Success for Wet Wipe Campaign and Concern Over Prisoner Errors
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter MP in the Westminster Garden of Remembrance (left) and campaigning to ban plastic wet wipes (right)
November 7, 2025
Many in Hammersmith and Chiswick will have heard of Wet Wipe Island near Hammersmith Bridge. Over the years I have attended annual wet wipe counts to highlight the scale of the problem and many volunteers have spent countless hours trying to clean up the Thames shores in our local area. A major part of ensuring Wet Wipe Island doesn’t reoccur is by banning plastic in wet wipes. That’s why I was delighted this week to celebrate the government’s change in the law that will finally ban the sale of plastic wet wipes.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law, passed second reading in the Commons on this week. I am delighted that the government delivered on its manifesto promise to introduce a Hillsborough Law that ensures accountability for public authorities. In my speech at second reading, I raised the importance of including a National Oversight Mechanism within the Bill to ensure that when inquiries like Grenfell and Hillsborough are finished, their recommendations are implemented. I also think it is important to extend the Bill to cover the role of the press in covering up wrongdoing as at Hillsborough.
In other justice news, reports that two prisoners had been ‘released in error’ from HMP Wandsworth are extremely concerning, especially following the high-profile release from HMP Chelmsford last month. I understand that both those prisoners erroneously released are now back behind bars, but this speaks to a wider issue of a justice system at breaking point. Evidence taken by the Justice Committee has laid bare a crisis-hit prison system, starved of investment over many years which is facing multi-faceted pressures, including overcrowding and understaffing. As Chair of the Justice Committee, you can read my full statement here.
This Sunday I will be attending the Chiswick Remembrance Service, and I am honoured to take part in the parade from Chiswick Memorial Club to Chiswick war memorial, where I will lay a wreath. I am very grateful to my friend and colleague Cllr Wesley Harcourt who will lay a wreath on my behalf at Shepherd's Bush memorial. I also attended the Westminster Garden of Remembrance where I added a tribute on behalf of Hammersmith and Chiswick.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |