Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Armed Forces Recruitment and Retention
The Minister has said that veterans will have Government support. I am sure that is what he intends, but the hard reality is that the Bill that he is defending will lead to coroner’s court inquiries into decisions taken in a fraction of a second, 40 years ago. The best way to look at that issue is t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
5 January 2026
Topical Questions
It is widely reported that the Home Secretary is a strong supporter of robust reform of the European Court of Human Rights. A large number of countries on the European continent share our concerns over that. Has she discussed them with any of her opposite numbers? In particular, where does she see t…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
Jury Trials Proposal: Impact
The Justice Secretary quite rightly says that justice delayed is justice denied, but summary justice is no justice at all. He based much of his argument on the views of the eminent Lord Leveson, but has he read the analysis of that review by Geoffrey Rivlin KC, who went through the report in expert …
Commons
Debate
2 December 2025
Point of Order
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Since 2017, Members’ hands have been tied when it comes to amending the Finance Bill because successive Governments have failed to include a general amendment of the law as the first resolution, which for centuries allowed unrestricted amendment of the Budg…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 December 2025
Criminal Court Reform
When the Secretary of State took office, he swore an oath of office, which reads:
“I…do swear that…I will respect the rule of law, defend the independence of the judiciary and discharge my duty to ensure the provision of resources for the efficient and effective support of the courts”.
That last b…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
19 November 2025
Engagements
The Prime Minister knows that, last week, nine four-star generals made it plain that yesterday’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill is doing harm to the British Army already. The most acute damage is being felt by the Special Air Service. It is already affecting its recruitment, retention, morale and op…
Commons
Debate
18 November 2025
2 contributions
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill
This is a terrible Bill. Its central failing is that it will lead to the persecution of patriotic, innocent British soldiers whose only sin is defending our democracy with heroism and skill. What it will do is recreate a circumstance in which soldiers are treated unfairly by the law.
My hon. Friend…
No. I am sorry, but I do not have time.
People knew that the system would not be accepted, which is why Gerry Adams asked for an “invisible system” for dealing with on-the-runs. Why are they on the run? They are on the run because they are criminals, and this was a secret system to deal with it.
I…
Commons
Proceedings
13 November 2025
5 contributions
Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy
I start by welcoming the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to his place. We all know that Secretaries of State do not have to answer Adjournment debates. He and I will, of course, have robust differences of view on this, but no one can gainsay either his courtesy or his commitment to the task …
My right hon. Friend on the Front Bench mentions the name John Downey. In 2014, John Downey faced prosecution for the Hyde Park bombing. He produced his letter of comfort and his trial collapsed. What the judge said at the trial is important.
He stated there is a
“public interest in holding offici…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
2 contributions
Remembrance Day: Armed Forces
Every nation rightly celebrates the heroism of its soldiers, but in the United Kingdom’s case, we also celebrate their skill in avoiding innocent deaths when dealing with the enemies of our nation and our democracy. When nations neutralise terrorists, they typically use a bomb or a missile, but bomb…
Yes, that is right. All of them had soldiers serve under them at risk on the frontline and had soldiers die under their command, so they are all people with strong knowledge of what we are talking about.
To go on with the quotation:
“And make no mistake, our closest allies are watching uneasily, a…
Commons
Debate
3 November 2025
3 contributions
“Soldier F” Trial Verdict
The Front Benchers have rightly referred to the pain of the relatives of those who died on Bloody Sunday. We all share their sympathy, but nothing justifies the persecution of innocent people, particularly innocent veterans. The judge in the trial said:
“The evidence presented by the Crown falls we…
On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
22 October 2025
3 contributions
Devolution in Scotland
Will the hon. Lady give way?
I cannot really comment on electronic voting, but I was going to make a comment in the other direction—about learning in both directions. I believe that Donald Dewar, in his heroic struggle to bring about devolution, wanted a strong Scottish Parliament, in terms of privilege, in terms of the right t…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 October 2025
4 contributions
Mandatory Digital ID
In view of the time limits, I will focus solely on the scandalously insecure One Login procedure. I will be writing to ask the National Audit Office to investigate because, apart from the strategic weakness of having a single login, the Government’s handling has been a disaster.
As early as 2022, t…
Why do the Government’s cyber experts disagree?
