Commons
Oral Questions
9 February 2026
Jimmy Lai: Prison Sentence
Jimmy Lai is 78. He has rotting teeth. He has diabetes, heart issues, and recently he has visibly been losing weight. He has now been sentenced to 20 years. It is effectively not a life sentence, but a death sentence. I urge the Chinese authorities to end this elderly man’s appalling ordeal, and I w…
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
15 contributions
Lord Mandelson
I would like to start by acknowledging the victims of Epstein and the powerful men around him: vulnerable, abused women and girls who were sold and traded. Since the publication of Epstein’s papers, we have learnt so much more. An email from Jeffrey Epstein to Peter Mandelson, dated 28 October 2009,…
I will come to that, because it is important, and it is important to put it in context.
Since then, we have seen not just that, but treachery of the worst kind. The question is: how did we get here? How did a man like that become Britain’s ambassador to the United States? We must begin by taking ou…
+13 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
3 February 2026
Iran
I would like to turn to the threat that Iran poses to people here in Britain. The Intelligence and Security Committee has said,
“since 2022 the risk appetite of the Iranian regime to attempt assassinations of dissidents and…journalists in the UK has increased significantly”.
We need effective coll…
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
US Department of Justice Release of Files
The files seem to show that Peter Mandelson was given £50,000 by a notorious paedophile and that a few years later he sent on market-sensitive information to Epstein, who worked for JP Morgan, about market bail-outs. He told him about the Prime Minister’s resignation, said that they should “mildly t…
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
China and Japan
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement, and I am pleased to see that his trip went so well. This morning, I was in touch with the Scotch Whisky Association, which wants me to convey its congratulations to the Prime Minister on securing reduced tariffs on exports to China. There is, of course, …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
The main purpose of the Prime Minister’s statement today was to send out an international message, and I thank the Foreign Secretary for the skilful way in which she has amplified that message this evening. However, there is another audience who deeply appreciate what the Prime Minister has had to s…
Commons
Proceedings
19 January 2026
Iran: Protests
I know that the Minister shares with me—and probably with most of the House—a deep affection for the Iranian people, for their beautiful country and for their extraordinary culture, which makes the killing and terrible violence we have seen even worse than we could possibly have imagined. Can he giv…
Commons
Debate
14 January 2026
3 contributions
Ukraine
I have been complaining at home recently because the heating broke down, and I felt that was not being taken seriously by my other half. It was minus 1°C, I was really cold and I had been moaning about it for a week. Then it was pointed out to me that right now in Ukraine, in Kyiv, it is minus 12°C,…
I agree completely. We need to be as creative as possible when it comes to the shadow fleet, and there is always more that we can do. The Foreign Affairs Committee and many of its talented members are always available to give as many suggestions as the Government wish to hear. One thing that worries…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 January 2026
Iran
The question now is: what is Donald Trump going to do next? There must be many people in the Foreign Office trying to second guess what he might do. Will we give support to Donald Trump if he decides to take action against the Iranian regime in—what he would say would be—defence of the Iranian peopl…
Commons
Debate
12 January 2026
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
I am very glad to hear that the Secretary of State is going to take swift action on this matter and that she is open-minded and prepared to do whatever it takes. It would be great if she could act as swiftly against the bot farms abroad that target our democracy with lies and mischief. Of course, I …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
7 January 2026
Ukraine and Wider Operational Update
May I begin by thanking the Secretary of State for his statement, congratulating the brave men and women on the successful operation, and paying tribute to the Prime Minister for his clear leadership in the defence of Ukraine? My question is this: is there anything more we can do to ensure that Vlad…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 January 2026
Venezuela
If a large and powerful country abducts the leader of another, however abhorrent that leader is, and tries to intimidate the smaller country to, as it says itself, gain access to its resources, does the Foreign Secretary not agree that this should be called out not just by Britain, but by our wester…
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
Jimmy Lai Conviction
May I associate myself with the remarks from both Front Benchers in relation to the appalling attack in Australia?
