A Visit to Hammersmith by the Irish President
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
President Catherine Connolly at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith
June 1, 2026
Parliament has been in recess since the 21 st of May meaning more time out and about in Hammersmith and Chiswick.
We had an outstanding result for Labour in the local elections in Hammersmith and Fulham last month, with more than half of the best ward results across London. A huge congratulations has to go to Leader of the Council, Stephen Cowan, the Council has implemented many policies that have benefitted residents such as free social care and breakfast clubs in schools, which clearly have resonated with voters. Congratulations also to Mayor Sharon Holder, who is staying on as Mayor for another year.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council have an ambitious manifesto which they will now implement but the results achieved in the election are based on a solid record of local achievement and good quality councillors.
Recently I visited the Irish Cultural Centre to meet Irish President, Catherine Connolly, on her first official visit to the UK. It was a wonderful event, and the President was delighted by the high quality of music and dance on show. The Irish Cultural Centre is one of the premier locations for Irish Culture in the UK and we are very lucky to have it in Hammersmith.
Eid Al-Adha took place last week, one of the main festivals for the Muslim Community, the wonderful weather this year meant there were celebrations in Wormholt and Wendell Parks, Wormwood Scrubs and Eel Brook Common.
Eid celebrations in a local park
This weekend we had the Big Thames Clean up on Sunday and I joined volunteers to help clean the foreshore between Chiswick Pier and Hammersmith Bridge
In justice news, before recess, I spoke in the King’s Speech debate on the legislative programme for the Ministry of Justice for the next year including the changes to jury trial, the Hillsborough Bill and new laws on asylum and immigration. On family courts, I asked the Lord Chancellor a question about family mediation which is highly successful but underused. I met the Family Courts Minister Baroness Levitt to talk about a change the law for cohabiting couples, and I spoke in a debate on domestic abuse and the family courts.
The White Paper on youth justice has now been introduced, and I spoke in the debate. I also met with the Chair of the Youth Justice Board to discuss Justice Committee’s inquiry into youth custody. The Justice Committee held an evidence session on alternatives to custody, especially for women prisoners. We heard from witnesses Antony King, Managing Director for Citizens Services at Serco, and Claire Hubberstey, Chief Executive of One Small Thing.
Historic England has launched two new funds, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, that are now open for applications. The funds provide capital grants to support urgent repairs, long-term sustainability, or conservations projects for places of worship or heritage sites. Please check the Historic England website before applying to check if your project is eligible.
This summer there are a couple of fantastic events celebrating W B Yeats’ life in Bedford Park. On Thursday 18th June there will be a poetry evening with special guest Imtiaz Dharker at St Michael and All Angels. On Sunday 21st June there is a literary walk starting from Ravenscourt Park tube station and ending near Turnham Green tube station. You can book tickets to both these events through the W B Yeats Bedford Park Art Project.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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