Commons
Debate
11 February 2026
Police Grant Report
I would like to highlight one case from Flamstead, where David, who was a toolman and a tradesman, had his van broken into 10 times. On the 10th time, he called the police while the thieves were there, but it still took officers many days to arrive, and he has now decided to retire because it is too…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
Teenagers’ Use of Social Media
We have already heard from thousands of stakeholders, including concerned parents, teachers and young people, who are all crying out for help against fast-evolving online harm. That is why the Liberal Democrats have proposed a world-leading approach to ban harmful social media, based on a future-pro…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 February 2026
Indefinite Leave to Remain
I will quickly add the voices of the Hong Kong BNOs in my constituency who feel just like that. One said:
“We have built our lives—our careers, finances, childcare and caring responsibilities”
on the rules that were promised by this Government. Does the hon. Member agree that this limbo and instab…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
29 January 2026
Business of the House
Redbourn village faces a potential 70% housing increase after this Government reclassified swathes of open land as grey belt, leaving villagers powerless against unplanned development, with legitimate infrastructure and environmental concerns compounded by being next to the M1 and 7 miles from Luton…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
29 January 2026
Hospitality Sector
Hospitality is on its knees, and it is already too late for many of the pubs and restaurants in Harpenden and Berkhamsted that are closing down. The small café Nook in Markyate is a real lifeline for that village, but Helen, the owner, talks about business rates, national insurance costs and the min…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
22 January 2026
2 contributions
UK-EU Relations
12. What steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK’s relations with the EU.
Given the strength of power shown by the EU to the US, not only is the relationship with Europe more strategically important than ever, but it matters because of the £90 billion black hole in our economy and to people such as Hazel from Tring, whose medical devices family business has been cut by co…
Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
Holocaust Memorial Bill
One of my constituents, Kitty Hart-Moxon, helped to set up the Holocaust Educational Trust. She will be 100 this year. My hon. Friend has spoken about bridging the gap; Kitty is handing over that work to Peter and Moira in her family, who will keep that going. Does my hon. Friend agree that it would…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 January 2026
Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children
Last year, I carried out a “safer screens” tour in my constituency, hearing directly from young people, because the Liberal Democrats consider children and young people to be at the heart of this issue. Teenagers shared concerns about extreme content pushed by algorithms, but also about being glued …
Commons
Debate
13 January 2026
Finance (No. 2) Bill
I want to reiterate how important that is. In my constituency, it is too little, too late for many—the Lussmanns has closed in Berkhamsted, as has the Elephant and Castle in Wheathampstead—and we need support from the Government to ensure that more do not close. Does my hon. Friend agree that action…
Commons
Debate
12 January 2026
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
For over a week, Grok has generated illegal sexual abuse material—non-consensual images of women and children—without restraint on X, which took the disgraceful step of putting it behind a paywall. That is abhorrent, and those images are illegal. Unlike the Conservatives, we very much welcome the ac…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
Topical Questions
T3. Beyond the legitimate environmental concerns about Luton airport expansion, can the Government explain how an already unreliable Thameslink and packed road network will cope with the 13 million extra passengers a year, as well as a new theme park and massive top-down housing development?
Commons
Debate
6 January 2026
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill
I wish you and everyone else in the Chamber a happy new year, Madam Deputy Speaker.
It is a pleasure to finally address the long-awaited Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill. As has been pointed out today, it is significant. The National Cyber Security Centre reporte…
Commons
Oral Questions
17 December 2025
Online Harassment
I join colleagues in wishing you and everyone a merry Christmas, and my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade) a happy birthday.
Alongside online harassment, online fraud is also on the rise. Nobody wants a broken heart for Christmas, and online romance fraud is not onl…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 December 2025
4 contributions
Online Safety Act 2023: Repeal
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson), who made a very eloquent opening speech, and Members from across the Chamber, who have touched on really important matters.
