This is the last update of this Parliamentary session. Have a wonderful summer - i'll be back in touch in September. 

The Welfare and Finance Bills

This week I voted against both the Welfare Reform and Work Bill and the Finance Bill.

The welfare bill is a deeply pernicious piece of legislation that I fear will plunge many people into poverty. In the debate I asked Iain Duncan Smith if he’d considered the impact of the welfare cap on places like Brighton – where the cost of living is similar to London but the level of the cap is £3000 lower. His answer: ‘None of this is perfect’. It was good to see 48 Labour MPs defy their party leadership and vote against the bill.

The finance bill – which passes into law the Government’s budget – is also deeply damaging. In the House of Commons I spoke of my two main concerns with the bill. The first is that it continues the Government’s cruel and counterproductive austerity agenda. The second is that it flies in the face of the Government’s own rhetoric about the threat of climate change to our economy, society, security and wellbeing. More on my response to the Finance Bill: http://www.carolinelucas.com/latest/caroline-to-vote-against-deeply-regressive-finance-bill

Embedded Armed Forces

It was revealed earlier this week that British forces have been involved in the bombing of so-called ISIL targets in Syria. This involvement in air raids directly contradicts a vote in Parliament in which a majority of MPs said they didn’t want Britain bombing Syria. In Parliament I asked the Minister of Defence how many civilian casualties there have been as a result of US-led air strikes. I also questioned whether further involvement of British forces in air strikes might in fact further strengthen ISIL. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-07-20c.1233.0#g1247.1

Blanket Surveillance

Baroness Jenny Jones and I took the Government to court this week over blanket surveillance of people’s communications with parliamentarians. The case is based on the breach of the ‘Wilson Doctrine’ – a Government policy aimed at protecting the communications that parliamentarians have with members of the public. I’m deeply concerned that blanket surveillance of data by  security services – as uncovered by Edward Snowden – means that emails between constituents and I have been monitored. The case will continue in October and you can read more about it here: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/23/intelligence-agency-policies-fail-protect-mps-spying-mi5-mi6-gchq

PSHE Bill 

On Wednesday 15th July I was honoured to finally present the Personal Social Health and Economic Bill to Parliament. The proposed legislation, which would make PSHE a compulsory subject in every school, is supported by teachers, experts, unions and businesses. With the current guidelines now 15 years old it’s time for us to take a step forward and give every child access to a curriculum which promotes resilience, physical and mental health, comprehensive sex education, and life skills.

I was very pleased that the Bill passed (with a large majority) and will come back to Parliament in January. Between now and then I’ll be working hard to persuade Nicky Morgan, the Schools Minister, that her Government should step in line with public opinion and support the Bill so that all schools, not just a select few, embrace the subject. You can read more on why I’m fighting for to end the PSHE postcode lottery here: http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2015/07/15/comment-young-people-need-sex-education-to-protect-them-from

And you can hear me talk about PSHE on BBC Woman’s Hour here (from 18 minutes): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b061tvs0  

Hunting Act 

Last week saw a huge retreat from the Government in their quest to weaken the Hunting Act. A vote was scheduled for Wednesday 15th Julu but, because ministers feared a Government loss, it was postponed at the last minute. For animal welfare campaigners, many of whom were outside on the day of the proposed vote, this Government backtracking is fantastic news. I have no doubt that the Government will bring these proposals back to Parliament and, when they do, I’ll continue to make the case against weakening the ban and in favour of legislation that protects the welfare of foxes and other animals from hunting.

The EU Referendum

Quite understandably many people have been feeling increasingly disappointed with the actions of the European Union in the Greek Crisis. In a piece in The Guardian I argued that it’s time for progressives to take the debate on the EU back from the Tories.  In the next few years Britain could leave the EU. We could have to wave goodbye to influencing decisions that will, without a doubt, continue to affect all of us. I would be lying if I said that this week’s events haven’t made me think twice about the EU. But it’s exactly when times are hard that it’s worth reflecting on the bigger picture: what’s happening in Greece should drive us towards greater solidarity, not less. We must join Podemos and Syriza in calling for the EU to be rebuilt, not retreat into our corner and cut off ties with our fellow Europeans.

And in this globalised world – where multinational companies cross borders and influence decisions with ease – we need a cross-border organisation that gives European citizens a powerful collective voice to advance the inter-related principles of environmental, economic and social justice. The EU has enormous potential to spread peace, freedom and security in and around Europe, as well as further afield. It’s with this vision in mind that I’ll be campaigning to stay in Europe.

#Thisisacoup 

On Monday 13th July, as the Greek Prime Minister made his way back to Athens, I joined the many thousands of people across Europe in calling what’s happened in Greece a ‘coup’. It was a dark day for the Greek people as their democratically elected Government was forced by the IMF, Eurozone and European Central Bank to impose further drastic and damaging austerity on a population already suffering. I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post which reiterated my previous calls for a European Debt Conference to bring countries together to restructure Greece’s debt. I also debated with the CEO of the Berlin Central Bank on BBC Radio 4’s PM about this attack on Greek democracy.

Meeting Sussex Police

On Tuesday 14th July I met with Katy Bourne, Sussex’s Police and Crime Commissioner. She confirmed there will be 700 fewer police officers delivering local policing over the next 5 years, and a further 300 posts elsewhere in the force will go too.  In particular, Sussex will lose more Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). 58 (out of 347) have already left and there are another 69 to go. I’m deeply concerned about these cutbacks – and the fact that PCSOs often don’t have capacity to attends Local Area Action Team (LATS) meetings - and will continue to campaign against the cuts.

Visiting Onca

On Friday 17th July I visited Onca, Brighton’s fantastic centre for Arts and Ecology of which I am a patron.  They have now expanded into several more meeting rooms above the Gallery in London Road - they have desk space for rent, as well as a lovely meeting room for around a dozen people, so do contact them if this space could be of use to you!

Recovery College 

I was honoured to be invited to say a few words, and hand out graduation certificates, to some amazing students from Brighton and Hove Recovery College - people keen to learn new skills and knowledge to positively approach mental health. 180 students completed course over the past academic year, supported by 17 peer trainers, many of whom were or are students themselves. It was a wonderfully inspiring evening, and congratulations are due to all involved.

Equitable Life

I had a note from the Treasury last week reminding me that holders of Equitable Life policies can still claim payments under the scheme. If you’re a holder of an equitable life scheme and you haven’t yet made a payment then please do call:  0300 0200 150

And finally… MPs’ Pay Rise

You may have heard that MPs are being given a £7,000 a year pay rise by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. As promised, I’ll be giving mine away to good causes in Brighton. It’s completely unacceptable that MPs are being given such a big boost in pay, especially when public sector workers are struggling to get by with their own pay rises capped at 1%.