Dr Ellie Chowns MP

The Mandelson scandal must lead to a fundamental change in the political establishment's treatment of the brave women and girls who speak out about horrific abuse at the hands of men like Jeffrey Epstein - and the treatment of those who support, enable, or allow those abuses.

Happy Friday everyone - here's what I've been up to as your MP this week!

Once again the UK govt condemns Israel's actions and says they are prepared to take further action - then fail to do so. This inaction is unacceptable. Ban settlement trade, sanction Netanyahu, stop all military cooperation with Israel, punish war crimes.

Struggling families need support all year, not just for the summer. That means going much further than the measures announced today to tackle cost-of-living: bringing in free bus travel for under 22s, universal free school meals, and more.

It shouldn't take five months for a government department to respond to a member of the public or to an MP when a case has been raised. The system must work better to ensure timely responses as standard.

Our current first-past-the-post voting system is hugely undemocratic, allowing a political party to secure a massive majority of seats on a minority vote. We need to introduce proportional representation now to ensure every voice is heard and every vote counts.

There is clearly a case to be answered on Starmer's statements about the Mandelson vetting scandal - that is what today's vote is about, and why I supported the Motion. All MPs, regardless of Party, owe it to their conscience and their constituents to do the same.

There is no amount of subservience or ego-flattering that will turn Donald Trump into a reliable ally for the UK - a state visit from the King won't do it either.

It's been another busy week in Westminster - here's what I've been up to as your MP!

Starmer appointed Mandelson despite knowing his links to Epstein and foreign states. He resisted and then took a wilfully ignorant attitude towards vetting, compromising national security. He threw a civil servant under the bus to try and save his own skin. The PM must resign.

Throwing a civil servant under the bus will not distract from the fact that the PM asked no questions about Mandelson's vetting, that his office did not even want to conduct vetting, or that he made an outrageous error of judgement in appointing Mandelson in the first place. The PM must resign.

Time and time again we hear govt ministers condemn Israel's flagrant breaches of international law but take no real action. This is simply not enough. Ban settlement trade, stop all arms sales to and military cooperation with Israel, and pursue investigations into war crimes.

The PM says it is "unforgivable" that he was not informed about Mandelson failing vetting. It is Starmer's clear lack of judgement and disregard for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein which is unforgivable. The PM must take responsibility and resign.

Happy Friday everyone - here's what I've been up to as your MP this week!

It's clear we need to go much further to combat the corrosive impacts of huge political donations on UK politics. That means banning crypto donations, yes - but also introducing a cap on individual donations, greater transparency on campaign donations and spending, and more.

Every day we watch as the US and Israel breach intl law with seeming impunity, wreaking chaos and devastation on the world stage. This cannot continue. The UK must take serious action and make clear we will not be made accomplice to Trump and Netanyahu's illegal aggression.

It's well past time to do away with Council Tax, a deeply regressive and unfair tax whereby the poorest households end up paying a much larger proportion of their income than the wealthiest do.

Happy Friday everyone - here's what I've been up to as your MP this week!

I welcome the Rycroft Review and the action the govt has taken on crypto and overseas donations - but there is so much more to do to root out foreign interference in our democracy. I'll keep pushing on this in Committee for the Representation of the People Bill.

The fuel price shock we're seeing now demonstrates just how risky our continued dependence on oil and gas is for British households. The govt must do all it can to bring down energy costs - decouple the price of electricity from gas and wean us off dirty volatile fossil fuels.

Rivers are the lifeblood of our landscapes - but in many constituencies like mine, they're under threat. It was an honour to present my petition on behalf of constituents, calling on the govt to take further action to address pollution and save the River Wye and its tributaries.

Despite having no viable plan or the consent of the Commons, the UK Government has once again allowed Trump to drag Britain further into his illegal war in the Middle East.

Happy Friday everyone- here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to as your MP this week!

Pitching development against defence is utterly short-sighted; we will not make Britain safer by making the rest of the world less secure.

For over a year the UK govt has taken no serious action as the US and Israel flouted international law with impunity. Despite it becoming increasingly clear our inaction has only emboldened the two nations, the govt still refuse to condemn the illegal US/Israeli strikes on Iran.

In 2020, Keir Starmer said he would bring in legislation which would require any UK military intervention to have a lawful basis, viable objective, and approval by MPs. He has not done this - so I have, tabling the Armed Conflict (Requirements) Bill earlier this month.

Once again a Labour minister resorts to party-political attacks and misinformation rather than answering a simple question: how can the UK trust Trump to have a viable plan for the Strait of Hormuz given his absolutely reckless and illegal actions in the Middle East?

We all want to see a more efficient and productive court system - but scrapping jury trials, a fundamental right and cornerstone of our democracy, won't accomplish this.

When people #VoteGreen this May, they know they'll be voting for someone locally rooted, someone who deeply cares about the issues affecting our communities, and someone who will work their socks off to make hope normal again.

Even the IFS agrees the Chancellor's rigid fiscal rules aren't working; if we are to tackle to cost of living crisis for families across the country, we must move to a more flexible and strategic approach.

We cannot allow political subservience to Trump and Netanyahu to lead Britain into a dangerous, illegal, expensive war. It's time for Starmer to show some genuine backbone on the international stage.

As illegal international aggression once again highlights the need for investment in renewable energy, it is crucial the govt do everything possible to protect households from bearing the brunt of surging energy prices - and to ensure no energy company profits from this war.

Happy Friday everyone - here with a quick update on what I've been up to as your MP this week!

The Representation of the People Bill contains some useful measures, but it must go further – put proportional representation on the statute books, shut loopholes that let dark money in, and modernise media platform oversights to stop misinformation and disinformation.

