Commons
Debate
18 November 2025
3 contributions
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill
The shadow Secretary of State pointed out that the Secretary of State assured us that there will be no input from the Irish Government set out in the Bill. Yet, first, the Irish Government were the only ones consulted. Secondly, there will be appointments made. Does he see the possibility that a Gov…
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 November 2025
Gaza and Sudan
Let me first draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
The Foreign Secretary is right: peace is fragile in Gaza. The Israeli Government have agreed the 20-point peace plan and the UN resolution, and—despite what she has said—have allowed more than 20,00…
Commons
Debate
17 November 2025
Asylum Policy
I welcome the honest and realistic assessment the Secretary of State has made today in relation to the broken asylum system and the division that immigration is causing across the United Kingdom. She has been innovative in some of the proposals she has made. Only time will tell whether the potential…
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
BBC Leadership
The fact of the matter is this is not just about manipulating the speech of a President the BBC clearly detests. There were other allegations made about promoting Hamas propaganda, producing fake stories about race bias, censoring people who were gender critical, and promoting stories with a one-sid…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 October 2025
Heathrow: National Airports Review
While most of the comments today have been critical, regions across the United Kingdom need a strong hub airport, and Heathrow provides that. I seek assurances from the Secretary of State that slots at any expanded airport will be ensured for flights from regional airports. But I also warn her: give…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
22 October 2025
3 contributions
Draft Control of Mercury (Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Does the hon. Gentleman accept that given the experience in Northern Ireland of goods that have to go through the process that he has just described, many suppliers simply decide that Northern Ireland is not worth supplying to? So, even though the concession might be there that we can still import i…
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. First, I welcome the derogation, as do dentists right across Northern Ireland. My own dentist raised the issue with me, greatly concerned, pointing out the impact that it would have on his business and the cost of doing fillings. In my co…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
9 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
Will the right hon. Member give way?
The Minister described this asset as “priceless”, yet he is giving it away—and not only is he giving it away; he is paying someone to take it! Is this the kind of decision people would expect from a rational Government? More importantly, if it is priceless in security terms, why are we compromising …
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban
First, I congratulate the Secretary of State on the very clear message that she has given today. Is it not a fact that, despite some of the excuses coming from Members behind me, this is all about the religion of the supporters who will be attending this match, and indeed that the only people they a…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles
When we cut through the waffle of this statement and the Secretary of State’s answers this afternoon, one fact remains: soldiers who served in Northern Ireland who have already had cases tried will be able to be dragged back into the courts and will be subject to interrogation there. The Secretary o…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Middle East
The DUP welcomes the release of the hostages and the prospect of long-term peace in that area of the middle east.
I know this will probably stick in the throat of many Labour Members, but we must thank President Trump for the role he has played in delivering this deal. He recognised that weakness w…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
Topical Questions
This week a conservation charity has indicated that the creep of wind farms in Scotland—17 million trees have been cut down to provide for them—is destroying the highlands, while in England 5% of prime agricultural land is to be used for renewable energy projects at a time when we produce only 60% o…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Security Update: Official Secrets Act Case
The Government have not had a great record in the courts recently. Kneecap’s case was thrown out because the paperwork was not correct, and now we have the spy case not proceeding because evidence was not provided. The fact of the matter is that China now controls many of our supply chains, holds a …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Manchester Terrorism Attack
First, I congratulate the Secretary of State on the forthrightness and clarity of the message she has sent from this House today. People in Northern Ireland appreciate the deep hurt experienced by those who went to worship and found that they were victims of terrorism. We have had people machine-gun…
Commons
Proceedings
10 September 2025
Qatar: Israeli Strike
Let us look at the facts behind Israel’s strike. We have a bunch of terrorists who have been sitting in the safety of Qatar for years, organising and financing acts of terror, including the mass murder of civilians in Israel this week, and boasting about their involvement in it. Is it not an advance…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2025
4 contributions
Windsor Framework: Internal Market Guarantee
Does the hon. and learned Gentleman not find it astounding not only that the laws on the border were made by the European Union, but that when it comes to those laws being applied, EU officials are actually directing officials from Northern Ireland as to which lorry should be searched, which goods s…
Does the hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the Government, in their own words in the framework document, have accepted that without smooth trading there will be economic and constitutional impacts? They not only owe it to the economy of Northern Ireland to sort out these issues; if they do not, …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 September 2025
Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
It is a pity that the Government have had to be dragged screaming into granting this inquiry into Pakistani rape and grooming gangs, but the inquiry is welcome. However, given the fact that nobody has been appointed yet, the terms of reference have not be determined and we do not even know how long …
Commons
Debate
2 September 2025
Speciality Steel UK: Insolvency
The Minister is right to state that the business environment has not been good for the UK steel industry. The main cause for that adverse environment, of course, has been high energy prices—twice as high as those of European competitors and three times higher than those of US competitors. Given that…
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 July 2025
3 contributions
UK Internal Market
I beg to move,
That this House has considered barriers to trade in the UK internal market.
I am pleased to have been granted this debate. I do not have much luck securing debates in Westminster Hall, but I thought that perhaps nobody else would apply for a debate at the end of the last day before …
The right hon. Member is absolutely correct. I will talk about some of that bureaucracy later in my speech.
Fifty-eight per cent of businesses have faced significant or moderate difficulties, including rising transport costs, significant disruption to supplies, stock shortfalls, shortages, loss of …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 July 2025
Middle East
The disturbing images from Gaza lead us all to the conclusion that this war must end. However, we must remember that it was started because terrorists raped, burned and murdered people, took captives and still abuse those captives today. The war could finish tomorrow if the terrorists released those…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 July 2025
State of Climate and Nature
The real driver of this statement is the fact that the Secretary of State is losing the argument with his colleagues, who are now challenging the impact of his policies on economic growth. He is trying to cover up the cost, which the OBR revealed last week will be £30 billion per year and £800 billi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2025
2 contributions
Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution
Will my hon. Friend take an intervention?
Will my hon. Friend accept that people being dragged to court, sometimes for the second or third time, is not about justice or accountability, but about harassment and an attempt to find ways of rewriting history, and that is why this is so wrong?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 July 2025
Post Office Horizon Inquiry: Volume 1
I also welcome Sir Wyn’s report. It reminds us of the cynical, dishonest and illegal behaviour of Post Office and Fujitsu officials, who caused so much misery to so many people who were doing an honest job and were wrongly accused. The Minister rightly said that he is determined to move on and get r…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2025
British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty
It is amazing that we are to give up an important security base without it being necessary to do so, that we are to pay billions to a Government that will allow them to make tax cuts while we impose tax burdens on our own country, and that the Minister stands here today at the Dispatch Box and says …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery
Whatever the specific reasons for the company’s failure, the fact of the matter is that the refining industry has been squeezed for decades as a result of Government policy. When the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero stands up and demonises fossil fuels, it is hardly surprising tha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
30 June 2025
Glastonbury Festival: BBC Coverage
Anyone who witnessed the disgusting images of young, middle-class, educated morons chanting “Death to the IDF” at the weekend can only be alarmed that we have stooped to this level in our society. Even worse, the state broadcaster broadcast those images across the nation. I welcome what the Secretar…