Starting to Learn the Ropes in a New Job

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Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick

Andy Slaughter

July 27, 2026

Last week was a very busy one, with our new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, officially appointed on Monday. I am delighted to be appointed as Solicitor General in the Prime Minister’s new government. I have spent a week getting my feet under the table and learning the ropes as this is very different from chairing the Justice Select Committee.

The PM has promised that giving people across the country breathing space is a top priority and households in Hammersmith & Chiswick and across the UK will be pleased this week at the immediate action being taken to address the cost of living.

Across the UK people will benefit this winter from immediate action to help with their electricity bills, which was announced as one of the PMs first decisions in office. This will be done by abolishing VAT on domestic electricity bills 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. This will benefit all 30 million households in Britain. Care homes, some charities and some small businesses will also benefit.

Additionally, from January 2027 most bus fares will be capped at £2, while we are very lucky in London with very affordable bus travel, elsewhere in the country this is not the case so it is brilliant to see public transport being made more affordable for everyone.

Another of the PMs first policies is to support pubs, clubs and live music venues by cutting business rates by 20% for over 30,000 venues across the country. It has been a difficult few years for the sector and with these venues at the heart of communities it is important that we help them to thrive. Pubs in Hammersmith and Chiswick have been writing to me for a while now about the rising costs they face and the struggle this causes, so I hope that these measures will make a difference to them.

It will take me a couple of weeks to get myself up to date on matters with my new role and I am also taking a short holiday in August, but I still intend to be just as engaged with local communities in Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush and Chiswick. I’ll be taking a short break from these newsletters until September, but please keep in touch on local and national issues that are important to you.

 

Best wishes,

Andy

andy@andyslaughter.com

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