Wembley Matters readers urged to write to Barry Gardiner, Dawn Butler and Sarah Jones MPs on plight of the hunger strikers whose lives are on the line

dawn.butler.mp@parliament.uk  https://twitter.com/dawnbutlerbrent

sarah.jones.mp@parliament.uk  https://twitter.com/LabourSJ

barry.gardiner.mp@parliament.uk   https://x.com/BarryGardiner

 Remember to include your full postal address to prove that you are a constituent.

 

Noreen Scott is urging readers of Wembley Matters to write to Dawn Butler MP, (Brent East), Sarah Jones MP (Croydon Central) and Barry Gardiner MP (Brent West0, all MPs who have constituents on hunger strike, to write to their MP  (addresses above) along the following lines. 

Dear Dawn, Sarah and Barry,

We were very disturbed to read the following report in relation to one of the hunger strikers, Teuta Hoxha, a constituent of Sarah Jones MP, but our concerns remain the same in relation to all other hunger strikers, your constituents, their families and visiting friends.

In the circumstances,  we would appreciate if you could make enquiries as to…

WHY 

“Relatives of Teuta Hoxha, a Palestine Action activist on a long-term hunger strike, reported being followed by drones after attempting to visit her at HMP Peterborough”?

AND WHY:

Family members including Hoxha's 17-year-old sister, Rahma, who travelled to HMP Peterborough in December 2025, reported being turned away and refused the visit by prison authorities for wearing "banned colours”!?

Since when have prison authorities in the UK banned colours that VISITORS wear and under whose authority?

“Following the refused entry, the family alleged they were followed home by drones."

With regards to the family reportedly followed home by drones, under whose authority would this have happened, and WHY?

Teuta Hoxha, 29, began her hunger strike on 9th November 2025 and has now reached day 56 of her protest, “with reports stating she could barely stand without blacking out and was experiencing severe cognitive difficulties.”

The apparent unjustified authoritarian treatment endured by the hunger strikers, together with reported legal breaches, highlight that these and all other related complaints must be thoroughly addressed and investigated immediately.

Before being incarcerated, without having been convicted of any crime, Lewie Chiaramello was a resident of Brent East. Lewie's MP is Dawn Butler.  Lewie joined the hunger strike on alternate days on 24th November, despite being type 1 diabetic. This medical condition, along with his hunger strike, is life-threatening.

Barry Gardiner (MP for Brent West) is Heba Muraisi’s MP. Heba has been on hunger strike since 3rd November 2025, which is now 62 days..

“After 62 days on a hunger strike, the body is in a state of advanced, severe starvation, leading to critical organ impairment and placing the individual in an immediate, life-threatening situation. Survival beyond this point without medical intervention is extremely unlikely, as death often occurs between 46 and 73 days.”

Heba has also been placed in New Hall Prison, West Yorkshire, a cruel long journey from Brent for her parents and loved ones.

Another of Barry Gardiner’s constituents, Qesser Zuhrah, was on hunger strike since 2nd November,  but paused it after 48 days on 23rd December. 

Concerningly, there have been widespread reports that “Qesser’s rights and freedoms have constantly been abused by the prison, including arbitrary restrictions on visits, closed visits, and being put into solitary confinement. Also, prison staff have forced her to remove her kuffiyah hijab, and confiscated all of her hijabs with the kuffiyah pattern from her cell. Her cell was (reportedly) searched without reason or respect for her privacy. On one occasion a guard reportedly stormed into her cell without his bodycam on, to rip off the flowers she had put in her window, each symbolising a Palestinian martyr.”

Further alarming reports have been that, after experiencing severe pain in her chest and collapsing on the floor of her cell at HMP Bronzefield in agony, she begged for an ambulance. She was denied an ambulance all night, and well into the next day, in flagrant violation of her human right to medical care. The actions of prison staff were so inhumane and wreckless, as to suggest they want her to die. This appears to be negligence in a duty of care and misconduct of prison medical staff - potential misconduct, so serious, that in any scenario outside of prison, they would surely be struck off, and even face criminal proceedings.

