Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
4 February 2026
2 contributions
Engagements
May I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the Prime Minister for your responses to my tribute to Jim Wallace on Monday, and may I urge the whole House to read the wonderful tributes paid to Jim in the other place yesterday?
I have been thinking about how victims of Jeffrey Epstein, and the victims’ families…
I think the victims of Jeffrey Epstein deserve far better than that; they deserve Peter Mandelson not being appointed in the first place. We do not even know the full extent of the British establishment’s involvement in Epstein’s appalling crimes, or how many British girls and young women were traff…
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
China and Japan
With your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I start by paying tribute to my friend Jim Wallace, one of the great Scottish Liberals. I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends. Jim devoted his life to public service, his Christian faith and the cause of liberalism. But his judgment was not…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
21 January 2026
2 contributions
Engagements
We remember how Tony Blair ignored warnings from these opposition Benches and tied himself to an unpopular American President and a disastrous foreign policy, while close allies such as Canada and France looked on in horror. With Donald Trump increasingly acting like a crime boss running a protectio…
Of course we are not arguing that; we are arguing that the Prime Minister follows France and Canada—our close allies. Here is one thing that we can agree on: that the UK should strengthen our defensive capabilities, as the Prime Minister said earlier. But the Government are going far too slow in inv…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
May I associate myself and my party with the comments made by the Foreign Secretary about the terrible rail crash in Spain? I thank her for her statement.
President Trump is acting like an international gangster, threatening to trample over the sovereignty of an ally, threatening the end of NATO al…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
14 January 2026
2 contributions
Engagements
I associate myself and my party with the Prime Minister’s comments on Iran. I encourage him to go even further on sanctions and proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Sandra is 71. She has bladder cancer. Just after Christmas, she went into her local A&E. She had to wait 31 hours on a…
We saw what happened to the last Government when they failed to improve the NHS, and if the Prime Minister is not careful, that will happen to his Government.
Last month I asked the Prime Minister to get a grip of South East Water, which had left thousands of people in Royal Tunbridge Wells without…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
7 January 2026
2 contributions
Engagements
Mr Speaker, may I wish you and everyone in this House a happy new year? I welcome the progress made on security guarantees for Ukraine yesterday. Geoffrey Robertson KC is a respected authority on international law. He is also the head of the Prime Minister’s barrister chambers and he could not be cl…
The Prime Minister just looks ridiculous when he will not tell the truth: that Trump has broken international law. Turning to Donald Trump’s next target, the Prime Minister was right to give the Danish Prime Minister his backing over Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and I welcome his joint stateme…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 January 2026
Venezuela
I associate myself and my party with the Foreign Secretary’s comments about the tragedy in Crans-Montana.
When President Reagan invaded Grenada, Margaret Thatcher said that
“we in…the Western democracies…use our force to defend our way of life, we do not use it to walk into other people’s countrie…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
17 December 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish you, everyone in the House and the whole country, a merry and peaceful Christmas.
I join the Prime Minister in expressing our horror at the appalling antisemitic terror attacks on Bondi Beach on the first day of Hanukkah. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families …
I thank the Prime Minister for that answer, and I hope he will look at the proposal from the Board of Deputies. I think we can work across this House to end the scourge of antisemitism.
Turning to the NHS, even before today’s irresponsible strike by the resident doctors, patients were facing a terr…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
10 December 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
I join the Prime Minister in offering our condolences to the family and friends of Lance Corporal George Hooley, who died on duty in Ukraine. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
I congratulate Glastonbury’s Lando Norris on becoming the 11th British driver to win the Formula 1 world championship…
I did not hear about standing up to President Trump. If we are going to stand up to President Trump, we do need to strengthen our ties with Europe, not just on defence, but on the economy. The truth is that this Government will not succeed unless they get our economy growing strongly again, and the …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
3 December 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
I join the Leader of the Opposition in paying tribute to Sir John Stanley, and send our condolences to his family. I had the huge pleasure of working with him over a number of years on developing the relationship between our country and Korea, and he was always a true gentleman.
Yesterday, I was in…
I am grateful for the Prime Minister’s reply and for the actions of the Water Minister, the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy), but I do think the Government will need to do more, because South East Water has failed so badly.
Turning now to the Budget, the Prime Mi…
Commons
Debate
26 November 2025
2 contributions
Budget Resolutions
We look forward to the Treasury Committee challenging the Government on the details of the Budget. This Government were elected on a promise to tackle the cost of living and grow the economy, and this is the second Budget in which they have failed to do either. For millions of people struggling with…
I am happy to talk to the hon. Gentleman in the Tea Room afterwards.
The Government know the damage that the Conservative-Reform Brexit deal has done to every family and business across our country, yet they choose to reject the single biggest policy for ending the cost of living crisis, turbocharg…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
26 November 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
We have just seen in the leaked OBR documents that taxes are going up to a historic record high. Will the Prime Minister explain why Labour is hiking people’s taxes, instead of fixing the £90 billion Brexit black hole in the public finances by growing our economy with a new, detailed, brilliant trad…
We want to grow the economy, not tax the economy.
Let me take the Prime Minister on to another issue. I hope everyone in the House shares my alarm that a former leader of a political party in Wales has been found guilty of betraying our country, and has now been sentenced to over 10 years in prison…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
19 November 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s opening remarks? May I also join him in congratulating Scotland on their amazing win against Denmark, and wish them well in the world cup? I hope that Wales will qualify to join England and Scotland.
