October 2026 Monthly Report
Hackney’s hidden gem
William Gee
William Gee is one of Hackney’s oldest businesses providing haberdashery to the fashion trade for 120 years. Originally on Kingsland Road it remains a gem but is a bit more hidden since its recent move around the corner onto Forest Road, where it now hosts sewing classes. Founded in 1906, the company has remained in the same family ownership ever since. At the end of October it took the East End to the West End when its concession stand opened in the iconic Liberty shop at Oxford Circus. It is also now open on the first Saturday of every month.
Parliament
Budget
The Chancellor John Healey unveiled his budget at the end of the month. I am pleased it included measures to give people breathing room in the current tough economic climate. As Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, I am the second person to respond to the Budget speech in the chamber (after the Leader of the Opposition). You can see my speech here.
Policy announcements that support Hackney include:
Business rates – relief for pubs, social clubs and live music venues continues.
Energy bills – abolishing gas standing charges on domestic energy bills and offering a targeted £100 energy payment to households in council tax bands A-D – benefitting about 48,000 households in Hackney South and Shoreditch.
Tackling rough sleeping – increasing the additional funding to give people a route off the streets to £847 million from 2026/7 to 2028/29.
Supporting small breweries – Hackney's independent brewers have long called for a 'Guest Beer' provision to allow beers from smaller breweries to be sold in more tied pubs, which are often restricted to serving products from a single brewery. The Chancellor confirmed the Government's intention to legislate, opening up new routes to market for local brewers.
In the coming weeks, the Treasury Select Committee will be scrutinising the detail of this and will hear from the Chancellor himself on 11 November.
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is required to deliver letters under the universal service obligation – at a flat rate and to agreed deadlines to any address in the UK. Many constituents have been in touch with me about the unacceptable delays to mail deliveries in their areas. People have been left waiting for NHS letters, postal votes, divorce papers and other vital pieces of correspondence. I will fight for a better service for Hackney. In a recent debate in Parliament, I was one of a number of MPs to raise concerns about severe delays in delivering letters – this is a nationwide problem. We are working together and with the Communication Workers Union to press for a restoration of service.
Progress on cladding
The Building Safety Bill passed its second reading, which is the debate on the principles of the bill. This Bill aims to:
Create certainty of which buildings require cladding remediation and to what standard.
Give regulators the powers they need to hold the worst blockers to account, ensuring those responsible for fixing historic and ongoing failures do so more quickly.
Make the companies that made unsafe building products contribute to fixing the problems they caused.
Ensure all residents have a route to remediation, and that no building is left behind.
There are many remaining stages of debate before the bill becomes law.
Support for young midwives
I met student and newly qualified midwives in Parliament. They highlighted the lack of jobs amid a maternity services crisis in England. I am raising their concerns with the Health Secretary. Our maternity workforce performs vital work in strained conditions, and more needs to be done to increase job opportunities and support for new midwives.
After a series of reviews revealing severe failures in services nationally, the Government is prioritising maternity and neonatal care. The Health Secretary is taking this on and will appoint a commissioner to oversee the work.
Smart glasses
Last month I raised the need to protect both privacy and accessibility when regulating AI-enabled smart glasses. The best-known model of these glasses is produced by Meta. I am working with my Labour colleague Marsha de Cordova to ensure that as safety is prioritised the needs of those who can benefit from this technology are not ignored. This month I organised and led a meeting with representatives from Meta's accessibility and women's safety policy teams, along with MPs across the political spectrum, to discuss how the glasses are being used as an assistive technology. The impact the glasses can have on improving the lives of blind and deaf people is immense, but this must not come at the cost of people's privacy. I am continuing to work with colleagues of all parties on this.
Standing up for animal welfare and clean water
It was good to meet with constituents who came to Parliament to raise their concerns about factory farming and its impact on animal welfare and pollution. It is important that we have sustainable processes for food production, from farm to fork, and to protect our waterways from the runoff of polluting factory farms. I have since raised this with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Regulating super AI
Constituents based at the London Initiative for Safe AI in Shoreditch who work on regulating AI and security came to Parliament. We discussed the need for greater intervention to protect against AI hacks and extreme development. Hackney is at the frontline of technological development with many businesses based in Shoreditch. The UK has one of the best AI security institutes in the world, which is something to be proud of, but we must not get complacent. The tech is emerging at an incredible rate, and we must do our best to get ahead of the curve and regulate it.