As the hon. Member mentioned, the online s…
Absolutely. The insidious part of this issue is the normalisation of such harmful content. In a debate on Lords amendments to the then Data (Use and Access) Bill, on creatives and AI, I mentioned the fact that, in the two weeks since the previous vote, we had seen the release of Google Veo 3—the all…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
3 contributions
AI Safety
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Butler. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dewsbury and Batley (Iqbal Mohamed) on securing this incredible debate. That so many issues have been packed into 90 minutes shows clearly that we need more time to debate this subject, and I think it co…
Absolutely, and the point about global co-operation has been made clearly across the Chamber today. The hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) talked about what is now the AI Security Institute—it was the AI Safety Institute—and that point about leading and trust is really important. Indeed,…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
9 December 2025
Railways Bill
My hon. Friend talks about unreliable service. I have in my constituency Thameslink and London Northwestern Railway. Doreen, who is in her 80s, talks about cancellation after cancellation. In her mid-80s, she had to wait until past midnight. Then there is Katy, and others. For those cancelled servic…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Digital ID
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss.
I do not know how the Government can go ahead with this scheme, when there is strong cross-party consensus that it is ill thought out. MPs from across the House and from basically all the parties have presented not only their legitimate…
This debate has shown a clear consensus that this is not the right scheme. We are pushing back on the fact that this is essentially a mandatory digital ID for anyone who wants to work in this country. What choice or control is left in that scenario?
As Liberal Democrats, we believe in upholding fre…
Commons
Proceedings
1 December 2025
Budget Resolutions
Although there is much that I welcome in the Budget, overall I cannot help but be disappointed by a botched Budget that raises taxes to a record high and increases costs for businesses, while avoiding using tax levers on the largest, highly profitable corporations and ignoring our biggest lever for …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
Twelve-year-old Hollie Goodwin from Markyate last week won in her age category at the world trampoline, tumbling and DMT championships in Pamplona in Spain for British Gymnastics. Like the constituent of my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade), Hollie’s family had to r…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Reopening Railway Stations
Although train stations such as Harpenden and Berkhamsted are still open, to many residents, they feel closed. Frankie says that her train travel costs from Berkhamsted went from £19 to £37, and she can no longer get to work. Oliver from Harpenden says the same thing. Residents cannot use their trai…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
2 contributions
Energy Costs: Support for Businesses
5. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for businesses facing increased energy costs.
Businesses across my constituency, such as Redbournbury Mill and Total Cow Burger in Redbourn, have written to me about the crippling increases in energy costs. Coupled with the increased cost of national insurance and business rates, that means they are struggling to keep going. Ahead of the autumn…
Commons
Proceedings
17 November 2025
Illegal Waste: Organised Crime
In my constituency, a 200-tonne illegal dump has left a farmer with a £40,000 clean-up bill and the risk of criminalisation if he cannot afford to clear it quickly, yet a cross-agency meeting clarified that no single agency takes responsibility for investigating these large-scale incidents on privat…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 November 2025
Business of the House
Coeliac disease impacts one in 100 people, yet ability to access gluten-free food on prescription is a postcode lottery. For Ted and his mother, who live in Redbourn, that means they miss out, and they have seen costs go up by 40%. Can we have time to talk about the postcode lottery for prescription…
Commons
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
Online Safety
I would like to join hon. Members in really pushing on questions about AI chatbots. Their human-like, assertive nature is filling a gap and many people, including children, are entrusting chatbots with medical opinions, legal advice and emotional support, with fatal consequences and without clear ac…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 October 2025
3 contributions
Mandatory Digital ID
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I congratulate the hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire (Pete Wishart) on securing this lively debate and eloquently sharing his views and concerns.
As Liberal Democrats, we hold a fundamental principle: freedoms belong to citizens by…
Absolutely, and I was about to say that while frontline services are crumbling and people are needing those billions of pounds, we are seeing here is billions being spent, millions being excluded and freedoms eroded—and for what? How much taxpayer money are the Government prepared to waste on this s…
+1 more contribution in this session