The govt must do more than express concern over the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and settler violence in the West Bank - they must take action. Ban trade with illegal settlements and impose new sanctions on Netanyahu and all responsible for this violence.

The UK must stand unequivocally against the reckless and illegal action taken by the US and Israel against Iran - publish the initial legal advice on the American/Israeli strikes and commit to a vote in the Commons before any UK involvement in this war.

Given the huge concerns about children's safety online, it's crucial the govt acts with urgency, thoughtfulness, & care. I abstained on today’s motion for this reason. It would have rushed through (as yet unpublished) legislation in one day, with no real opportunity for scrutiny or consultation.

The next few days are crucial to stopping Reform and getting Hannah Spencer elected as Gorton and Denton's next MP. I'll be in Manchester on Polling Day, and I'd love to see you there! Sign up to join here: greenparty.org.uk/get-involved...

It shouldn't take an MP intervening in a complaint for the DVLA to finally respond to an individual - but for 18 of my constituents, this has been the only way to get a response. The system must work better to ensure timely responses to the public.

We must defend UK democracy from Russian interference and the wider web of dirty money and misinformation which enables bad actors to undermine trust in politics. The Elections Bill is crucial in addressing this - the govt must not delay it any further.

Work to tackle sewage pollution and agricultural pollution must go hand in hand if we are to truly clean up our waterways - that means both taking water companies into public ownership and supporting farmers to transition to river-friendly farming methods.

The govt is refusing to commit to an inquiry into the MOD's contracts with US-based spy tech giant Palantir despite the web of shady connections between Mandelson, Epstein, and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel - this absolutely stinks.

The role of gold in financing the horrors we are seeing in Sudan, including through illicitly financing arms imports, cannot be underestimated. The UK must take action to stop illegal gold trade from fuelling this brutal conflict.

It's been another busy week as MP for North Herefordshire - here's quick update on what I've been up to!

Even before the Mandelson scandal, and the current spectacle of a tiny number of Peers blocking the will of the majority of elected MPs, it was clear the HoL needs urgent reform. Labour promised to do so in their 2024 manifesto. So why won't the govt get to work on this?

Lawyers, genocide scholars, the ICJ, and the UN Commission of Inquiry state the Israeli govt's actions in Gaza amount to genocide - so why does the UK still maintain there is no plausible risk of genocide, in the face of overwhelming evidence? Why does the UK continue to be complicit?

In trying to avoid releasing material which may be embarrassing for the UK govt or offensive to the sensitivities of one Donald Trump, the govt has set up a process which risks hugely delaying the release of papers relating to Mandelson's appointment.

The PM already seems to have turned a blind eye to Mandelson's relationship with Epstein in order to cosy up to Trump, & the govt's actions today further prioritise a relationship with the US over transparency with the British public. We need urgent action to clean up politics.

The brave Iranian protestors deserve the UK's full support in their fight against the horrific regime - and this includes the UK committing not to support or enable actors such as the US in violating international law through any actions in Iran.

Happy Friday everyone - here with another quick update on what I've been up to as your MP this week!

There is huge local effort in North Herefordshire to tackle agricultural pollution in the Wye & Lugg - but we need proper government support for the solutions local people want: farmer-led landscape recovery projects; more funding and teeth for the EA, and a WPZ for the Wye.

Policy must be based on evidence to be effective – so why, given agricultural pollution makes up 40% of the pollution in our waterways, did the government’s Water White Paper dedicate only a single page to addressing it?

It's clear that funding must match the realities of the areas where funding is needed - so why, under the so-called 'Fair Funding Review', will areas like Herefordshire see funding slashed and a removal of remoteness adjustment for all areas but social care?

My constituent has been waiting over five months to get a response from DWP about his UC case - really unacceptable. And this is by no means the only case. I challenged the Minister to ensure that DWP responds to the public - and MPs - within reasonable timescales.

Happy Friday everyone - here with another quick update on what I've been up to as your MP this week!

Among the horrifying testimonies emerging from Iran is the use of sexual assault as a weapon of repression against detainees. The UK govt urgently must raise these accounts in their conversations with Iranian representatives & lay out steps to support the safety of protestors.

After months of delay, the Warm Homes Plan was finally published yesterday. While the Plan is a very welcome step in tackling fuel poverty and upgrading our housing stock, there is still much more to do to make our homes truly fit for the future.

Absolutely ludicrous that Trump has invited Putin and Netanyahu to sit on the Board of Peace for Gaza - the future of Gaza must be decided by Palestinians, not lorded over by foreign leaders with no respect for international law.

If you're wondering how seriously Starmer takes the responsibility of PMQs, today he chose to completely dodge my question about water pollution and support for farmers - and instead rant about America, nuclear weapons, and cocaine. Utterly ridiculous behaviour.

It's clear that the government's strategy of attempting to appease Donald Trump has roundly failed; when you cede ground to a bully, you only embolden them further. It's time for the UK to show some genuine backbone in the face of the US President's aggression and unreliability.

Rural constituencies like North Herefordshire have specific needs when it comes to SEND provision - making it more than disappointing when plans for a new specialist school in the county were cancelled last year & replaced with grossly inadequate funding allocation.

The Iranian people, and women and girls in particular, have spent many years putting their lives at risk to protest against the repressive regime. We must stand in solidarity with them in their fight for the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and right to protest.

Ridiculous that young people, who are not able to drive as a means of transport, are so often excluded from conversations around concessionary bus travel. We need free bus travel for young people, disabled people, and the elderly as standard - not based on a postcode lottery.