Commons
Oral Questions
25 February 2026
Diego Garcia and British Indian Ocean Territory
I have been doing the maths on the Reform leader’s weekend. He spent 23 hours in the air in his private jet—perhaps run by “Man of the People Airways”—and 12 hours on the ground. That is a day and a half or so when he could have been delivering leaflets and knocking doors for the Gorton and Denton b…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 February 2026
Engagements
Q5. Can the Prime Minister update the House on how the Government are tackling the misuse of illegal drugs, and will he reassure parents in my constituency of Rugby and throughout the country that Labour will continue to disagree with the views and the voices of those who think that it is a good ide…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
11 February 2026
2 contributions
Defence Industrial Strategy 2025
12. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the defence industrial strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.
The Government are doing good work to encourage young people into their careers via apprenticeships, and this week is National Apprenticeship Week. In my constituency we have GE Vernova, which is ramping up its apprenticeship scheme, while Rugby college, part of Warwickshire College Group, is gettin…
Commons
Petition
10 February 2026
Urgent care provision in Rugby
I welcome the investment that has expanded and improved services at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, but my constituents want urgent treatment to improve further and to include more doctor-led services. I have raised this issue with Ministers and in the House. Locally, I have convened roundtables …
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
Construction Industry Training Board: Funding
I congratulate my hon. Friend on bringing this very important topic to the Floor of the House. Does he agree that anything that can be done to support businesses and employers in training young people must be done? When I visited my local college, Rugby college, I was informed that it is increasingl…
Commons
Debate
3 February 2026
12 contributions
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Does my hon. Friend agree that fecklessness is not a trait exhibited only by poorer people in our country?
The child poverty crisis that we inherited from the previous Government is, indeed, stark. In 2014, 16.5% of children were in relative poverty and by 2024, that had risen to 21.8%. The simple truth is that Conservative Members oppose a measure that lifts children out of poverty. They have not change…
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
3 February 2026
Iran
Does my hon. Friend agree that the brutal, violent and illegal repression of Iranian civilians by this regime shows just how difficult it is for civilian populations to rise up against their oppressors, as is so often demanded by people around the world? Would he pay tribute to the young women who h…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 February 2026
Town and City Centre Safety
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I will make two brief points—one per minute. The first is around Rugby town centre and how the police officers, community wardens and BID rangers all work together to ensure that it is safe. Will the Minister look at whether borough or distric…
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
US Department of Justice Release of Files
Could the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister explain what steps this Government have taken to make sure that the voices of the victims and survivors of sexual abuse and violence are heard by those in power?
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
China and Japan
Like the Prime Minister, I am a musician and a strong advocate for the creative arts sector. Could he set out to the House a little more about why he took so many creative arts and cultural organisations with him to China? Does he agree that Britain is the best in the world at the creative arts, tha…
Commons
Debate
28 January 2026
4 contributions
British Indian Ocean Territory
Before I turn to the subject of the Opposition day debate, I must comment on the answer that the shadow Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Witham (Priti Patel), gave to the right hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart)—a Member I respect hugely. She mentioned climbing the g…
I thank the hon. and even-more-loyal-than-I Member for his intervention. We spar across the House—
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
28 January 2026
Engagements
Q3. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that the good work of this Labour Government to get the NHS back on its feet, with waiting lists down—they are down by 2,400 in my constituency—as well as ambulance waits down and prescription charges frozen, could be put at risk by Reform UK, as was confi…
Commons
Debate
26 January 2026
2 contributions
NHS Urgent Care: Staffordshire
I note what my hon. Friend says about his integrated care board. I have very positive meetings with my ICB, but a similar situation is affecting the town of Rugby, which I represent. The urgent treatment centre is nurse-led, and we very much want there to be a doctor-led treatment centre. A review i…
That my hon. Friend talks about.
Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
5G Connectivity: Telford and West Midlands
My hon. Friend is making a compelling speech. I should declare that in a previous role, I advised a mobile phone company on communications. There have been occasions in the past when mobile phone companies and other digital companies have made very grand promises about things like video calling, as …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 January 2026
Arctic Security
Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should send a message of reassurance to our children and young people, who will undoubtedly be feeling concerned and scared about the developments in the Arctic and Greenland, and more broadly regarding our international system? Does she agree that they know i…
Commons
Proceedings
19 January 2026
Iran: Protests
I condemn the violent oppression of the Iranian people. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the work of the BBC World Service and BBC Persian, not only in getting free journalism and the truth into that country, but in getting stories of bravery, courage and suffering out to the wider wor…
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
New Towns
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch (Katrina Murray), in particular for her moving comments about community. While obviously community starts with the people, it does need a bit of a boost from the planners and developers from time to time.
Seeing is believi…
Commons
Debate
14 January 2026
Ukraine
I have spoken consistently about the need to protect the international rules-based system. Not only is that system under direct and indirect threat throughout the world, but in Ukraine it has clearly failed, in so far as Russia invaded. This is a moment not to jettison it, but to redouble our defenc…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 January 2026
Iran
Will the Foreign Secretary join me in firmly rejecting the instincts of some, including hon. Members in this House, who blame the current situation on the United States, the UK, Israel and the west, and does she further agree that blame for the current situation lies squarely with the oppressive reg…
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 January 2026
Arctic and High North
I too was at the meeting of the APPG for Greenland, in a room nearby where we heard from Greenland’s Minister for business, mineral resources, energy, justice and gender equality. In addition to my hon. Friend’s important points about the military strength and prowess of this country and others, and…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 January 2026
2 contributions
Road Safety Strategy
The hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) described the Government’s plans to reduce the blood alcohol limit as “absolutely ridiculous” and “wholly unacceptable”, and said that the current system worked “pretty effectively”. Does my hon. Friend the Minister agree that the families of the 260 people…
I did, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Commons
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Business of the House
Back Benchers in this House strengthen the hand of Ministers in tackling injustice, as was shown when the Housing Minister called in the managing director of FirstPort in real time during a debate. Labour Members are holding an informal inquiry into such issues, which are really important. A constit…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
7 January 2026
Ukraine and Wider Operational Update
Does my right hon. Friend agree that, in addition to the strong diplomatic and military leadership that he set out in his statement, it is, wherever possible, the unity of this House, and indeed unity in the country at large, that really counts in sending a clear and strong message to our friends an…
Commons
Debate
7 January 2026
2 contributions
Rural Communities
All the chuntering and laughing from Opposition Members rather indicates that they feel that the—
I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. Does my hon. Friend agree that the chuntering— [ Interruption. ] Does my hon. Friend agree that the chuntering and laughter, which the Conservatives continue now, rather belie the fact that they seem not to agree that members of the public in rural areas benefit fr…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
BBC Charter Renewal
Does my hon. Friend agree that those who question the BBC and try to undermine it could well have an ulterior motive, in that the very point that he is making about having a trusted public space is precisely what they do not wish this country and other parts of the world to have?