A Surprise Revelation at St. Michael and All Angels Church

Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick

Andy Slaughter MP receiving his cake from Islamic Relief Charity

March 13, 2026

As patron of local charity, The Upper Room, I attended the fundraiser at St Michael and All Angels church in Bedford Park – an evening with Sam Harrison.  Sam has run his award-winning restaurants in Chiswick and Hammersmith for over 20 years and relived his journey and why he loves this part of London in front of a packed house.  We heard about his decision to close Sam’s Kitchen in Turnham Green Terrace later this month to concentrate on his two major restaurants in Hammersmith and Brentford.

I joined Hammersmith Community Gardens Association and pupils from Greenside Primary School to plant the new garden outside the school which designs out a problem area replacing it with an urban drainage scheme.

Home Office minister Sarah Jones and I attended the 20th anniversary of the Premier League’s Kicks initiative which gives young people a chance to develop their football skills.  We chose Gunnersbury Park for the London launch to show off the new sports hub and pitches.

I met foodbank provider Trussell Trust to find out about the essential work they have done in Hammersmith & Chiswick over the past year.  Use of their services has fallen 13% which is good, but levels of need are still much higher than ten years ago.

I joined over 100 Muslim constituents at an Iftar meal at White City Community Centre – where the daily fast is broken at sunset during Ramadan.  Delicious food was provided by an army of volunteers and the evening hosted by Mostafa Ragab of the Egyptian Association. I also received a visit at my House of Commons office from charity Islamic Relief who brought cake to help break the fast.

With fellow west London MPs I met a group of refugees supported by great local charity West London Welcome who had come to Westminster to express their concerns about changes in asylum policy currently being consulted on by the Home Secretary.

I visited West London College for colleges week and Bute House school in Brook Green to find out about their community work.

I was shown round the Shepherd's Bush campus of the University of the Arts London which has completed its reorganisation and now hosts 1300 students who complete a pre-degree course to learn and explore the creative arts before specialising in higher education or apprenticeships.  Another great international education institution that has chosen to base itself here.

With colleagues I met the ambassadors of six Arab states, including Palestine, Egypt and Jordan to discuss the war between the US/ Israel and Iran.  The Lebanese Ambassador shared pictures of the horrific bombing of Lebanon by Israeli forces.     

With Hammersmith Community Gardens Association and pupils from Greenside Primary School

In the Commons the main justice event was the second reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which aims to modernise the failing criminal justice system but has attracted controversy by allowing some jury trials to be tried by a judge alone.  You can read my speech here.  I also set aside time to meet litigants in person who have had to go to court on their own to assert their rights – on disability, harassment and employment issues - because there is no legal help available.

All in all, another busy week in Westminster and the constituency.

Best wishes,

Andy

andy@andyslaughter.com

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