Very well deserved recognition in Parliament for the phenomenal team behind Phoenix Early Learners in Petts Wood. After the sudden closure of Crofton Early Learners, staff, carers, parents and volunteers rolled up their sleeves and - at great speed - built something new for local families. Very well done to all at Phoenix Early Learners.

In November 2024, Simone White from Orpington lost her life following a mass methanol poisoning incident. She was one of six tourists who died after drinking contaminated alcohol at a hostel in Laos. Simone’s family have since campaigned for increased awareness and education on the dangers of methanol poisoning abroad. This week, I submitted a petition to Parliament calling on the government to ensure that children are taught about the dangers of consuming bootleg alcohol as part of the school curriculum.

Housebuilding has fallen consistently in London over the last decade. The government’s response? To cut Sadiq Khan’s targets by 11% while jacking up targets for outer London authorities. I asked the Housing Secretary why people in Bromley should pay the price for the Mayor of London’s failure. #housing #greenbelt #bromley

A developer wants to build a new housing estate on Strawberry Fields in Darwin Ward. It is green belt land. Their early proposals would see 650 homes as well as a care home and a community centre. There isn’t a formal planning application yet but the developer has already been in conversation with the council about submitting one. I joined Paul Marshall from the Aperfield Green Belt Action Group to hear about the grave consequences this would have on local people living here. #greenbelt #housing #labourparty #orpington

A developer is eyeing up Strawberry Fields in Darwin Ward for a major housing development on protected green belt land. Early plans point to 650 homes, plus a care home and a community centre — this would dramatically alter the character of the area put massive strain on infrastructure. There’s no formal planning application yet, but the developer is already in discussions with the council about bringing one forward. I met with neighbouring MP @PeterTFortune to talk through the serious and lasting consequences this would have for our community. This is not an isolated case. It’s one of several planned developments on precious green belt land across the London Borough of Bromley. And make no mistake: this is the direct result of policies from the Labour government and Labour Mayor of London. Worse still, Reform UK voted with Sadiq Khan's Labour members at City Hall to block a Conservative motion that would have protected our green belt. Unlike Labour and Reform, we will fight to defend it — because once the green belt is concreted over, it’s gone forever. #housing #greenbelt #labourparty

Labour is failing dismally at building houses. They have delivered fewer homes in their first year of office than the previous Conservative government had during the global pandemic. Now they are ignoring the voices of local people across the country and imposing top down targets disproportionately in rural areas. They are coming after our green belt — and residential gardens. More in my Commons statement below. #housing #greenbelt #labourparty

🚨 ACTION NEEDED NOW 🚨 A formal planning application has now been submitted to build 350 homes on farming land just south of Crockenhill Road in St Mary Cray. If approved, this will irreversibly damage our green belt and permanently change the character of our area. Time is tight. We must act now. Please submit your objection via Bromley Council. 🗓️Deadline: 19/01/2026 📋Application number: 25/05427/OUT 🔗https://londonboroughofbromley.my.site.com/pr/s/detail/a0lTv000002fezdIAA I will also be formally objecting to the plans and writing my response over Christmas — but your objection matters just as much. Every single objection strengthens our case. Please share this video widely so as many local people as possible can speak up. Our green belt must not be destroyed.

126,000 jobs have gone since the last Budget — and the next one is in 6 days. Families and businesses in Orpington fear more tax hikes to cover unchecked spending. The Conservative Party has come up with another way. The Chancellor can still change course — and steal our homework. Will she? #budget2025 #labourparty

This week, the Chancellor gave a panicked press conference in which she all but confirmed that more tax rises are on the way in this month’s Budget, breaking a promise she made 30 times since the last Budget. In Orpington, local businesses are telling me that they are being forced to freeze recruitment and expansion plans because of increasing costs. The Chancellor claims that she needs higher taxes to pay for the NHS. Yet new ONS figures show NHS productivity is falling. So I asked her: what exactly are Orpington businesses paying more tax for? Her answer? Falling waiting lists — but that’s only because junior doctors temporarily lifted their politically motivated strikes after the government threw them a bung. (A backdated 22% rise). That then led to more pay demands and the threat of more strikes. If the government wanted to help their trade union allies, they could have done so by tackling soaring welfare costs, but they refuse to act Why should Orpington’s businesses pay the price for union militancy and government incompetence? #labourparty #budget2025