Every year, there are more than 300 suicides relat…
I thank the Prime Minister for his reply, and we look forward to the Government’s taking action on that.
Let me raise another domestic matter. Next to the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, a field is now covered in an enormous mound of rubbish, 150 metres long and up to 12 metres high. The water is no…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
12 November 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
May I associate myself with the earlier remarks of the Prime Minister and say what a great honour it was to join the royal family at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday to pay our respects to all those heroes who gave their lives for our country? We must never forget the sacrifice they made for our f…
The Prime Minister is right to say that the BBC’s independence and impartiality are absolutely crucial. That is why we must stop President Trump undermining them, but he is not the only one; the last Government spent years undermining the BBC’s independence and impartiality. They put two Conservativ…
Commons
Debate
29 October 2025
European Convention on Human Rights (Withdrawal)
The speech we just heard totally misrepresents the European convention, and the failure of the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) to mention the huge benefits and rights that the European convention has brought to millions of British people says it all. Let me give those attracted by the argumen…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
29 October 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
May I associate myself with what the Prime Minister said about Jamaica, and indeed all the islands and countries affected by Hurricane Melissa? Our thoughts and prayers are with them all.
I am sure the whole House will also want to join me in paying tribute to Prunella Scales. I suspect I am not th…
I am grateful for the Prime Minister’s reply, and I agree with him on Ukraine, but I do hope he will look to have an investigation into this Russian interference in our politics.
Last week, I questioned how the Prime Minister can accept the damage of Brexit while refusing to do anything meaningful …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
22 October 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
I agree with the Prime Minister’s words about Claire Throssell. I agree with him that it is right that we change the law, and I hope that it is named after her sons, Jack and Paul.
Given the revelations about Royal Lodge, does the Prime Minister agree that this House needs to scrutinise the Crown E…
I hope the House can look at that properly and that all people can be summoned to the relevant committee.
Turning to the economy, I know Labour Members are relieved—they are finally allowed to say that the Conservatives’ Brexit deal is a disaster. But that cannot just be a political ruse to attack …
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 October 2025
5 contributions
Korean War: 75th Commemoration
I completely concur with the right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) about the need to pay tribute to the South Koreans and their Government for their acknowledgment of the ultimate sacrifice paid by so many of our fellow countrymen in the defence of liberty and democracy in the Re…
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg, and to follow the hon. Member for Gloucester (Alex McIntyre) and the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith). I think this will be a consensual debate, in which we come together to show our solidarity wit…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Middle East
I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement. I join him in condemning the evil, antisemitic terrorist attack that killed Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz at their synagogue in Manchester. Antisemitism must be stamped out and British Jews must be able to feel safe in our country.
A…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Speaker’s Statement
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. May I first thank you for that generous tribute to our dear friend Ming?
I want to let the House into a secret about Ming Campbell: he was obsessed with sport—as one might expect from someone who was the captain of the Scottish men’s team at the Commonwealth games. …
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
5 contributions
Ambassador to the United States
This debate finds the House at its best, holding the Government and the Prime Minister properly to account. As the Leader of the Opposition said, we may be rising for the recess, but this issue will not go away. I pay tribute to the right hon. and gallant Member for Goole and Pocklington (David Davi…
The hon. Gentleman makes a strong point. The previous ambassador to the United States was held in high regard, and many people think she should be appointed to the vacancy.
I want to mention what was said by the hon. Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi). Yes, we have all the…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
10 September 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
I join the Prime Minister in sending our condolences to His Majesty and the royal family on the death of the Duchess of Kent. I also echo the Prime Minister’s condemnation of Netanyahu’s attacks on Qatar. Those are not the actions of a leader truly focused on getting hostages home. I hope that the P…
Moving on, as the Leader of the Opposition said, Lord Mandelson has admitted to continuing his relationship long after Epstein was convicted, and that there are more embarrassing details that we do not yet know. People will be surprised by the Prime Minister giving Ambassador Mandelson such strong s…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
On behalf of my hon. Friends on these Benches, may I join the Leader of the Opposition in sending our condolences to the family of David Warburton?
I am sure the whole House will join me in paying tribute to Annette Brooke, who served in this House for 14 years and sadly passed away last month. Ann…
I have to disagree with the Prime Minister on that—we are now debating this issue.
Here is an issue on which I hope the Prime Minister will agree with me. The European convention on human rights is a British creation that protects all our basic rights and freedoms: the rights of children, disabled …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s words about the shocking Afghan data breach under the previous Government, which was kept secret for three years? He will have our support if he decides to pursue a public inquiry.
I know that the Prime Minister will agree that the shocking rise of a…
I thank the Prime Minister for that reply. I hope that we will see more action to tackle antisemitism.
Turning to the middle east, the world is looking on in horror at the scenes from Gaza, and now Netanyahu’s Ministers want to lock the whole population of Gaza into what is effectively a giant pris…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
9 July 2025
2 contributions
Engagements
May I associate myself and my party with the Prime Minister’s comments about the horrifying terrorist bombing of 7/7 here in London? Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and our emergency services.
May I also join in sending condolences to the family of Lord Tebbit. He was a man of ser…
I thank the Prime Minister for his reply. We want to work across the House to fix the mess that the Tories left, but we do not want another welfare-style mess this time; we have to fix the system properly for parents and children.
The Conservative Government badly undermined the security of our bor…