Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
15 April 2026
2 contributions
Energy Prices
The Secretary of State will be aware that Scotland is an energy-rich exporter of electricity, hydrocarbons and renewables, so why are so many Scots struggling to pay what are among the highest bills in Europe?
Right there, we see the alignment of Labour and Reform. Labour’s Brexit isolationism has taken us away from Europe and away from our key markets. Independent Ireland—European Ireland—has announced a €700 million support package, yet Scotland, which has given £350 billion to the Treasury, got £35 per…
Commons
Debate
13 April 2026
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
Another day in this Parliament, another chaotic U-turn. I thank the Minister for being the latest to make the long walk from No. 10 to over here to announce said U-turn, and thank the one, solitary Labour MP who could be encouraged to stand up for the Government. I accept that the Tories made a mess…
Commons
Proceedings
25 March 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I mentioned earlier, the Scottish Parliament goes into recess today ahead of the election, yet the Minister has talked about seeking a legislative consent motion. This is an important issue, and I respect the work that has been done, but can I seek your …
Commons
Proceedings
25 March 2026
Foreign Financial Influence and Interference: UK Politics
Can I put on record my thanks to Sir Philip Rycroft for his public service? The Secretary of State referenced devolved Administrations. The Scottish Parliament is going into the pre-election period this afternoon, so how will this work in terms of the elections? How will this legislation impact the …
Commons
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
Topical Questions
T5. Mr Speaker, the energy bills crisis is happening right now, but you might not know that from Ministers’ responses today. The Scottish Government’s actions have helped to deliver clean, green, renewable energy as a net exporter, bailing out the UK Government in terms of heating oil as well. Will …
Commons
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
2 contributions
Energy Bills: Scotland
6. What steps his Department is taking to support communities in Scotland with the cost of energy bills.
Scotland is one of the most energy-rich countries in Europe, and the Treasury and the UK Government have benefited to the tune of hundreds of billions as revenues have flowed in over the years, yet bill payers in Scotland pay among the highest prices in Europe. Labour promised that bills would be hu…
Commons
Debate
17 March 2026
Middle East
When there is no long-term plan for military intervention, it is civilian populations who pay the price. We know that from Iraq, Libya and elsewhere. Given the importance of international law, which I hope the Foreign Secretary supports, will she tell me what the consequences are for Israel for its …
Commons
Proceedings
11 March 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. First, I apologise that I have not been able to give you notice of this, but it is in reference to the earlier response and to the documents. I tabled a written parliamentary question about when Peter Mandelson left his employment on 4 February. The emails …
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address Motion
The Minister has said that he wants to be open with us. I tabled a series of parliamentary questions about when Peter Mandelson ceased employment at the Foreign Office and I never got a response. They were first tabled on 4 February. There was a flurry of emails on 4 February without any context to …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
11 March 2026
Engagements
Q10. Yesterday in the Welsh Senedd, its Members called out a secret Whitehall memo that showed this Government’s attitude to devolution: a muscular Unionism that Boris Johnson would have been proud of. When Scottish and Welsh voters go to the polls, will the Prime Minister respect their decision? Wh…
Commons
Debate
2 March 2026
3 contributions
Representation of the People Bill
Will the hon. Member give way?
May I first congratulate the Green party on its significant majority and its win? It is not my party, but I will congratulate it for that significant win over Reform and the Labour party. Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that every single UK citizen, regardless of their faith or ethnic background, …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 March 2026
Middle East
The Prime Minister will understand why the ghosts of Iraq hang heavy over the Chamber at times like this. On that basis, does he agree that the best rebuke to the murderers in Tehran and the Iranian regime is the maintenance of the international rules-based system? More than that, we owe it to the p…
Commons
Debate
25 February 2026
Ukraine
I am sorry that this intervention is so early, but I just wanted to reflect that I was in Kyiv at the same time as the Secretary of State, and I thank him for his visit. We were there at the same time to see the apartment block where emergency responders were hit with a double-tap strike—that is, th…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 February 2026
Engagements
Even the embarrassingly loyal Scottish Labour party seems to have lost confidence in the Prime Minister. I say to the Prime Minister, “Please don’t let that put you off coming and campaigning in Scotland on your Government’s record,” but can he tell us why it is that those who were so close to him h…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
25 February 2026
2 contributions
Relations with Scottish Government
I associate myself with the comments from other colleagues about the sad loss of Jeane Freeman.
