Meg's Hackney Gazette Column: Practical help is making a real difference

Fourteen years of Conservative Government left its mark on Hackney – and the country.

Stretched public services, record NHS waiting lists, and a cost-of-living crisis that hit Hackney families hard. But under this Labour Government, that’s beginning to change. 

Take the rollout of free breakfast clubs. Families across Hackney know the morning school run can be hectic and hard – especially when every penny counts. But Labour’s Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, has now announced a partnership with trusted British brands like Weetabix, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s as part of the free breakfast club rollout with Hackney schools (including Thomas Fairchild Community School) benefitting. It means every child in Hackney can start the day well fed, parents get a bit more breathing space, and it puts £450 back into the pockets of hard-pressed families. Labour’s Plan for Change in action – practical help making a difference and clamping down on child poverty.  

As the cold winter begins to bite, the Labour Government has cut energy bills for those that need it most. It has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme so that six million households across England and Wales will see £150 automatically shaved off their energy bills. Once again, practical help making a difference.  

And the Renters’ Rights Act is now law – transforming the lives of tens of thousands of renters in Hackney. It means the end of no-fault evictions, landlords held to a higher standard, and better protections and rights for tenants (including the right for renters to own a pet strengthened). And Awaab’s law means social landlords must fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting and damp and mould must be fixed within five working days after investigation. Practical help making a difference.  

The NHS was left on its knees after over a decade of mismanagement and underfunding – rebuilding it will not happen overnight. But already we can see steady signs of progress, with waiting lists falling and already 206,000 lower than last year. Another sign of Labour’s Plan for Change in action and being delivered.  

Step by step, this Labour Government is beginning to undo the damage and rot left by fourteen years of Conservative Government. From breakfast clubs to strengthened worker and tenant rights to reviving our NHS – this is Labour’s Plan for Change being delivered. Rebuilding our community, restoring trust, and proving that government can once again work for everyone in Hackney.