I am greatly encouraged to hear the Government state that they want to have a whole-of-Government approach to the issue of Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. He could have chos…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
25 November 2025
G20 and Ukraine
May I begin by complimenting the Prime Minister on his work on the international stage? Is he aware that a statement was put out yesterday by the Chairs of Foreign Affairs Committees of 22 Parliaments across Europe, in which we made it clear that we are united in the belief that Ukraine’s sovereignt…
Commons
Proceedings
5 November 2025
Conflict in Sudan
The UK, as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, has already played an important role in calling an urgent Security Council meeting this week, but what my hon. Friend says about Russia chimes with the Select Committee’s experience when we visited New York. It was suggested to us that the UK…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 November 2025
7 contributions
House Building: London
Me?
I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French) on getting this slot. As he can see, the subject is close to the hearts of so many of us; more importantly, it is close to the hearts of our constituents.
In Islington, those who want affordable housing have to have soc…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
9 contributions
Israel-Palestine Conflict: Government Response
I must confess that, in the 20 years I have been in Parliament, I have never done one of these before; it is all entirely new to me. If I am doing anything wrong, please, Madam Deputy Speaker—and I am sure you will—put me back on the straight and narrow.
The situation in Palestine is a humanitarian…
At the moment we find ourselves in a vacuum where there is no plan for what is to happen to the strip now. In a lawless situation, it is extremely challenging. That is why we have to keep moving forward. The ceasefire is not the answer but only the first step. There is some work being done, but I wo…
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
Ukraine
I was pleased yesterday to see the Foreign Secretary writing in The Times :
“Now is the time for international action to use Russia’s frozen sovereign assets to support Ukraine.”
The trouble is that over the past three years, eight months and four days there has been a lot of talk about using thes…
Commons
Debate
16 October 2025
3 contributions
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
I am listening carefully to what the hon. Member is saying, and he is absolutely right on the blue belt. Does he therefore regret that in all the debates we have had about the Chagos Islands, the Conservatives have not raised the importance of the conservation of the fish stocks and the biodiversity…
I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Minister for her remarks and for the attention that the FCDO has paid to the importance of marine conservation. The biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction treaty represents a transformation in the way that we protect nature in the high seas. I commend the Gover…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
16 October 2025
Official Secrets Act Case: Witness Statements
It seems to me that the issue is this: given that all the deputy NSA’s witness statements refer to China as a threat, I cannot understand why the CPS took the nuclear option of collapsing the case rather than leaving it to a jury. Twenty years as a criminal barrister has given me absolute faith that…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 October 2025
Ukraine
I begin by publicly welcoming the Foreign Secretary to her new post, and by echoing her comments about the previous Foreign Secretary. I also welcome her commitment to finally using the Russian frozen assets. I hope that the situation will be resolved soon, because those assets are needed for the de…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
2 contributions
Security Update: Official Secrets Act Case
May I begin by expressing solidarity with the two previous Conservative Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who would seem to have suffered from having Chinese spies in their offices? That must have been very distressing, upsetting and threatening.
The DPP’s claim of needing further evidence f…
It seems that there is now case law saying that an enemy is a threat to national security. Frankly, that seems to be a lower test not a higher test. But if, in 2024, there was evidence that China was an enemy and the Crown Prosecution Service had made a decision to prosecute on that basis, I cannot …
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
13 contributions
Ambassador to the United States
My Committee first asked for the opportunity to question Lord Mandelson at the end of last year, when rumours first surfaced about his appointment as ambassador to the United States. We continued to ask after his appointment was confirmed. Indeed, the Minister may remember our exchange, on 14 Januar…
I think this is quite important, and I would like to have the opportunity to inform the House with clarity so that we all know where we stand. I believe that this contribution to the debate is an important one. It is not a party political point; it is just trying to ensure that we learn from what we…
+11 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
10 September 2025
Qatar: Israeli Strike
What happened overnight illustrates a huge problem that the new Foreign Secretary will need to deal with; I am pleased that the Minister will be ably helping her. The problem is this: there is an emboldened, far-right Israeli Government who believe that they can do whatever they like and there will …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
Chagos Islands
Given that the Foreign Office has not agreed with Mauritius a defined financial allocation for the Chagos marine protected area; given that no additional money has been secured or ringfenced for environmental protection; given that no one who would be involved in the administration of the marine pro…