This has been a difficult few weeks—sorry, another difficult few weeks for Scottish Labour. For the benefit of the House, given that Scottish Labour’s senior politicians have no faith in this Government,…
Unsurprisingly, the Secretary of State has not been able to tell me that there are any differences, because the sad truth is that when it comes to every issue, the Prime Minister’s most loyal supporters are in Scottish Labour. When it came to raising tax on small and medium-sized enterprises—no prob…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 February 2026
13 contributions
EU Membership Referendum: Impact on the UK
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of the 2016 EU membership referendum on the UK.
It is a pleasure to be here with you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. I thank colleagues for turning out for today’s debate.
We are now on the 10th anniversary of the vote to leave the European Unio…
Not at the moment.
I want to reflect for a moment that, although the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage)—I made him aware that I would be referencing him today, in this one instance—told us that the UK would not be the last member to leave, no one left and more members are seeking to join. That …
+11 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
9 February 2026
12 contributions
UK-India Free Trade Agreement
May I thank the officials who have been working with the Minister on this trade deal? I am sure he will not mind me doing so. These trade deals are difficult, and they take a while to come to fruition. I would also like to acknowledge the reduction on whisky duty—although, as my hon. Friend the Memb…
It would be remiss of me not to give way to the hon. and learned Gentleman.
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 February 2026
Standards in Public Life
I thank the Minister for his statement—it was clearly preferable being here than at the reception that the Prime Minister is hosting for Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs later on. I have lost count of the number of times I have spent here dealing, in one way or another, with Westminster chaos. It often …
Commons
Oral Questions
9 February 2026
Jimmy Lai: Prison Sentence
As the Minister is aware, there is cross-party consensus that we are horrified by the jailing of Jimmy Lai. She will also be aware that there are consequences when a UK Government are perceived as being weak, including for British citizens. The Minister said that the Prime Minister spoke softly; he …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 February 2026
Sudan
I thank the Foreign Secretary for her statement, for her travel and for the prominence that she has given to this issue. May I thank her especially for her engagement with the victims of the conflict, not least the women and girls?
I welcome the action on sanctions, but obviously state and non-stat…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 February 2026
Scottish Affairs Committee in 2024-25 and Industrial Transition
I thank the Committee for its work on this issue. The hon. Member rightly raised the point about skills. Will she tell us about the impact of the energy profits levy on some of the businesses that upskill, not least in the area that I represent in the north-east of Scotland?
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
2 contributions
Lord Mandelson
The hon. Member will be aware that, earlier on today, the Prime Minister made the concession from the Dispatch Box that he knew. Is this not a question of trust in the Prime Minister, given what he knew when he made his decisions? That is what makes it so serious for this Government.
I have raised the point about the Prime Minister, but there is a broader point here. Lord Mandelson was appointed to the Lords. For 115 years, Labour has been promising to get rid of the Lords. The Conservatives and other parties have appointed people to the Lords who we should be getting rid of. Pl…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
Topical Questions
T6. An opinion poll in the Sunday Herald at the weekend showed that three quarters of Scots would vote to join the European Union. They get that leaving the EU was a disaster a decade ago, and it is even more of a disaster given the international situation now, so why do this Government continue to …
Commons
Debate
14 January 2026
2 contributions
Ukraine
I associate myself with the Minister’s comments, for which I thank him.
I have some significant and substantive questions to ask, but I will reflect for a moment on the human side of this conflict, which is important. The hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter) did that very…
Accountability is so important, as I know the hon. Gentleman and other Members agree.
On the local element, will the Minister say something about the 100-year agreement? I know that this place has an important role in the response to the war in Ukraine, but the message I received during my travels …
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
14 January 2026
2 contributions
Economic Growth
I wish the Secretary of State the best for 2026. I am glad he caught “The Traitors”, because I am so sorry to have heard the language used about Scottish Labour MPs by Labour MPs in the press recently. If what he is saying is the best way to improve our lives and our economy, why is Scotland the onl…
I would take the Secretary of State a little bit more seriously if so many Labour MPs had not lost the Whip for backing our vote on tackling the two-child cap. The Scottish child payment, which has been described as “game changing”, has been extended to provide additional funding for babies, meaning…