Rushanara Ali

On Thursday 23 January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nation’s highest court, ordered the Myanmar government to prevent genocidal violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority, and preserve all evidence of past genocidal acts.  The case, filed by The Gambia, saw the 17 judges unanimously rule that Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government must respect the requirements of the United Nation’s 1948 genocide convention.   

On Tuesday 10 September the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Rights of Rohingya launched its new report - report “A New Shape of Catastrophe”: Two years on from the 2017 Rohingya Crisis.

Rushanara Ali MP has supported a campaign calling for funding to continue the National School Breakfast programme. Rushanara, along with 35 MPs from across the House of Commons wrote to the Minister for Children and Families, Nadhim Zahawi, highlighting the positive impact of the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) and urged the minister for continued funding, to ensure this vital programme can continue the fantastic work it does. The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), delivered by the charities Family Action and Magic Breakfast,  reaches over 1,775 schools in disadvantaged areas across England and provides free and nutritious breakfasts to an estimated 280,000 children every school day, 115 000 of whom are eligible for Pupil Premium funding. In Bethnal Green and Bow, the NSBP provides free school breakfasts across six different schools.  

On 26 June Rushanara Ali MP met constituents in Westminster at The Time Is Now environment and climate lobby. The protest was one of the largest environmental campaigns with an estimated 12,000 people demanding urgent action from MPs on the natural environment and climate change.     

Two years ago, 72 people needlessly lost their lives in the Grenfell disaster. On 10 June 2019, Parliamentarians joined survivors and campaigners to remember those who lost their lives in the horrific tragedy. On 6 June MP’s debated the response to the Grenfell tower fire. Speaking in the debate, Rushanara Ali MP pressed the Government to fund the removal of all dangerous cladding on all buildings, irrespective of their height or purpose. On 29 April, Rushanara held an adjournment debate in support of the campaign organised by Inside Housing, UK Cladding Action Group and Grenfell United, on funding for privately-owned high-rise blocks with dangerous cladding on behalf of her constituents and residents across the country who are leaseholders. Rushanara urged the Government to legislate and make a funding commitment for repairs so that freeholders pay and cannot pass on the bills of thousands of pounds to leaseholders. Rushanara’s debate was featured in Politics Home, The Evening Standard, Inside Housing, 24 Housing and Housing Today.  Following pressure from campaigners and parliamentarians, the Government finally allocated £200 million to remove dangerous ACM cladding from social housing and private tower blocks. Commenting on the announcement, Rushanara Ali MP said: “This is a step in the right direction, however, this funding does not go far enough. It only funds the removal of ACM cladding, meaning that the 1,700 high-rise or high-risk buildings with other forms of dangerous cladding are not protected. It is sickening that two years on, the Government has failed to replace all dangerous cladding from high-rise blocks.”