Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
26 November 2025
2 contributions
Economic Growth
3. What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of recent trends in levels of economic growth in Scotland.
The latest growth figures in Scotland have been terrible—just 0.2%—and are even worse than Labour’s figures for England at 0.3%. What has been more damaging to the Scottish economy: SNP policies in Holyrood, or Labour policies here in Whitehall?
Commons
Debate
24 November 2025
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Many of us agree with the concept of genuine devolution and bringing power to communities, but is the real problem not that the measures in the Bill will mean a power grab away from communities, and that Whitehall will be giving directions to local government? That basic contradiction at the heart o…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Passenger Rail: Performance Improvements
This summer, the Department for Transport wrote to the rail regulator that the Government firmly believe that
“the arrival of competition will benefit users of rail services by expanding the number of stations served (including new markets), encouraging greater differentiation in service provision …
I am very interested to hear that mention of open access, because there is a risk with nationalisation that the organisation focuses on its own union-led interests, rather than the interests of passengers. That leads to bureaucratic inefficiency, delay and increased costs, and we may be seeing that …
Commons
Debate
12 November 2025
22 contributions
Taxes
The Chancellor often talks about taking difficult decisions and tough choices. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is not a tough choice to raise taxes on other people; the tough choice is cutting spending?
He has only just walked in!
+20 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 November 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review
I am going to leave wider criticisms of this review to others. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on financial education for young people, I welcome the recognition of all the lobbying that has gone into this review. Financial education being made a statutory requirement at primary school…
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
2 contributions
Welfare Spending
The Minister talks about perverse disincentives and aspiring to be classified as sick. Does he accept that, with sickness benefits, someone will get £2,500 more than if they are on the national living wage full time? If that is the case, which it is, what is his plan to reverse that perverse disince…
The Minister for Social Security and Disability, who is no longer in his place, was in the extraordinary position of starting a debate arguing that he needed to save £4.5 billion and ending the debate saying he needed to spend an additional £300 million. Was that not a bit odd?
Commons
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
Topical Questions
Economists have told the Chancellor that stamp duty is a terrible tax because it damages growth. The Government’s response is to double stamp duty on a £300,000 house. Why?
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 October 2025
Independent Lifeboats: Government Support
As ever, it is a pleasure to appear before you, Mrs Harris.
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hamble Valley (Paul Holmes) on securing this debate. I know he is a long-standing supporter of independent lifeboats, and he hid his light under a bushel by understating his involvement in the c…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
29 October 2025
2 contributions
Farmers: Inheritance Tax
10. What discussions she has had with farmers in Wales on the potential impact of planned changes to inheritance tax relief on the agricultural sector.
I welcome the Minister to her position at the Dispatch Box. I know she will be excellent at the job. I also refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Welsh farming is central to the Welsh economy—we can all agree on that—but it is now facing a double whammy from the mad sust…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
China Spying Case
I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for setting out the story so far, but given that there have been so many variations on the truth, can he come up with an explanation of why the Government cannot alight on a single version of the truth of this matter?
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
2 contributions
China: Assessment of Threat Level
4. What assessment she has made of the level of threat China poses to UK interests.
In her former role, the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Planning Inspectorate raising no objections to the Chinese super-embassy application. She did not mention any concerns about the secret basements—some people describe them as dungeons—on the application, and she raised no objection to the proxim…
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 October 2025
Connected and Automated Vehicles
It is lovely to appear before you today, Ms Vaz. I join everyone in congratulating the hon. Member for West Bromwich (Sarah Coombes) on securing this interesting and important debate. She rightly focused on the three main issues, one of which, of course, is safety—a potential enormous benefit of the…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
Topical Questions
Business is crying out that the Employment Rights Bill will cost jobs. Now, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the spiritual home of the Secretary of State— [ Laughter. ] —says it will cripple the jobs market, especially for young people. It is not a laughing matter. What is the Secretary o…
Commons
Proceedings
23 October 2025
Alleged Spying Case: Role of Attorney General’s Office
The Solicitor General has repeatedly said that prosecutors and not politicians should decide whether to prosecute. Of course that is the case, but that is a straw man argument. The issue here is not political interference in the decision to prosecute, but political interference in the evidence that …
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
23 October 2025
2 contributions
Civil Service Strikes
16. How many working days have been impacted by strikes in the civil service since July 2024.
I am grateful for that answer, albeit partial, from the Minister, because he is quite right: he relies on the Office for National Statistics for the compilation of these figures. Now, even its staff have a strike mandate. They are refusing to attend work even for two days a week. What are the Govern…
Commons
Debate
20 October 2025
6 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
Is my hon. Friend aware that Mauritius does not have a navy?
The Minister will try his best in a few minutes to defend this wholly indefensible Bill, but the public know what it is: they see it as an absolute sell-out. I suspect that the Government Members who are not filling the green Benches see it as a sell-out, too. That is why every single one of them fa…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 October 2025
6 contributions
International Rail Services: Ashford
Thank you very much, Sir Desmond, for chairing us today; you are the serial winner of the best dressed Chair competition.
As a Kentish man—I was brought up as a Kentish man—I congratulate the hon. Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) on securing this debate. I am glad that I was not part …
The hon. Lady and I come from different perspectives. I think competition drives good economic behaviour, not the state directing individual companies on what they can do, whether profitable or unprofitable. That is a genuine difference of approach. In this instance, I agree with Lord Hendy, the Rai…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
11 September 2025
7 contributions
Regional Transport Inequality
I join the Liberal Democrat spokesperson in thanking the hon. Member for Derby North (Catherine Atkinson) for securing the debate. It gives us an opportunity to talk about the chasm between the Government’s grand promises and the grim reality for passengers, businesses and communities, as has been a…
I am aware that my hon. Friend’s Bill does not make a call on the public purse, at least on the Treasury, and it is for local authorities to opt into the scheme should they wish to. It sounds like a very exciting project and one that should be developed further.
I mentioned the A12 in East Anglia, …
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
11 September 2025
Point of Order
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. You will be aware of the mistakes made during the counting of votes yesterday. Are you able to give some guidance to those on the Treasury Bench on the importance of the work of the Whips?
Commons
Oral Questions
11 September 2025
Passenger Rail Performance
Before I ask my question, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the fact that last night, a man lost his life, a wife lost her husband, and children lost their father because of political intolerance. It was a personal tragedy, but also a tragedy for the body politic. I want to take a moment t…
Commons
Debate
10 September 2025
14 contributions
Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords]
I am slightly surprised to be called so early, but I am delighted to speak in the debate. This will be an interesting debate. I am delighted that there is so much interest from Back Benchers. It is interesting to note that the Bill is primarily focused on process rather than passengers. I tried to w…
The hon. Member is quite right, of course. I am not suggesting that bus services should be only for profit. He will know that Essex county council has an enhanced partnership agreement; it has a relationship with for-profit providers, but has negotiated that it will pay extra for social journeys. He…
+12 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
4 contributions
Property Taxes
The hon. Member and a number of his colleagues have referred to the reduction in interest rates as the sign of a growing economy. If he even googled it, he would realise that the first explanation for the Bank of England reducing interest rates is that it is worried about a weakening economy. Does h…
I have been told that we are speculating today, so I do not know whether I have to refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. However, in an abundance of caution, I declare that I am a homeowner and I also have properties for rent.
The kids in Downing Street—whether in No. 1…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
3 September 2025
Property Taxes
The hon. Gentleman says that he cannot speculate on individual tax measures, but will he deny that the No. 11 machine has been leaking these stories to the national press over the summer?