As MPs, you have a duty of care to your constituents, including all the hunger strikers. We therefore implore you to speak up immediately, taking all measures within your power to raise these grave concerns with the UK Government, and seek immediate action to address their concerns and alleviate such unnecessary suffering.

These young people took action to save lives, and stop the genocide against Palestinians. They are prisoners of conscience. They should be released immediately on bail, and have the opportunity to prepare for a fair trial, without unlawful interference in the judicial process.

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) upholds the human rights of prisoners, and states that no prisoner should be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment, and they have a right to receive the same medical care that anyone would receive outside of prison. 

It seems that all these political prisoners have been subject to treatment from the British government and prison authorities that served no clear purpose, other than to inflict psychological torment on them, their families and loved ones, such as the denial of visits, and depriving them of communications and support.  

We call upon you to use your influence as MPs, and take immediate and decisive action to save the lives of these prisoners of conscience, who could tragically die at any given moment; which many constituents may view as a direct result of neglect and depraved indifference of the British government, and prison authorities. 

Due to our urgent humanitarian concerns above, we urge all readers to send a similar letter to their MPs. 

Brent constituents:
Noreen Scott
Saba Chaudry
Fitzroy Lee
Gaynor Lloyd

Kwabena Nyack: A constituent of Sarah Jones, Labour MP for Croydon Central

Addresses supplied.

Please email Noreen at noreenscott@hotmail.co.uk to let her know you have written to your MP and to have your name published above.

How to support the Junior Doctors' action

STATEMENT ON JUNIOR DOCTORS' STRIKE

TO OUR FELLOW NHS WORKERS, TRADE UNIONISTS AND CAMPAIGNERS

On Tuesday 1st December it is likely that Junior Doctors across the UK will commence industrial action against the Governments continued threat of imposition of an unsafe new Contract.

This industrial action is the last resort for junior doctors in an attempt to prevent the Imposition of a contract that we feel would jeopardize the profession, patient care and the NHS for a generation.

This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and Doctors have united in the hope that this action will protect the NHS for future generations.

Our ballot result of 98% for strike action means that Junior doctors in England have given the BMA a huge mandate to proceed.

Over the last few weeks I have met many of you as individuals or as members of your organisations and on occasion have had the opportunity to speak alongside you at events. As one of the co-ordinators for the imminent strike action in north London the last few days have been incredibly busy and are getting busier still.

I apologise profusely if I have not had the chance to return some of your calls or email in time. It is highly unlikely that I will be able to respond in the next few days either. We still have a logistical mountain to climb!

I am also aware that many of you have had some fruitful contact with other BMA junior doctor’s representatives and activists. This is excellent.

On behalf of the entire BMA we thank you all for your solidarity.

I write to inform you of a few details with regards to the planned action and to invite you to come out and display your support for us on the days of action.

The action will begin with an emergency care-only model, which would see junior doctors provide the same level of service that happens in their given specialty, hospital or GP practice on Christmas Day. It will then escalate to full walk-outs. The action as proposed is:

Emergency care only — from 8am, Tuesday 1 December to 8am Wednesday 2 December
Full withdrawal of junior doctors' labour — from 8am to 5pm, Tuesday 8 December
Full withdrawal of junior doctors' labour — from 8am to 5pm, Wednesday 16 December.

The aim is to picket all major hospitals in England on all three days of proposed action. This means that most major district general hospitals will be included. Pickets will be in the vicinity of the main entrances and will start at 8am, continuing until at least 12.30pm. However, many picket sites will continue into the evening, especially at the larger hospitals.

Please see below for a list of the major hospitals in London. I include the nearest Tube stop to each. Along with the pickets there will be parallel “Meet The Doctors” events at these tube stations as well as nearby public spaces. We will direct you to these public spaces from the picket.

You may have read recently of the ACAS conciliation process which has begun. Our key requirement for a return to negotiation is that Hunt must abandon “imposition”.

Please turn up on the days of action, and give us your support. We will then inform you if other local events are planned on the day. If you are an allied health worker, trade unionist, or campaigner please do consider bringing along the banner representing your organisation, your working uniform or similar. We would appreciate it however if banners in explicit endorsement of specific political parties are not displayed and that any selling of campaign literature such as newspapers is discreet.
On the days of action, please do debate us, educate us and invite us to address your colleagues in your workplace or trade union branch.

