In the wake of the Autumn Statement, Richmond Nub News sat down with Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney to talk about all things Richmond and Westminster.

We discussed everything from her view on the Autumn Statement to the repairs needed on Hammersmith Bridge.

Autumn Statement:

The Autumn Statement was announced on 22 November this year and included a rise in the state pension, a rise in the minimum wage, and a cut in national insurance.

As well as being MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney is also Lib Dem Spokesperson for Treasury and Business and Industrial Strategy.

She said: "I thought it was quite a deceptive statement. Hunt was talking about tax cuts but there aren't tax cuts.

"We'll all be paying thousands of pounds more tax but you'll just be saving money on national insurance.

"So to try and claim that you're cutting taxes I think is quite deceptive."

She added: "Our big priority as a party is the NHS and the waiting lists primarily.

"One of the stats which I quoted in the chamber yesterday (22 November) is how there were 400,000 people on the waiting list when the chancellor gave a statement this time last year who are still on the waiting list now and have waited all that time."

She explained how these people would be unable to access work if the NHS waiting lists remain as long as they are currently.

She said: "We really need to do more and focus on getting that waiting list down and that really should be a priority. 

"That's primarily for people's health, well-being and quality of life but also so many of those people will be unable to work until they are off the waiting list and when we talk about economic growth and being able to attract a workforce the reason we have trouble with people taking up vacancies is sometimes that they are on the waiting list and their too sick to work. So that's an absolute priority."

Apprenticeships:

As Lib Dem Spokesperson for Treasury and Business and Industrial Strategy apprenticeships is something that Olney is very passionate about.

She discussed the importance of apprenticeships in her keynote speech at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference this year.

She explained how the minimum wage for apprenticeships is lower than the national minimum wage, which makes her concerned that people will be disincentivised to take them up.

She said: "I think this is a big disincentive to young people - if they have the choice between taking up an apprenticeship where they can learn skills which will lead to a fulfilling career for them and make a real difference to the economy over working in a shop or a warehouse - I think the fact that they can earn more money from doing the less fulfilling and less economically productive thing is a distinctive. 

"So we call for apprentices to be paid the same wage as other workers just so we aren't creating a disincentive for other people."

Hammersmith Bridge:

Hammersmith Bridge is a big issue in the Richmond area, that Olney is campaigning on. 

The bridge has been closed to vehicles since 2019 due to severe cracking which would make it too dangerous for vehicles to cross. 

Sarah said: "This has caused chaos ever since - especially for the people of Barnes, it means that they are really cut off from the services that they used to use on the other side of the bridge. 

"It's been a real problem for them."

She added that it has also been causing issues with traffic as cars are having to be redirected through other areas of South West London. 

She also explained that as the bridge is owned by Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council, the responsibility to repair the bridge technically falls on them, however, the cost of fixing it is too expensive for them to afford.

It is hoped that TFL, The Department for Transport and Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council will work together to repair it.

Olney is hoping that the Pedicab Bill introduced in The King's Speech could offer a solution for those wanting to travel over Hammersmith Bridge.

She told Nub News: "I think pedicabs are an excellent, sustainable transport solution for people who can't walk or cycle themselves. 

"We briefly had a rickshaw service going over the Hammersmith Bridge and it was brilliant and really popular so I'm very keen and talking to everyone I can and really pushing to bring in a private company to run rickshaws over Hammersmith Bridge."

Richmond Police Station:

Another campaign that Olney is working on is the petition to reinstate a police station in Richmond. 

There was a police station in Richmond until a few years ago, when it was closed under a scheme to get more police officers out and about. 

She said: "I'm broadly supportive of the fact police officers should be out and about but every so often they do need to return to a base.

"At the moment for Richmond Borough the only place they can do this is in Twickenham which is quite far away so I'm really keen that we should see a Richmond town centre police station opened again and apart from anything else the community really want to see it.

"Richmond is one of the safest boroughs in London and we want to keep it that way but it doesn't always feel that way to residents who are victims of theft or anti-social behaviour so it's about giving residents reassurance." 

When asked if she was hopeful that residents would see a police station in Richmond soon she didn't seem convinced, however she said: "It's the right time to be asking, I think it's a long-term strategy and we're going to keep asking."

Thames Water and The Teddington Direct River Abstraction Scheme: 

The controversial Teddington Direct River Abstraction Scheme is currently a big concern throughout the Borough of Richmond - the scheme proposes to take water from the Thames by Teddington Weir, transfer it through existing underground tunnels to the Lee Valley reservoirs, and then replace it with treated wastewater from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works.  

The consultation period, which gave local people the opportunity to speak up ended yesterday.

Read the Nub News explainer here.

Olney said that she is concerned about the proposals on a number of levels, including what the chemical makeup of the water will be.

She said: "The other concern is around the plans to put the pipes through Ham - we're really concerned about the impact of that.

'Ham is very unique and its quite cut off, there's one road in and one road out. 

"There's already major construction that could go on for a decade so to bing up another project is going to be very disruptive so we're very concerned about what that could be."

Heathrow Airport:

There is currently a consultation ongoing over flight paths of planes going to and from Heathrow Airport.

Olney explained that it is a very tricky situation because the question that the consultation is essentially asking is which neighbourhoods should planes go over.

Recently, a motion was passed at the London Assembly to not have planes go over Richmond Park for air quality reasons and to not disturb the wildlife.

Olney said: "I'm keen to protect the tranquility of the park because really that's the best way to protect tranquility for everybody.

"It's obviously very divisive to say let's send the planes over this neighbourhood, not that neighbourhood but I think that we can all agree that whoever is being plagued by planes if we can keep the park free from noise there is a space of tranquility for everyone."