9 November 2026
Dear resident
As the nights draw in, my team and I have been as busy as ever, from fighting bus cuts to getting repairs done on local estates.
I know many of you are worried about council tax, and I want to reassure you that this is my top priority.
Both Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea councils have warned residents that they are considering unprecedented rises next year, after the government’s new funding formula cut their grants and gave them the power to raise bills by an unlimited amount for two years.
I recognise the government wants to redistribute some funding from London to the rest of the country, but I do not agree with the route it has chosen.
In recent months, working alongside my fellow MPs Andy Slaughter and Joe Powell, I have been holding – and continue to hold – extensive discussions with ministers, officials and advisers. We are pressing hard for a fairer deal that lets the councils protect essential services without placing an undue burden on residents.
I know both councils are doing everything they can to keep rises as low as possible. But I am struck by the difference in their approach. While H&F intends to protect the poorest families by maintaining its Council Tax Support Scheme for low-income households, Kensington and Chelsea councillors have already voted to cut their scheme by ten per cent.
No final decision has been made on council tax levels, and I will keep making residents’ case until it is.
There’s plenty more below: my latest challenge to ministers on Palantir, an honest conversation about Europe, making the mansion tax fairer, justice and safer homes after Grenfell, and much besides.
Please get in touch if I can help you in any way at ben.coleman.mp@parliament.uk
Best wishes
Ben
This Remembrance Sunday, I was honoured to lay a wreath at the war memorial in Chelsea, where I attend the service in alternate years with Fulham.
It capped a week of remembrance. The Saturday before, at St Mary Abbots Church, Kensington, I attended the burial of the King’s Colour of the 2nd/13th Battalion (Kensingtons), The London Regiment. Now beyond repair, the flag was laid to rest beside the War Memorial. The battalion served at Vimy Ridge, marched 90 miles through blizzards in Macedonia and fought from Normandy to Arnhem.
Later in the week, after the Gurkha Memorial Day Service, I welcomed residents of the Royal Hospital Chelsea to Parliament, including the first Gurkha Chelsea Pensioner.
We remember all who have served and the debt we owe them.
Thank you to the more than 1,600 residents who have already signed my bus petition opposing TfL’s plans to scrap the C3 and withdraw the 74 between Earl’s Court and Putney – and to all who have shared with me how this would affect you.
These changes would remove important direct links into central London and Charing Cross Hospital, put additional pressure on the already busy 430 route through Fulham and make journeys more difficult for many residents, particularly older and Disabled passengers.
TfL has said it will increase the 430’s frequency. However, as I told them when I met them recently, residents will be sceptical given that they didn’t increase the 14’s frequency to compensate for overcrowding after abolishing the 414 route.
On which note, they’ve promised to have another look at the overcrowding on the 14. I’ll let you know the outcome.
Please sign my petition below and tell me how the changes would affect you so I can make the strongest possible case in my response. You can also respond directly to the consultation, which closes on 16 November, here.
Following my complaints about the District line’s Wimbledon branch, which has become even less reliable, TfL has blamed a train maintenance backlog and says the full timetable is back. But ageing track and points remain a big problem, and because the branch runs more trains than others, its services get cut when things go wrong elsewhere.
Earlier this year, colleagues and I got TfL and Network Rail to spend £500,000 patching up signalling between Wimbledon and East Putney. They’ve also upgraded live arrival information between Earl’s Court and Putney.
But you need trains that turn up, not just better updates about delays. I’ll keep pressing for a reliable service.
I’ve written in the Guardian about my concerns over Palantir’s contract to run the NHS’s main data platform, which joins up hospital data to manage waiting lists and discharges. Read it here. Ministers are reported to be planning a two-year extension when the contract ends next March.
I’ve kept up the pressure against a simple extension, both privately with ministers and publicly on the Health and Social Care Committee, which has recommended against renewing the contract.
A key concern is how effective the platform is. Palantir claims it delivers extra operations and fewer delayed discharges, but this is widely contested. NHS England itself now publicly admits it “cannot draw conclusions about cause and effect” from the figures. Palantir should do the same.
After I pressed him, Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England’s chief executive, told me last week in committee the NHS would now ask Palantir to clear any claims before publishing them. Worryingly, though, he said the contract “looks hard to enforce” on this point. See our exchange here.
At the same session, I challenged the Health Secretary on whether the NHS is locked into Palantir, as many data experts fear. Any extension should test this by requiring the company to show that the NHS’s tools can be moved to another supplier.
