Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
4 contributions
Environmental Sustainability: UK-Indonesia Collaboration
I was also delighted to see today that that announcement has been made. Is my hon. Friend aware that the five-year delay in passing the regulations has meant that imports totalling 54,000 hectares of tropical forests have happened? That is an area the size of Leeds.
As you have made clear, Sir Jeremy, I have a little time, so I start, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on West Papua, by dedicating my speech to our former vice-chair, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, who passed away recently. He was a fervent supporter of West Papua and, as I am sure my ri…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
16 June 2026
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill
It is a pleasure to follow such esteemed colleagues. My only declaration before I start my speech is that I hold a degree in information systems from the University of Leeds.
I have been sat here for the last two hours looking at the memorial plaque for Jo Cox, 10 years after the horrific day that …
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 June 2026
Brain Cancer
My constituent Emma has long been committed to achieving justice for people with brain cancer and has been writing to me about it ever since I became an MP. She has highlighted the survival rate of 12.9%. As we have already heard, research funding in this area is very low, at just 1% to 2% of overal…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Russian Shadow Fleet
I will start by praising 42 Commando for the planning and execution of what could have been a difficult operation. Today the Ukrainian Speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, visited us in Parliament, and the all-party group on Ukraine hosted him. He said that he hoped to see further action on the shadow fleet,…
I wrote to the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty), about the remaining licences for Russian fossil fuels—[Interruption.] And here he is. He said that those licences would be ending in January 2027. Now that the strait of Hormuz is open, could that be fi…
Commons
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Water Companies
Minister, we know that our water company, Yorkshire Water, is a dirty business, flushing sewage into rivers such as the Wharfe and the Aire, with children and others getting ill from swimming in them. But is it not also a broken business, with debt more than four times its revenue, while still payin…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 June 2026
Children: Development of Essential Skills
It is an honour to serve under your chairship for the first time, Dr Allin-Khan. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow). It is well known across the House that he is a classics scholar; indeed, he chairs the APPG for classics. Our democracy is based on that of the a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 June 2026
Preparedness for National Emergencies
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. Agility and long-term planning are two essential cornerstones of our preparedness for national emergencies. There are two types of national emergency where we must instil those traits: climate and nature, and artificial intelligence and data…
Commons
Proceedings
20 May 2026
Processed Russian Oil Products: Sanctions
This package of sanctions has come to us very quickly, and I am slightly concerned about how it has been communicated today, so a bit of clarity would be really welcome. How long will the regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 stand prior to completing the phasing in…
Commons
Debate
27 April 2026
3 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
In my comments, I will address the agent of change principle. I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on music, and this has long been on our agenda. The shadow Minister got the gist of this right when saying that it is about existing or long-standing venues—music venues and nightclubs, …
Does my hon. Friend agree that there are particular issues for councillors on the planning committees of local authorities? The amendments would bring a clarity that would make it much easier for planning committees to operate and give music venues and nightclubs the reassurance that they need.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
Grassroots Music Venues
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. On 19 November, the Secretary of State made the welcome announcement that we would end the abuse of ticket resale. Since then, gig goers at grassroots music venues have been ripped off by tens of millions of pounds. With …
Commons
Debate
14 April 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
I want to raise the systemic issue of honour-based abuse. The perpetrator is usually not just one person; they are a family, a group or a network of people who believe that an individual has or may bring dishonour or shame to the family or community. My hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Jess Asa…
Commons
Proceedings
25 March 2026
Foreign Financial Influence and Interference: UK Politics
I thank Philip Rycroft for meeting me in my position as chair of the fair elections APPG and for including some of my points and evidence in this excellent review. I also thank the Secretary of State for including the donations cap—an issue that I raised with the Minister for Democracy, my hon. Frie…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 March 2026
Puberty Blockers Clinical Trial
Many of my constituents have spoken or written to me because they are anxious about the pausing of the trial. In the words of one of my constituents,
“to be a true ally you must support all trans people and their needs, not just adults”.
As a matter of principle, politicians should not meddle in m…
Commons
Proceedings
18 March 2026
Student Loans
I have read the motion and the amendment. Students today are on a new loan—the plan 5 loan—and Conservative Members have completely forgotten current students. The Government amendment talks about the system in the round. Can my hon. Friend reassure me that the Government are going to look at the sy…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 March 2026
Social Enterprises and Community Ownership
I thank my fellow Co-operative MP, my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt), for introducing the debate. She served admirably in the social enterprise sector while she was resting from this place. Like her, I spent many years working in the social enterprise and co-operative secto…
Commons
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
Immigration Policy
In response to the urgent question, the Minister did not mention the announcement last week that people from four countries—Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Cameroon—will no longer be able to apply for a student visa. Many students who applied for such visas and came to study here subsequently found …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 March 2026
Energy Markets
One of the first lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, and now from the war in the middle east, is that oil refineries and fossil fuel infrastructure are primary targets and that energy prices are now part of war strategy. Our race to renewables is important not just here in the UK, but around the wo…
Commons
Oral Questions
9 February 2026
Jimmy Lai: Prison Sentence
The Government have been pretty generous to the Chinese Government—first the embassy, then the Prime Minister’s visit to China and trade concessions. In return, the Chinese Government have conferred a death sentence on Jimmy Lai. Will those in Hong Kong’s Administration and judiciary who undertook t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 February 2026
Russian Influence on UK Politics and Democracy
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for his excellent opening speech. I agree with the statement in the petition, which 168 of my constituents signed:
“We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. …
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
China and Japan
It is right that the Prime Minister goes to China if he is acting in the best interests of all those living here. Last year, the Joint Committee on Human Rights undertook an inquiry into transnational repression. In front of us, we had Chloe Cheung, a young Hongkonger from Leeds who had a $HK1 milli…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 February 2026
Indefinite Leave to Remain
Many people in my constituency who are on the skilled worker visa programme have written to me. They are being told, if they are already on a five-year programme, that it will be changed retrospectively to a 10-year programme. Does my hon. Friend agree that there is an inherent issue of fairness in …
Commons
Debate
29 January 2026
Holocaust Memorial Day
The hon. Member is making an excellent speech. This Sunday, I went to our Holocaust Memorial Day event in Leeds and met Trude Silman, my former constituent from when I was a councillor. She is 97 years old, and we have fewer and fewer of these Holocaust survivors. I pay tribute to the children of Ho…
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 January 2026
6 contributions
Ukraine: Non-recognition of Russian-occupied Territories
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of non-recognition of Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
Today is 1,435 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It has been nearly 12 years since Russia’s invasion of Crimea, which many would say is when the war …
The right hon. Member is absolutely correct. There is no part of the occupied territories of Ukraine where the standard of living is anywhere near what it was prior to the occupation. People in those territories are being systematically deprived of their livelihoods and there has been a material dec…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
28 January 2026
Engagements
I know that the Deputy Prime Minister takes a deep interest in Uganda. Two weeks ago, there was a sham election in which people were prevented from voting and Government officials stuffed ballot boxes. Now, the military is pursuing Bobi Wine, the leader of the opposition, with deadly intent. I am gr…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 January 2026
Police Reform White Paper
I am really pleased that the Home Secretary is retaining the role of democratically elected metro mayors in the oversight of police forces. My specific question is about police AI. We know that AI training models have bias, particularly around race, so how are we going to ensure that these AI models…