Sarah Teather

Party	Liberal Democrats
Position/Responsibility	Shadow Housing Minister
PPC Status	MP for Brent East
PPC Blog	Visit Blog

Affiliations
Sarah is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She established the All-party Parliamentary Group on Guantánamo Bay, which she continues to Chair

Sarah Teather Feedback

Local Views:

Local Liberal Democrat Brent East MP Sarah Teather has pledged to fight for a full public enquiry for Brent Cross after a "stop notice" was issued to Barnet Council.

The unpopular scheme, already waved through by the Mayor of London, could mean hundreds of extra cars on Edgware Road every day and would see a dump relocated to the border with Brent.

In parliament, Sarah has been a passionate and active advocate for her constituents. She has fought against local health cuts and Post Office closures, ID cards, the war in Iraq and for action on the housing crisis and environmental issues. Sarah works closely with local campaign groups, and has a constituency office open to the public every day. She has helped many thousands of local people with their problems, and finds this part of an MP’s work particularly rewarding.

When her constituent was held in Guantánamo Bay without charge or trial Sarah led the campaign to bring him justice. She organised a vigil outside Downing Street, visited Washington to lobby US senators, and established the All-party Parliamentary Group on Guantánamo Bay, which she continues to Chair.

National Views:

Awaiting a response from the PPC

International Views:

Awaiting a response from the PPC

YouElect Observations:

Voted against the Renewal of the law allowing indefinite detention without charge, without trial (Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 - Renewal of Part 4 sections 21-23 - 3 Mar 2004)

Votes against Control orders – house arrests (Prevention of Terrorism Bill - Third Reading - 28 Feb 2005)

Did not sign EDM on Call for the government to work actively to end religious slaughter in the UK (EDM 104, 26.11.03)

Supports the Call for UK & EU partners to protest France's ban on religious symbols in schools. (EDM 461, 21.01.04)

Supports Call for suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement which gives Israel preferential trade terms with the EU. (EDM 1288, 26.05.04)

Supports Call for sanctions against Israel for not complying with the International Court of Justice decision on the illegality of the separation wall.(EDM 162, 24.11.04)

She has voted against all anti-terror legislation and in her speeches in parliament she has called for an end to trade agreements between the EU and Israel and for sanctions to be placed on Israel.

She has given her support to the campaign against the hijab ban in France. On the Hijab Protest Day demonstration outside the French embassy her message of solidarity was read out to the crowds.

In parliament she has raised the issue of islamophobia. During the debate on Muslim Communities she talked of lack of justice for Muslims in the courts.

In parliament she has raised the cause of those held in Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh.

Source

"Does the hon. Gentleman agree that part of the problem is the way in which terrorism is described as a problem of the Muslim community rather than as a minority of criminals committing criminal acts? The sense of collective blame leads to the sense of alienation and fear in the Muslim community.” Source

“Will the Government take a lead on a further UN resolution? The Minister has called the attacks with white phosphorous unacceptable, but he will be aware that Israel has not ratified the treaty setting up the International Criminal Court. The only way for the court to have jurisdiction to investigate the matter is if the UN refers it via another resolution. Will the Government take a lead on that issue and ask the UN to do that?” Source

"By ripping up their promise to invest, Labour have derailed the college's finances at the worst possible time imaginable. Huge numbers of young people in Brent are out of work and this news is a body blow to their hopes of learning a trade and getting a job." Source

"We might have expected the government to protect a UK resident from such barbaric treatment. Instead, their fingerprints are all over his case file. Torture is wrong, pure and simple. Civilised and democratic governments, including Britain, should have absolutely no role in a practice that is both ineffective and inhumane, and there is no excuse to put our so-called special relationship with the US before the rule of law. It is not enough to simply speak out against torture: the foreign secretary has a duty to help root out and end such practices." Source

Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather has told the House of Commons that the National DNA Database is fundamentally discriminatory against black and ethnic minority people and particularly stigmatises young black men. Race equality groups have welcomed Sarah Theather's MP securing a debate to highlight the fact that, if you are black, your details are three times more likely to be stored on the Government's record than if you are white. Source

Voted very strongly forlaws to stop climate change.

Voted very strongly foran investigationinto the Iraq war.

Voted very strongly againstintroducing ID cards.

Voted strongly againstintroducing student top-up fees.

Voted very strongly againstLabour's anti-terrorism laws.

Voted moderately fora transparent Parliament. Source They Work For You