Committees
Pre-Budget sessions
This month the Treasury Select Committee has been gearing up for John Healey's first Budget. We heard from a number of experts including economists to discuss what issues the Chancellor is facing and what solutions might be available to him. Now we have heard the Budget the Committee will be preparing to hear from the Chancellor on his plans for the country and the economy.
Hackney
Supporting disabled people into work
It was a privilege to visit Scope’s headquarters at Here East in Hackney Wick alongside the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden MP, and hear first-hand from disabled people who are breaking down barriers and helping create more inclusive workplaces. Disabled people should have the same opportunities as everyone else to get into work, stay in work, and build fulfilling careers.
While progress has been made, the disability employment gap remains too wide. Scope does amazing work championing equality and opportunity for disabled people. Initiatives such as flexible working, reasonable adjustments, and the Disability Confident scheme are helping to drive change. But there is still more to do to ensure everyone can reach their full potential, regardless of disability.
Scope’s employment support scheme has a high success rate with 72 per cent of participants still in work 26 weeks after securing a job.
Shoreditch Park Primary School learns to cook
I joined pupils at Shoreditch Park Primary with London’s Deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney who were being treated to classes with Karan Gokani from Hoppers restaurant to learn about healthy eating. The children got practical and learnt how to make lassis while discovering the importance of a balanced diet. The event was in partnership with the Mayor of London, who introduced free school meals in 2023 to improve the health of our children.
Hackney students visit Parliament
It was a pleasure to welcome students from The Bridge Academy and Haggerston School to Parliament this month.
As part of a visit to Parliament's Education Centre, students toured the Palace of Westminster before taking part in a workshop and a Q&A session.
We discussed a wide range of issues, including votes at 16, housing, and the future of bus route 38.
I am always encouraged to meet young people from Hackney; their thoughtful questions and ideas are a reminder of the importance of ensuring young people have opportunities to participate in our democracy and make their voices heard.
Festivals at Victoria Park update
Together with East London MPs, Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green) and Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow), I hosted a meeting with residents opposing the proposals to extend the number of days that Victoria Park hosts events to 75 days in a year. East London has a vibrant cultural scene, and events in Victoria Park are popular. But when residents raise legitimate concerns about the use of the park for commercial purposes, this does not mean they should be ignored. My Labour colleagues and I continue to press Tower Hamlets Council and festival organisers AEG. We will be writing to both organisations to ask for a meeting, to put your concerns to the relevant decision makers.
Westminster Experience Day
Students from Hackney came to Parliament to see what a day in the heart of British politics is like. Following a tour of Parliament, including visiting the House of Commons and House of Lords chambers, the students watched the Foreign Secretary answer questions from MPs. As well as question sessions with me and another MP, there were sessions exploring careers in Parliament.
As always, I was impressed with how informed and engaged these students are - the future of Hackney and the UK is in safe hands.
Have your say
The Government and other bodies regularly consult on policy proposals. Below are a few areas that are open for consultation. Click on each option to find out more and to share your thoughts.
Government consultations:
· State Pension deferral: call for evidence - GOV.UK - closes 1 December.
· Expanding electric vehicle charging access for tenants and leaseholders - GOV.UK - closes 16 December.
· Consultation on Carbon Dioxide Stunning of Pigs - Defra Consultations - closes 21 December.
· Restrictions on the performance of high-risk cosmetic and wellbeing procedures in England - GOV.UK - closes 13 January.
Have your say on improving the Met Police
The Metropolitan Police service is looking for your views on how it can improve its inclusion. Independent reviews have found examples of racism, homophobia, and misogyny from the Police and it needs to do better. You can share your views here. The survey closes on 26 November.
How to contact me via email on meg.hillier.mp@parliament.uk or you can call 020 7219 5325. The main phone line is open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm.
Visiting Parliament and Prime Minister’s Questions
Tours of the Houses of Parliament can be arranged for groups of up to 20 people. Tours last up to 75 minutes and start between 9am and 12pm Monday to Wednesday, and between 9am-1:30pm and 3.30pm-5pm on Fridays.
MPs are allocated a small number of tickets for tours of Big Ben. I operate a ballot for these four times a year. The next ballot is for tours in early 2027.
MPs are also given a very limited number of tickets for Prime Minister’s Questions. I operate a ballot system each month. The ballot is now open to attend PMQs in December.
To apply for a tour, or be entered into the ballot, please send your name, and full postal address (you must live in Hackney South and Shoreditch) to meg.hillier.mp@parliament.uk. If you would like to enter the PMQs ballot, please also supply a contact number. It is easier to arrange viewing tickets for other departmental question times or debates. To see what's on click here.
