Commons
Westminster Hall
30 June 2026
Financial Inclusion: Young People
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. You have launched an unfortunate trend of people fessing up to their first jobs; however, it gives me the opportunity to make a point about the context in which we are debating the financial inclusion of young people. My first job—probably…
Commons
Debate
24 June 2026
3 contributions
Taxation (Energy and Vehicles)
For covid!
I thank the Minister for his very clear laying out of the measures before us. May I say that sometimes there is no place for partisanship? Perhaps we have had a taste of that today.
I have a series of questions for the Minister. As I did not have a chance to brief him about them beforehand, as I wa…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
23 June 2026
Economic Strength
I am sorry, but the Chancellor’s recollection of her record is fantasy economics from a fantasy economist. Is it not the case that her true record is poor decision making: with U-turn after U-turn on winter fuel payments, business rates and family farm taxes; tax after tax on jobs, investment and sa…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 June 2026
East Midland Railway Collision
I thank the Secretary of State and her ministerial team for the support they have given Members of Parliament in affected constituencies since the collision, and add my voice to the many who have praised the response of Bedfordshire emergency services immediately following the collision, the brillia…
Commons
Oral Questions
28 April 2026
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure: Business Rates
This month, a comprehensive survey by UKHospitality showed that one in seven of our hotels, pubs and restaurants will close as a direct result of the Chancellor’s policies. Many of those businesses represent the hopes and dreams, hard work and savings of the people who set them up. Therefore, as I a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 March 2026
2 contributions
Banking Services: Accessibility
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. I join everyone in congratulating the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George) on not only securing the debate but opening it so clearly. He laid out the particular issue in Penzance, but in doing so highlighted common concerns about bank…
I have to say to my Liberal Democrat friend that the Liberal Democrats’ position is that taxing big businesses, big banks and big tech can pay for everything. I think I have heard the moneys from that being allocated to well over 20 different applications. That may have a role—it is up to the Libera…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
10 March 2026
Youth Unemployment: Autumn Budget 2025
Last month, The Times reported that the Government may drop their pledge on minimum wage equalisation over fears of youth joblessness, and the BBC reports that the Government are considering a delay. Can the Minister advise whether the Government have considered any such delay or policy changes, and…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
10 March 2026
OBR Growth Projections: Departmental Spending
The Government’s spending plans look very, very iffy. The Minister has a chance of fitting in with the Chancellor’s fiscal rules—if there is no further downgrade on economic growth, which seems unlikely; if the Government have the backbone to rein in public spending and to increase taxes in the last…
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
3 contributions
Charter for Budget Responsibility
I thank the Minister for a succinct opening speech.
The charter for Budget responsibility seeks to confer the important attributes of stability and credibility on a Government’s management of the public finances and the wider economy. “Stability” and “credibility” are not exactly the first two word…
I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I think his issue with the Barnett consequentials is one for the Minister to reply to, but the Conservative and Unionist party, as he knows, has very strong support for and kinship with our citizens in Northern Ireland. On his comment about the revenues …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
2 contributions
New Towns
I would like to make it clear that I am speaking in an individual capacity as the Member of Parliament for North Bedfordshire. I congratulate the hon. Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray) on her speech and on the extraordinarily human way in which she described her life in a new…
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for making the point about making brownfield sites a priority, and I think he is giving the Minister some very good advice. The first question that will be asked by people in Tempsford and the villages, who may see so much more housing come upon them, is, “Well, why h…
Commons
Debate
17 December 2025
2 contributions
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill
For a Bill that proposes to raise taxation on working people by such a large amount, this has been a remarkably brief debate. But I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst), who correctly said that this was yet another anti-aspiration measure from this Gover…
Will the Minister give way?
Commons
Oral Questions
9 December 2025
Economic Growth: Rural Areas
As this is my last question before Christmas, I want to ask my counterpart a nice and constructive one. As he will know, rural residents and businesses already pay more on fuel than their urban counterparts and there are fewer public transport options. Can he advise what were the results of his asse…
Commons
Oral Questions
9 December 2025
Income Tax and National Insurance Threshold Freeze
The Minister said this was “fair”—no, no, no. Perhaps breaking the election promise on tax thresholds is the reason why, by two to one, the public view the Budget as unfair, just 3% think it will make them better off, and two out of three think things will get worse. Does the Minister want to tell t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
3 contributions
Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor
rose —
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this debate. He is right to talk about the torrid history of East West Rail, but he misses some crucial points. First, the railway loses taxpayers an enormous amount of money. Secondly, East West Rail chose a long, hilly, environmentally damaging route that…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
3 contributions
Budget Resolutions
Madam Deputy Speaker, before I start my comments on the subject of this debate, let me say that I am aware, and I think a number of right hon. and hon. Members are aware, that since you presided over the opening of this debate last Wednesday, you have been subject to abuse online, with a series of p…
The hon. Lady needs to recognise that people are struggling because of decisions made by this Government.
The people do want better public services, but they do not understand why, after the Government handed out a 15% pay hike to train drivers, more trains are running late this year compared to la…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
2 contributions
Topical Questions
What is the Chancellor’s definition of “working people”?
That is a very broad definition. Maybe the Chancellor should speak to the Prime Minister, the Transport Secretary, the Education Secretary and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who have all given different definitions of working people over the last 12 months. After last year’s Budget, the C…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
2 contributions
Topical Questions
May I welcome the new members of the Treasury team, with their courage in joining it? I also do so for the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride), who cannot be with us today. May I particularly welcome the new Chief Secretary, who repl…
I fear that the Chancellor’s dismissive response fails to acknowledge either the serious state of public finances or the serious difficulties of her own position. Having extended economic uncertainty until just before Christmas, will the Chancellor at least confirm that the November Budget will incl…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
9 September 2025
2 contributions
Government Debt Interest Payments
UK long-term borrowing costs are now consistently above the range of G7 countries—something that did not occur at any time under previous coalition or Conservative Governments. It is because markets are pricing in the specific weakness of this Labour Government’s economic policies. The cost of that …
indicated dissent .
Commons
Debate
2 September 2025
Solar Development: Newark
I know that there are rules about shadow Ministers speaking in Adjournment debates, but with your permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make an intervention. My right hon. Friend has made an important point about the impact on the local economy and the options of farming and new housing.…
Commons
Debate
15 July 2025
Taxes
We have had an exciting and heartfelt debate. I commend for their speeches my right hon. Friends the Members for Sutton Coldfield (Sir Andrew Mitchell), for Wetherby and Easingwold (Sir Alec Shelbrooke), for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Holden), for Salisbury (John Glen) and for Beverley and Holderne…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
1 July 2025
Employer National Insurance Contributions
Labour’s jobs tax has really clobbered British businesses. The Office for National Statistics says that the number of available jobs is collapsing. Perhaps the Chancellor has not updated herself on how British business thinks about confidence: the Institute of Directors has said today that business …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 June 2025
UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his statement, and for providing early sight of it.
Our ability to invest in public infrastructure is a positive for individuals, communities and the country as a whole, and it is right that the new Government set out their strategy. The last Governme…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
Regional Growth
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his statement and for early sight of it. I will start with an area of agreement: it is a shared ambition to enable all parts of this country to participate in our growth and our future. Potential in the United Kingdom is everywhere, and it is right tha…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
20 May 2025
Spending Review: Economic Growth
Of course, the best way to improve economic growth is for this Chancellor to stop punishing businesses with higher taxes. Within the spending review, the key is to improve public sector productivity. As the Chancellor knows, one of the key aspects in doing that is the use of technology. This Governm…