In the long run, the NHS needs a common, open standard so that any supplier’s software works with NHS data, just as any UK plug fits any UK socket. Britain has the talent to build this. The government wants to build sovereign British AI in healthcare – this is its opportunity.
I will keep pressing for a decision that puts patients first. The NHS must control its own systems and our data.
Since I was elected, I’ve argued that removing trade barriers with the EU is the fastest route to growth. With the economy uncertain and security threats growing, the case for a closer partnership with Europe keeps getting stronger.
That’s why I welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment at Labour Party Conference to an honest national conversation about all our options with Europe. While there, I met European ambassadors and MPs to discuss closer cooperation.
Last month in Parliament, I made the case for an ambitious relationship with the EU and called for Labour’s next manifesto to commit to negotiating British membership. Watch my speech here.
I also hosted an event for MPs on helping young people from every background gain experience abroad through Erasmus+.
Last week, I was invited to Brussels to speak to MEPs, think tanks and others about how Britain sees its future with Europe. Later this month, I’ll join fellow MPs and MEPs at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, of which I am a member. I’ll be pressing for closer work on AI, Britain’s inclusion in the EU’s “Made in Europe” scheme and easier working across borders for professionals and touring artists.
The assembly comes just before the UK-EU Summit on 20 November. Talks may go down to the wire, but I’m optimistic we will cut trade barriers for food and drink, strengthen energy cooperation and widen opportunities for young people – practical steps that will curb rising costs, boost growth and build trust for what comes next.
For our longer-term EU relationship, options range from a customs union to full membership. I’m planning a local meeting in Chelsea and Fulham so we can talk through them together – focusing on the world as it is now rather than refighting old battles.
I share many residents’ concerns about the High Value Council Tax Surcharge, commonly called the ‘mansion tax’, which will apply from April 2028 to homes in England valued at £2 million or more.
It must be made as fair as possible, and I have been working with fellow central London MPs to make that case to the Treasury. I have also made my own detailed technical representations, drawing on expert advice from residents – I am grateful to everyone who contributed.
As a result, the government has confirmed a deferral scheme. Households with an income of £35,000 or less, savings of £16,000 or less or a member who meets disability criteria can delay payment, with interest, until the property changes hands, such as on sale or death.
I was also pleased the government listened to me and other London MPs and decided before the Budget not to lower the threshold to £1.5 million. That would have drawn thousands more local homes into the tax.
I will keep pressing ministers on concerns, including the impact on affordable housing if the surcharge deters investment in new high-value homes. Councils could lose some of the developer contributions they rely on to fund affordable homes and local infrastructure.
Everyone deserves a safe, well-run home and a landlord who listens. When residents aren’t being heard, I bring their housing provider to the table – and keep coming back until things change. In recent weeks, that has secured new commitments on two estates.
On Peabody’s Lillie Road estate in Fulham, I have been holding regular meetings between residents and their landlord for a decade, since I was their local councillor. In October, residents raised concerns about anti-social behaviour, security, CCTV, parking and repairs.
As a result, Peabody will now include residents in estate walkabouts, review security, investigate complaints about its parking contractor PCM and improve communication. New volunteers have also joined the tenants’ and residents’ association (TRA) to help drive these changes.
On Guinness’s Kings Road estate in Chelsea, residents have been frustrated by poor repairs, maintenance and estate management. In October, I brought them face to face with senior leaders from the housing association for the first time.
As a result, Guinness has committed to faster, better repairs, clearer communication and improved lighting and security. Neighbours are now coming together to form a TRA.
Thank you to everyone who came along and spoke up. I’ll hold follow-up meetings on both estates in the new year to make sure residents see the changes promised.
More than nine years on from Grenfell, justice is finally moving closer for the bereaved families and survivors. The Metropolitan Police have referred the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the Crown Prosecution Service for possible offences, including corporate manslaughter. After almost a decade of waiting, those responsible must be held to account, and lessons must be learned so that a tragedy like Grenfell never happens again.
Yet too many people across the country are still living in unsafe buildings and waiting for essential safety works. That is why I was proud to vote for the government’s Remediation of Unsafe Cladding Bill at second reading last month. It will help remove unsafe cladding faster, strengthen protections for residents and crack down on those responsible for unsafe cladding. New measures will also protect more leaseholders from the costs.
Personal evacuation plans for Disabled residents, which I pushed for, became law this year, and I’m glad the Bill strengthens them further by covering risks inside people’s homes. For Chelsea and Fulham, this is an important step towards making homes safe for everyone.
