l. I look forward to being able to report substantial answers and progress on these and many other issues in the coming months.
I have also been working particularly hard, alongside the other Green MPs, to hold the government to account on their climate commitments in the face of sustained pressure from the oil and gas industry. It is clear that if this government is serious about protecting our health, national security, and ecosystems, they must prioritise moving faster on the transition to renewable energy and electrification, and leave fossil fuels in the ground. I attended the National Emergency Briefing screening at Cotham Parish Church, and was so inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm to take on this challenge in our community. I will never stop advocating for a safe future for us and future generations.
Finally, I wanted to let you know about my latest efforts to end the housing crisis in Bristol. You might have seen the headlines – Bristol is now the least affordable city for private renters in England, surpassing Greater London! Sadly, this wasn’t a surprise to me, as I’m sure it wasn’t to many of you. It’s something I am committed to tackling. That’s why I’ve launched the Bristol Central Renters Survey, which is open until October 16. I aim to gather hard data on the reality of renting in our city to take to the government and demand change. If you’re a private renter and have five minutes to spare, you can contribute anonymously to this survey using this QR code.
• If you live in Bristol Central and need help with a local issue email bristolcentraloffice@parliament.uk or write to Carla Denyer MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. For national issues email carla.denyer.mp@parliament.uk