24 September 2026
Dear resident
Parliament is back, schools have returned, and the summer holidays are behind us. My focus remains the same: listening to residents, getting you a hearing from others, and working with you to secure results.
We’ve hit the ground running – welcoming more than 70 people to my first community coffee morning in Fulham, and chasing Kensington & Chelsea Council for answers on behalf of residents on the Cremorne estate, Chelsea.
Read on for more: holding the NHS to account, two women’s fights against rare cancers, being ambitious about Europe, results for residents, standing against injustice and hate, listening to transgender constituents, and my vote on assisted dying.
One issue I’m raising directly with ministers is the mansion tax. I’m keenly aware of Budget speculation that the threshold for the proposed High Value Council Tax Surcharge – or “mansion tax” – might be reduced to £1.5 million. That’s the value of ordinary homes in Chelsea and Fulham which families have lived in for many years.
When the same threshold was first suggested last year, I made the case against it and was pleased it didn’t go ahead. Now that the idea has resurfaced, I’m making that case strongly again to ministers, as are fellow London Labour MPs.
Please get in touch if I can help you in any way at ben.coleman.mp@parliament.uk
Best wishes
Ben
Many people on the Cremorne estate in Chelsea are concerned about the council’s plans for a new heating system, which could cost around £12,000 per property. At a meeting I held last September, council officers promised to answer residents’ questions in writing about costs, future charges and the need for the scheme.
Sadly, between November 2025 and July 2026, I then wrote to or chased the council seven times for the answers, including a Freedom of Information request and a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office. I was met each time with silence, delay or a thin response.
So I was glad when, at my meeting this month with Cremorne residents, councillors apologised for council officers’ failure to respond and promised to get the answers. Residents are looking forward to that.
You can see a lively report of the meeting from the Chelsea Citizen here.
In the Health and Social Care Committee, I’ve continued to challenge NHS England over its £330 million contract with Palantir for the Federated Data Platform. Costs are rising, projected benefits are falling and claims about its impact remain unsubstantiated. Most recently, I raised concerns about an NHS official suppressing criticism from the National Data Guardian before Palantir’s contract was awarded.
On a different front, after working on this for a year, I’m glad the government has dropped a clause from the Health Bill which would have kicked local authorities off local health boards (Integrated Care Boards). It sounds technical, but it matters: you can’t fix the NHS without fixing social care, and you can’t fix social care without local councils. The change would have weakened the joined-up working patients need. Watch the full story in my new mini-series, ‘Unpacking Westminster’.
I’m also pleased that the government is strengthening school food standards after I raised the issue in the Health Committee and hosted young campaigners from Bite Back in Parliament. The new rules will mean healthier school meals for children, with more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains on the menu and an end to deep-fried foods.
Following measles outbreaks in London, I’ve again pressed ministers to expand vaccination through pharmacies, which worked during Covid. I want the government to act before more children are put at risk by a preventable disease.
This month I met two determined women confronting rare cancers.
Zoe, a Chelsea resident, was diagnosed earlier this year with inflammatory breast cancer – a rare, aggressive cancer that’s often caught late. Since then, she and her mother Laura have made the podcast “Inflammatory Breast Cancer WTF?!”, charting her treatment and pushing for wider awareness. We talked about getting GPs to spot it sooner, faster referrals and more funding for rare cancers.
I met Alexandra, from Fulham, at a Brain Cancer Justice event in Parliament. Her daughter Yasmin died last year, aged just 22, after nearly five years living with a brain tumour. In her memory, Alexandra set up the Yasmin Tarn Foundation, funding research and support to improve treatment and outcomes for people with brain cancer.
Both stories point to the need for better research, recognition and treatment for rarer cancers. I’ll keep pressing ministers on this.
I’m pleased Andy Burnham is as pro-European as his predecessor. I’ve urged ministers to be bolder in getting us back at the EU table – and to close deals to reduce food and energy costs, create opportunities for young people and strengthen our defences. Much of this work is well advanced, and I hope it can be concluded at the delayed EU summit later this year.
Russia’s thuggery in Ukraine and its growing “hybrid” campaign of sabotage, cyber-attacks and disinformation abroad threaten us here. So I was glad to join members of the Ukrainian Parliament and MEPs at the European Parliament in London to talk about how parliaments, governments and voluntary groups can work together to strengthen defence and security in Ukraine and at home.