Chelsea and Fulham is home to some of the world’s most pioneering cancer care. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I saw it first hand at the Royal Marsden Hospital with Health Secretary Yvette Cooper and Ashley Dalton MP, who is advising on the National Cancer Plan.
We heard about the government-funded FAST-Forward Boost trial, led by the Institute of Cancer Research, also in Chelsea. This is testing whether breast radiotherapy can be safely delivered in five days instead of three weeks, which would mean up to 10 fewer hospital trips and more time at home.
The Royal Marsden and Charing Cross Hospital are both recruiting, and more than 1,000 patients have now joined across the UK. To find out about taking part in research, visit bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk.
There is progress, too, on brain cancer, which claimed almost 3,800 lives in England in 2023. An expert review will now shape a national plan to get new treatments to patients faster. Having met campaigners such as Alexandra, whose daughter Yasmin inspired the Yasmin Tarn Foundation, based in Fulham, I know how much this matters to families. You can donate to the foundation here.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the government’s consultation on plans for a third runway at Heathrow over the summer. Ministers are now considering the responses, including whether any scheme can meet their tests on climate, air quality and noise.
Residents tell me their biggest concern is noise – expansion would double the number of loud flights a day. Many also worry about the impact on air quality, the climate and the value of their homes.
I’m not convinced the benefits would outweigh the harm, and I’m minded to oppose expansion. I will keep pressing ministers to apply their tests rigorously and make sure Chelsea and Fulham’s views are heard.
Heathrow is now running its own consultation on its plans until 22 December. Please let them know what you think.
As Trade Envoy for Morocco and Francophone West Africa, my job is to help British businesses win contracts abroad. Last month, I led the UK delegation to the West and Central Africa Forum (WCAF) in Guinea, organised by UK Export Finance and attended by 1,400 delegates, including 97 UK companies.
Since last year’s WCAF in Togo, where I also led the UK delegation, contracts signed in the region are set to bring £330 million of business to British firms. This year’s forum added new deals worth around £50 million more to the UK.
I met President Doumbouya to discuss deepening trade and investment between the UK and Guinea. I also gave a television interview in French – brave viewers can judge my accent here from 3:39.
I’ll keep banging the drum for British business.
What the Budget means for Chelsea and Fulham
Help with bills. More than 25,000 local households will get £100 towards energy bills this winter. Fuel duty stays frozen, VAT stays off electricity bills until July and gas standing charges will go.
Fairer pay. The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rise by 3.9% from April 2027, and self-employed parents can get statutory parental pay for the first time.
Support for carers. The Carer’s Allowance cliff edge will end, so unpaid carers won’t lose all support for earning just over the limit.
Getting on the housing ladder. Your First Home will help first-time buyers into new-build homes with just a 2.5% deposit and a 20% government equity loan, on homes up to £650,000 in London. Lifetime ISA penalties are cut for homes above £450,000, a new First Time Buyer ISA with a 25% bonus will follow and there is an extra £1.5 billion for social and affordable housing.
Savings and pensions. The tax-free Cash ISA allowance stays at £20,000, and pensioners on no more than the full new State Pension won’t pay income tax this Parliament.
Backing local business. Business rates are frozen for more than 3,600 high street businesses across our two boroughs, and two-thirds of London’s shops, pubs, restaurants and leisure venues will pay none at all (excluding vape and betting shops). Support for women-owned start-ups doubles to £200 million, high-growth founders get a 10% Capital Gains Tax relief on gains up to £10 million and non-compete clauses will be reformed to make it easier to change jobs or start a business.
Everyday fixes
Not every change has to be big. The government is also fixing the everyday problems that, as Andy Burnham says, “cost people money or simply aren’t fair”. These include:
Each newsletter, I spotlight remarkable charities in Chelsea and Fulham. Please consider supporting their work.
Royal Hospital Chelsea
Since 1692, the Royal Hospital Chelsea has been home to army veterans – the Chelsea Pensioners, whose scarlet coats are a familiar and much-loved sight. As we mark Remembrance, help make sure they get the care and community they deserve.
Fulham Good Neighbours
For years, Fulham Good Neighbours has helped older people, including those living with dementia, stay independent at home, with volunteers lending a hand with DIY, gardening and decorating. Small jobs can make a big difference.
Age UK Kensington & Chelsea
Age UK Kensington & Chelsea supports thousands of older people with advice, activities and practical help. It is also working closely with its neighbours in Hammersmith & Fulham to make sure older people across both boroughs continue to get the support they need.
