Westminster Hall
8 September 2026
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Westminster Hall House of Commons
00:28 - 00:32
Speaker 1
Order, order. I call Catherine West to move the motion.
00:32 - 02:32
Speaker 2
Thank you very much, Sir Christopher, and it's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning. And I want to thank the Backbench Committee for bringing forward this debate. And I'm honored to represent one of the most diverse, inclusive, and welcoming communities in the world, I believe. 180 languages are spoken in our schools, and both Haringey and Barnet councils, together with community partners, have been instrumental in ensuring that our community is a place where discrimination and hatred are rejected and diversity is celebrated. And I'm very proud of the excellent Haringey and Barnet multi-faith forums, and I know that the Metropolitan Police's independent advisory group in Barnet and Haringey also do great work.
And we have members of those different groups today with us in the gallery. My job is to work with the community to promote Hornsey and Friern Barnet as a beacon of diversity and integration that shines a light on what can be achieved when the whole community comes together. And we have a long and rich history of challenging hate. In 1977, the Battle of Wood Green at Ducketts Common saw a rainbow coalition led by Jewish, Irish, and Black communities unite to drive out the far-right National Front. And Councillor Sheila Peacock, now in her 90s, remembers those days very well.
In recent years, Hornsey and Friern Barnet has become a safe haven for those fleeing persecution from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, and other conflict zones around the world. And later today, I will host a round table with HIAS JCORE, which has its roots in the Kindertransport movement, to discuss support for newly arrived communities. We have a long and rich history of challenging hatred, and that means we stand against antisemitism. And Mr. Chairman, it's been a frightening and dark six months. On the 2nd of October last year, two Jewish people were killed and three left in a serious condition after a car ramming and stabbing attack outside the Heaton synagogue in Manchester.
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