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.

Dawn Butler withdraws from Hay-on-Wye Literary Festival after allegation that the sponsor profits from investment in Israeli apartheid, occupation and genocide

 

Celebrate 100 years of Working Class History in Brent Saturday 15th October

 Guest post by Mary Adossides, Chair Brent Trades Council

 

 

On 15 October Brent Trades Council will be celebrating the centenary of the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall’s constitution. The Trades Hall has played a crucial role in the political, economic and social history of Willesden and then Brent since the early 20^th century. 

 

The front of the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall and Apollo Club

 

In her detailed article in the Willesden Local History Society Journal Winter/ Spring 22 edition, Christine Coates,  documents this icon of labour movement history (WLHS website - in case anyone is interested https://willesden-local-history.co.uk/)

 

 The growth of the industrial estates in Park Royal and Cricklewood, saw the growth of trade unions and political organisations and the push to have a venue for meetings meant the Trades and Labour Hall. The Willesden Trades and Labour Hall Society was set up 1922 and bought the Hall in 1924. Through the 20s and 30s, the Hall was mainly used for union and LP meetings with popular speakers such as Sylvia Pankhurst who founded the Willesden Branch of the Communist Workers’ Movement there in 1924.

 

During the 1926 General Strike, the Hall became a strike HQ. A local Council of Action was formed by the Willesden Labour Party with all the local TU branches. A strike bulletin was published and mass meetings were held on local Pound Green with football matches to fill the time between activity. Through the 1920s and 30s, support for unemployed and hunger marchers was organised from the Hall and the National Archives show it was under frequent police surveillance during this period.

 

After WW2, the Trades Hall continued to be an important hub for union and political campaigns. Nelson Mandela was invited to speak but the meeting had to be moved because of numbers. Willesden and Wembley joined to form the London Borough of Brent in 1965 and it became the home for the merged Brent Trades Council.

 

In 1969 an attempt was made to solve financial difficulties of the building with a long-term lease of the ground floor hall to the Apollo Club, a venue for reggae nights and West Indian music. It was a great success (Bob Marley played there). The rent was expected to pay the running cost of the building but did not resolve the hall’s financial difficulties.

 

Tom Durkin, President of Brent Trades Council, speaking to the Grunwick Women strikers during their 2 year strike 1976-1978

From 1976-1978 the rest of the building was used as a base for the Grunwick strikers struggling against workplace exploitation. At that time the Trades Council was probably at its strongest with 21,000 members and 130 delegates affiliated in 74 branches. Thousands joined the mass picket in Chapter Road, outside Dollis Hill in a week in action in June 1977 in solidarity with the Grunwick strikers and marched through Willesden led by Arthur Scargill supported by miners, dockers, printers, post office workers.

 

By the 1980s industrial decline led to a reduction in trade union activity.  Unfortunately without income the building could not be properly maintained. The Hall gradually fell into disrepair but continued to be used by the Apollo Club, the Labour Party, Brent TUC and a few local groups until in late 2019.Its use had to be paused at the start of the pandemic.

 

The Society itself revived in 2019 as an unincorporated group.Any solution which involves retaining the building will involve further serious sums of money and are being considered by the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall Society.

 

On 15^th October from 7pm Brent Trades Council is celebrating its iconic hall :

 

Join our event 100 years of Working Class History in Brent at the Brent Black Music Coop (BBMC) from 7pm, 383 High Road, NW10 2JR, nearest tube Dollis Hill (Jubilee Line). Dawn Butler MP will launch the event, Chris Coates will speak about the history of the building, others will speak about the trade union movement and the Grunwick strike. There will be film, poetry and music. The all female Akabu reggae band will entertain us during the second part of the evening. Tickets available on Eventbrite:

www.tinyurl.com/brent100

 

Mary Adossides

Chair

Brent Trades Council

brenttradescouncil@outlook.com

Dawn Butler MP expresses 'deep concern' over plans to decommission Brent Sickle Cell Support Service

Dawn Butler MP for Brent Central has added her voice to those challenging plans to decommission the Brent Sickle Cell Advisory Support Service (BSCASS). 

She has written the following letter to the Chair of Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Effie Kong, calling on her to urgently reconsider the decision.

 

Dear Dr Kong,

I am writing to put on record my deep concern at the recent decision taken by Brent CCG to decommission the Brent Sickle Cell Advisory Support Service (BSCASS).

BSCASS provides a thoroughly vital and valued service to the communities of Harlesden and Stonebridge and beyond which has a high prevalence of sickle cell sufferers. This is a poorly understood condition and services such as BSCASS are vital in helping sufferers live normal and healthy lives.

It is also vital in providing assurances to sufferers who are discharged from hospital, that extra help prevents sufferers often immediately returning into hospital, for example if a person’s house is too cold.

In particular, I would like answers to the following questions:

What consultation, beyond the reported meeting due to take place on the 7^th September 2016, has been carried out with sickle cell suffers and service users within Brent?

Has an equality impact assessment been carried out ahead of the decision to decommission this service? And if not, why did you not feel it appropriate to do so?

Brent CCG’s own report suggests service users will be ‘signposted to advocacy and advisory services within the borough’. What assessment has been made of the travel implications of decommissioning for residents of Harlesden and Stonebridge where a majority of local sickle sufferers are based?

Have you conducted a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis in relation to the decommissioning of this service? I understand that the CCG acknowledges a reduction in admissions as a result of the service. Will you also publish any data you have on this point?

I should declare an interest as an MP who is sickle cell trait and my brothers have the full blown disease I understand the complicated needs around sufferers, I have always been so impressed with the service provided by Brent, recently the erosion of this service starting with the relocation of the services from Central Middlesex hospital has been extremely disappointing.

You have no idea how painful it is to sit when you are in crisis and to expect someone to travel an extra 60mins for help is very cruel. The decommissioning of this service adds further to the existing health burden of my constituents and represents a growing inequality in the provision of healthcare services within the borough.

Finally, if this is a question of fiscal constraints then I believe we need to look at new and innovative ways to ensure the preservation of this service. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with the CCG and community activists to explore alternate funding arrangements that would deliver this outcome. I am pleading with you to reconsider your decision.

I look forward to your reply,

Dawn Butler MP

Labour Member of Parliament for Brent Central