Palestine Embassy Opening, Prison Escapes and Venezuela
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter MP
January 12, 2026
Happy New Year to all my constituents in Hammersmith and Chiswick. Parliament was back last week and as busy as ever.
On Monday last week I was honoured to attend the Palestine Embassy opening in Hammersmith following the UK’s historic recognition of the State of Palestine, which I later spoke about in the commons. The embassy was opened by Ambassador Husam Zomlot and 14-year-old Obeida, who was evacuated to the UK for medical treatment after losing two of his limbs in Israeli bombings.
Last week I spoke in the Chamber about the recent prison escapes, and asked if the Government will look again at the policy and process for moving prisoners to open prisons earlier in their sentence as a consequence of prison overcrowding.
I also asked a question about the US intervention in Venezuela and if the government has its own analysis on whether the acts of US forces comply with the rule of law.
Last Wednesday there was a debate on jury trials and the government’s plans to restrict juries in cases where the anticipated sentence will be three years or less. As Chair of the Justice Committee, I understand the pressures on our courts and the need to bring down the backlogs that impede cases from going to trial as a matter of urgency. There is no perfect solution, and any move to tackle the backlog will have gains and losses, but where we draw the line between jury trial and other modes of trial is a matter of degree and judgment, not of legal or moral principle.
The Justice Select Committee, had its first evidence session in the inquiry into access to justice last week. The committee heard from senior representatives of The Law Society, Legal Aid Practitioners Group and The Bar Council.
In other committee news, we visited two prisons last week, Feltham Young Offender Institution, as part of the inquiry into youth justice and HMP Bronzefield, the largest women’s prison in Europe which is considered an example of how prisons can be run well. As ever, I am incredibly grateful to all those who spoke with the Committee members and I and gave us insight into life and work in the prisons.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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