In London, Junior doctors will be striking at the following hospitals (as well as at other smaller hospitals within the capital). I list only the London hospitals as this is the geographical area of my involvement. As mentioned at the start of this email. Almost any hospital of any size in England will have a picket and a local event taking place.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital (St Pauls tube)
The Royal London Hospital (Whitechapel tube)
Homerton University Hospital (Homerton Overground)
Whipps Cross University Hospital (Walthamstow Central and Leytonstone
Newham University Hospital
Queen’s Hospital (Romford rail station)
King George (Ilford tube)
Great Ormond Street, (Russel Sq Tube and Holborn Tube)
St Marys, (Paddington Tube)
Northwick Park, (Northwick Park Met line)
North Middlesex (Silver St station)
Barnet, (High Barnet tube)
Royal Free, (Belsize Park tube, Hampstead Heath Overground)
UCH, (Euston Station/tube, Euston Square tube, Warren St tube)
Whittington (Archway tube)
St Georges (Tooting)
St Thomas' (Waterloo)
Guys (London Bridge)
Kings College Hospital (Denmark Hill)
kind regards and Solidarity,

Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis, BMA Junior Doctors Committee

Bedroom Tax action Wembley Central noon today

Brent Housing Action will be taking part in a Day of Action today against the bedroom tax. There will be a street meeting at Wembley's Central Square, next to Wembley Central station (No Bakerloo trains between Queens Park and Harrow today).

The meeting  starts at 12 noon and stalls will provide information and advice to anyone concerned about the impact of the bedroom tax and housing benefit cuts on them.

Take part in an 'event' to bring home the issue - bring sleeping bags, blankets and pillows.

GLA REFUSE STAGE 1 PLANNING FOR PROPOSED ARK ACADEMY

The reasons for the continued postponement of the Brent Planning Committee date to consider the planning application for the proposed permanent academy on the Wembley Park Sports Ground is now clear. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has stated in their Stage 1 planning report that, “the application does not comply with the London Plan”. (Report attached) The Report gives Brent Council a long list of areas where they need to revise, review and carry out more research as to the impact of the proposed academy.

A wide range of well thought out and detailed objections have been sent to Brent Planning Department and many have also been copied to the London Mayor. It is not surprising that the Mayor’s officers are concerned about this ill thought out proposal. They question whether this is the right site for such a project, something that WPAG and Brent teachers have been saying for years.

There is also the question as to whether the academy is really necessary. Brent’s own figures on school places showed in November (report attached) that there were 205 spare reception places in the borough, 8 at the temporary ARK academy which was supposedly over subscribed! That number is now down to 100 empty places. A Brent spokeswoman claimed that “the vacancies are so scattered it disproves the idea that places are not needed.” She obviously didn’t look at her figures properly as there were, for example, 19 and 20 spare reception places in schools close to the temporary ARK school. These figures show clearly that it has undermined the local authority primary schools already and was not needed. It was a costly and cynical attempt to bolster the claim that the permanent application had to receive approval.

If the permanent academy goes ahead, then it is clear that it will also undermine the local secondaries. There are sites elsewhere including in the South of the borough. There is still time to look at these and build a secondary school at one of these places.

The academy programme itself has yet again shown itself to be making little or no difference to children’s achievement. Nearly a quarter of ‘failing’ secondary schools in London are academies! It is the first years of any new project when you would expect the best results but, despite the millions poured into them, academies have not achieved what the Government promised. The most recent Price Waterhouse Coopers report concluded that there is “insufficient evidence to make a definitive judgment about the Academies as a model for school improvement”.

It is the state comprehensives that are doing best in the value added stakes. In Brent the ordinary state comprehensives’ A* to C’s results increased by approximately twice the average of those in the Capital City Academy (See Brent’s results for last year and this year). The teachers in the Academy are adding value, but are hamstrung by the ridiculous and counterproductive system of private control.

We are faced with the unbelievable situation when the Government are nationalising the banks while privatising the education system. Campaigners against the Wembley Academy will keep up their pressure and stop this ill thought out scheme.

WEMBLEY PARK ACTION GROUP