“So we messed up the Climate. Now who pays?” Barry chairs the think tank discussion on climate finance.

Barry chaired a cross party discussion with Policy Connect with regards to the upcoming COP26. The discussion started off by discussing the thoughts of the other elected representatives both Alex Sobel and Bim Afolami on whether The House of Commons should join the Transition Pathway Initiative as transparency is vital. The discussion then moved onto the much considered “elephant in the room” at COP which is loss and damage.

Loss and damage is everything that we cannot adapt to with regards to protecting the climate and in which developing countries are harmed by anthropogenic climate change and proved to be a very thought provoking discussion.

The intriguing discussion can be viewed in its entirety below;

“Are we really paying enough for our strawberries?” Barry explores the issue of agricultural migrant labour and why people in Britain do not want to work down on the farm!

Barry grilled Tom Bradshaw, Vice President of the National Union of Farmers and David Camp, Chief Executive of the Association of Labour Providers at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Barry gave both witnesses a tough time and didn’t let them off the hook when asking for solutions and only analysis was presented. The full exchange can be viewed below.

Barry challenges the Chancellor

Barry was in the chamber today and challenged the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak on the lack of financial support for the hospitality sector. Barry pointed out to the Chancellor that in his May announcement gave delight to 9000 businesses in the borough of Brent for grants up to £25,000. But the detail was all too different. The money released to businesses in Brent from the Treasury was the equivalent of £366 per business.

Barry chairs a discussion on a ‘Global Deal for Nature and a Green Recovery’

The APPG for Nature held a virtual event on the Global Deal for Nature and a Green Recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. As Chair of the APPG, Barry hosted the discussion which had an expert panel.

You can see the full discussion here;

Barry grills the Ministry of Defence during the Environmental Audit Committee

This week Barry crossed swords with the Military Generals over the environmental sustainability of Defence Procurement. During the grilling, Barry pushed the Generals over whether they considered climate change to be a significant geo-strategic military threat, much as our neighbours across the Atlantic in the Pentagon do. Barry also forced the Generals to answer whether they would commit to culminating and quantifying individual impact assessments so that they can gain an overall picture into the climate impact of military projects.

To watch the, at times heated exchange, click the link below.

Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman

Today our community came together in an act of grief, of tribute and of unity.

We gathered at the top of Gotfords Hill in Fryent Country Park. For many of the 200 or so people who attended, this was the first time they had felt able to visit the park since the ghastly murder of the two sisters, Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman.

Their mother Wilhelmina, had written a moving tribute to her two beautiful and talented daughters and gave even those of us who did not know them, a window into the joy of their lives. Prayers, cleansing and reclaiming the park, were led by the Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent. The local vicar Natasha Woodward, who had convened the event, conducted the service; and I spoke of the way that the murders had defiled two full and love-filled lives, the Smallman family, and our whole community. And as we laid our flowers in silent tribute, all of us there expressed our solidarity with the family against the evil that has struck them and our determination not to let the horror of the murders infect our love of that ancient and beautiful space at the heart of our Borough.

The family members themselves had come to visit the park two days earlier to pay their respects and they had specifically asked that the Park should not be remembered as a place of horror, but as a place of peace and beauty.

There are serious concerns about the initial police response and the ghoulish release of photographs which I have raised with the Borough Commander and these are now subject to separate investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct. Today was not the occasion to dwell upon those. But all of us present felt a real sense of relief that a man had earlier been arrested in connection with the murders.

We pray that justice is served and that Bibaa and Nicole may rest in peace.

Round up of Barry on Politics Live

Barry was on Politics Live yesterday before Labour leader Keir Starmer faced off against Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Question Time.

Barry discussed the Government’s response to coronavirus, the safety of people whether they be going back to work or to school and the impact the virus has had on businesses and the furlough scheme. The best bits from yesterday can be viewed below.

Barry interrogates witnesses about food provision during Covid-19

Barry interviewed witnesses during Tuesday’s Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee regarding food supplies during Covid-19. He interrogated both Professor Lang, Professor of Food Policy at University of London and Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation He pushed witnesses to comment on the differences between the centralised and community based approaches to providing food for vulnerable individuals who were shielding from Covid-19.

Barry was concerned that no account had been taken of what sort of food people would eat and the nutritional value of them depending on the diverse make up of each constituency and whether the Government recognised the importance of community based provision with regards to food parcels for the shielding.

Barry also touched on food voucher schemes and why there appeared to be a disconnect between supermarkets that would normally take part in these schemes to help those that needed these vouchers the most and whether the issues were rectified quick enough.

The full exchange can be viewed below

Barry writes to the Chancellor regarding support for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Industry

Barry has written to Rishi Sunak regarding the inadequate Government  support for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Industry.

The Government promised to do “whatever it takes” to combat the economic and health impacts of Covid-19. Therefore, the latest announcement that Government has allocated just £3.3m to the London Borough of Brent is pitiful.

There are 9,000 businesses in Brent that might reasonably qualify under the government’s published criteria. Simple arithmetic dictates that on this basis, each firm could expect no more than £366. This is nowhere near the sums of £10,000 or £25,000 that businesses were led to expect.

Watch: Barry seeks assurances from The Home Secretary

Barry was in Parliament today to ask for assurances from The Home Secretary Priti Patel regarding his constituent and the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

The Home Secretary advised that if presented with the case she would be happy to help. Barry will hold her at her word and demanded action as they have waited far too long already for a British passport, compensation for how he has been treated as well as loss of earnings.