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
15 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
The Secretary of State’s allegations about the legacy Act rest on a fiction that the Labour Government have not already handed out amnesties to all those terrorist killers. Two facts need to be put in front of the House. One is from the Good Friday agreement, which
“put in place mechanisms to provi…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Northern Ireland Troubles
In March of this year, it was widely reported that the Secretary of State gave his word to Mairead Kelly, the sister of IRA murderer Patrick Kelly, that there would be an inquest on the Loughgall incident. Is this remedial order a fulfilment of that promise? If so, it means that 30 years on, the Gov…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Security Update: Official Secrets Act Case
The Minister used the Roussev case in his own defence. In that case, the Court of Appeal set the clear precedent that the appropriate definition of an enemy state is not based on what the Government say—it is a state that behaves like an enemy. The judge stated plainly that
“There is no reason in o…
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
20 contributions
Ambassador to the United States
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the appointment process and the circumstances leading to the dismissal of the former United Kingdom Ambassador to the United States, Lord Mandelson.
Sometimes exquisite coincidences happen in this place. We have just seen a Bill presented on the topic …
There is no doubt that the right hon. Lady is correct. Frankly, I am going to try not to make this ad hominem about the Ministers who made decisions; we need to make that decision later, as it were. She is right that it has diminished the standing of our Prime Minister, and I regret that. Although w…
+18 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
15 September 2025
Ambassador to the United States: Appointment and Dismissal
I seek leave to propose that the House debates a specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration, namely the appointment process and circumstances leading to the dismissal of the former ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States, Lord Mandelson.
This is a matter of utmost co…
Commons
Proceedings
11 September 2025
UK Ambassador to the US: Appointment Process
The House needs to understand the sheer size of the failure of the vetting process here. It is in the public domain that Peter Mandelson had to resign for not telling the truth about an interest-free loan, and that he had to resign on a second occasion because he had helped a business friend to get …
Commons
Oral Questions
11 September 2025
2 contributions
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
19. What steps she is taking to support the sustainable aviation fuel industry.
I congratulate my parliamentary neighbour on his accession. It is good to see his talents recognised.
Much of the technology currently used in sustainable aviation fuel is of foreign origin. Part of the reason for that is that no Government body directly supports the development of core technologie…
Commons
Proceedings
8 September 2025
2 contributions
Omar al-Bayoumi: Arrest and Extradition
(Urgent Question): To ask the Minister of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the 2001 arrest of Saudi national Omar al-Bayoumi and the failure to extradite Mr al-Bayoumi for his alleged involvement in the 11 September terror attacks.
Yesterday’s edition of The S unday Times revealed that in the aftermath of 9/11 the Metropolitan police were forced to release Omar al-Bayoumi, who was believed to be a Saudi intelligence agent accused of supporting the hijackers, because the FBI withheld evidence. Arrested in Birmingham 10 days aft…
Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
Topical Questions
T6. To take the Health Secretary back to his promise to provide regional healthcare, the integrated care board is opening a consultation on the future of the hospital in Goole, after a decade of almost positively running it down. Will he instruct all the health services in the country to make the …
Commons
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
2 contributions
SEND: Education, Health and Care Plans
19. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed reforms to education, health and care plans on children with SEND.
Given that answer, I will quote the Secretary of State. She was saying earlier that the system is so distorted that the financial allocations do not reflect the real needs of children. That means that local authorities have huge deficits through no fault of their own; they are trying to do their job…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2025
6 contributions
Northern Ireland Veterans: Prosecution
Today, we speak on behalf of our veterans and the 176,000 members of the public who have so far signed the petition to give veterans protection against the vexatious legal pursuit of our brave heroes. Last week, when I raised this in the House, the Prime Minister dismissed it as “political point sco…
Absolutely—the phrase I would use is “heroic restraint”. Under those circumstances, restraint means putting their own lives and the lives of their comrades on the line. That is what was going on there, that was the decision that was being taken, and that is what is being challenged today. My right h…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
9 July 2025
Engagements
Q9. With permission, Mr Speaker, before I ask my question, may I tell the House that there are a number of veterans of Northern Ireland in the Public Gallery? Given what the Prime Minister said about 7/7, I would like to publicly thank them for their courage in defending our country and our democr…