At a European Movement event celebrating language learning and international exchange, I highlighted how the UK had joined the Erasmus+ programme, enabling young people to study, work and gain experience abroad regardless of their background.
The government has announced it intends to ban taking and sharing sexual images of children, but I fear tech companies may push back and get support from the other side of the Atlantic. I’ve pressed ministers to work closely with Europe to protect children across our continent.
To hear more of my thoughts on Britain’s future relationship with the EU, watch my mini-series, “Ben Talks Europe”.
Over the summer, my team and I answered more than 3,300 emails from residents and resolved almost 700 problems. Housing, benefits, pensions, tax, council services, local infrastructure – whatever it is, we keep going until residents see a result.
Keeping people housed
Sorting out lifts
Getting money back
If I can help you with anything, please get in touch at ben.coleman.mp@parliament.uk.
I stand behind the government’s new sanctions on illegal settlements on Israel’s West Bank. As the Foreign Secretary told the House of Commons, our argument is not with the people of Israel but with the conduct of the Netanyahu government. Criticising it for settler extremism against Palestinians is not antisemitism.
Equally, as the Foreign Secretary said, holding British Jews responsible for the actions of the Netanyahu government is antisemitism, plain and simple. Rising antisemitism in the UK is unacceptable, and I welcome the government’s new £250 million to boost security for Jewish communities.
I was pleased to meet again with a group of transgender constituents and allies in Parliament to hear their worries and fears about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s new guidance for services and public bodies. They told me about the impact on their daily lives and their concerns about accessing services, healthcare and public spaces.
I’m struck by how much crueller the tone of this debate has become, and I don’t think that serves anyone. Trans people need to be protected from discrimination and prejudice like anyone else. I’m grateful to those who took the time to share their experiences with me. I’ll keep listening and raising what I hear.
On 11 September, MPs voted again on the Assisted Dying Bill. As I did at Third Reading last year, I voted against.
I recognise there are sincere, deeply felt views on both sides. But I remained concerned the Bill did not provide sufficient safeguards for vulnerable people, including Disabled people and those who may feel under pressure at the end of life. I was also mindful of concerns raised by the Royal Colleges representing psychiatrists, physicians, nurses and GPs, and of government analysis suggesting assisted dying could disproportionately affect some minority groups.
You can read more about my position here.
A lot’s happened since we got a new Prime Minister. Here are my summer highlights.
A fairer deal for rail passengers
As of this week, you can switch rail operators for free when disruption hits. It means more flexible journeys and less cost when things go wrong.
More money in families’ pocket
Families can now get cheaper school uniforms, more free school meals and breakfast clubs, plus up to £8,000 a year in government-funded childcare.
VAT off energy bills this winter
As the war in Iran continues to push up energy prices, households are facing another difficult winter. From 1 October, the government will remove VAT from domestic energy bills, easing some the pressure.
Getting young people into work
A new Youth Jobs Guarantee and retail work experience scheme will help tens of thousands of young people move off benefits and into training and work.
Keeping children safer online
The government is toughening laws against the sharing of sexual images of children online, and holding big tech companies to account.
Ending rough sleeping
No one should sleep on the streets. The government has pledged that everyone in England will have a route off them and into support by Christmas.
Backing Britain’s pubs
Pubs are the heart of our communities – so the government is extending business rates support to help protect venues, jobs and local high streets.
Taking back our high streets
New powers will let councils tackle clusters of betting shops and regulate vape sales, giving communities more say over their high streets.
Each newsletter, I spotlight remarkable charities connected to Chelsea and Fulham. Please consider supporting their work.
In Yasmin’s memory
After losing her daughter Yasmin to a brain tumour at the age of just 22, local resident Alexandra established the Yasmin Tarn Foundation. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and young adults under 40 in the UK – and the Foundation is working to change that, funding research and supporting efforts to improve treatment and survival rates.
Zoe’s story
Local resident Zoe lives with inflammatory breast cancer. Meeting her reminded me how vital awareness and research are for rare cancers that can be hard to diagnose – inflammatory breast cancer accounts for less than 5% of all breast cancer cases and can be easily missed. The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK supports patients and families, campaigns for better understanding among healthcare professionals, and works to improve outcomes through research and education.
Backing dads, helping children
Visiting West London Action for Children, I was moved by their Dads Matter programme, which helps fathers on Universal Credit build stronger relationships with their children and connect with others facing similar challenges. Each group is deliberately small – just 4 to 10 dads – so everyone has room to talk, listen and learn from each other.
