Rushanara Ali

There are widespread reports that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has made plans to unilaterally annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, as early as 1 July. Continue reading

On 16 June, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the Foreign Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DFID) will be merged.  Continue reading

The murder of George Floyd while being restrained by a white police officer in Minneapolis has sparked widespread outrage and protests in the US and across the globe.      Continue reading

On 2 June, the Government published its report -Disparities in the risk and outcomes of Covid-19. Read the full report here.  The report concluded that “the impact of Covid-19 has replicated existing health inequalities and, in some cases, has increased them.” The report highlights the virus’ disproportionate impact on the BAME community. It found that people of Bangladeshi background face the greatest danger of dying from the disease, and are twice as likely to die from it compared to those from white British backgrounds. Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Other Asian, Caribbean and Other Black ethnicities had between 10 and 50% greater risk of dying.It also found that the highest diagnosis rates were found in black ethnic groups, and the lowest rates were found in white ethnic groups.   Continue reading

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Responding to a written question by Rushanara Ali MP, on the average length of time taken to commence and complete an investigation into the services of the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department revealed that it took an average of 80 weeks between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020.  The Independent Case Examiner deals with the most serious and complex cases against the Department for Work and Pensions, which include excessive delays in receiving payments, poor customer service and failure to follow procedures.    Commenting on the response, Rushanara Ali, Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow, said:   'It is completely unacceptable that people with the most serious complaints against the Department for Work and Pensions have to face over 18 months of stress and difficulty while waiting for a decision. The Government's welfare services are supposed to support people in times of need, not add to their difficulties. The Department must take action now to reduce such extreme delays.' Continue reading

On Thursday 20 May 2020 Cyclone Amphan hit India and Bangladesh, with heavy rainfall and winds of more than 100mph to areas already affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading