The New Olympia and Remembering Grenfell Nine Years On
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
With London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, Howard Dawber, Deputy London Mayor for Business and Michael Volkert, Olympia’s CEO at the new Olympia
June 12, 2026
On Tuesday evening this week I was delighted to join the Mayor of London to celebrate the opening of the new Olympia. This has been a 10-year project to give new life to the exhibition centres and cultivate a new cultural hub for London. The development includes a new theatre, music venue, restaurants, as well as a school and offices. Other visitors to the space this week included Prince William and the Prime Minister.
It is a fantastic new destination, and I am grateful to local councillors for engaging with the project, as I am to residents who have put up with almost 10 years of development. Because of this, we are determined that Olympia will be a good neighbour and control noise, traffic and the behaviour of visitors. Next task is to use the leverage of such a popular destination to improve public transport, in particular, restoring the timetabled tube service from Earl’s Court.
With Employment Minister Diana Johnson I visited the Shaw Trust in Shepherd's Bush which is the most successful example of the Government’s Connect to Work initiative to help people into employment. The Minister heard from Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, about the Pathway Bond and from employers and employees helped by the scheme. The West London Alliance of seven boroughs including H&F and Hounslow has helped thousands into work.
I spoke to the Godolphin and Latymer Politics and International Relations Society – they were very pleased to hear that one of their alumni, Molly Mantle, had just been elected as a Hammersmith councillor.
Sir Sadiq Khan speaking at the opening of the new Olympia
In justice news, this week the Justice Committee published a major report on the Courts & Tribunals Bill, including its controversial proposals to limit jury trials. In advance of publication, I wrote an article on the Bill for The Chiswick Calendar. The Committee also completed hearing evidence on an inquiry into the future of Legal Aid and access to justice.
On Monday I spent the morning in HMP Wormwood Scrubs talking to prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). I also spoke in a debate on the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which was talked out in the House of Lords by a handful of Peers opposed to the Bill.
I was one of 140 Labour MPs who wrote to the Foreign Secretary this week calling for an end to trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In total 240 MPs are now supporting this. The Foreign Secretary has announced further sanctions against violent settlers and strengthened the Government’s position on discouraging trade with illegal settlements. However, there is a very strong demand from MPs to go further than this and ban any trade in goods and services with illegal settlements in occupied territories.
This Sunday, 14 June will be the 9th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. In advance of this the Met Police announced they would hand their evidence to the CPS by September with a view to prosecutions being launched before the 10 th anniversary.
I attended a discussion in Parliament this month on Grenfell: Uncovered, the BAFTA-nominated documentary examining the events surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire and its aftermath. The event brought together parliamentarians, campaigners and those involved in making the film to discuss the lessons that still need to be learned almost a decade on from the tragedy.
There are lots of fantastic local events coming up in the next few weeks. Saturday 13 June the Bedford Park Festival got underway with Sophie Ellis-Bextor opening Green Days at 11am. Refugee Day was held on the same day on Brook Green. On 18 June, St Michael and All Angels Church will host a poetry evening featuring special guest Imtiaz Dharker.
This will be followed on 21 June by a literary walk exploring the places associated with Yeats in west London, starting at Ravenscourt Park station and finishing near Turnham Green. Both events are to celebrate the life of W B Yeats and his connection to Bedford Park. On 12 July West London Chorus, formerly Chiswick Choir, will be performing at Cadogan Hall to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Tickets can be purchased on the Cadogan Hall website.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
P.S. I send a regular email newsletter to residents about local and national issues. If you would like to receive it then please email me at andy@andyslaughter.com, click this link.
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