Commons
Westminster Hall
26 February 2026
5 contributions
Eating Disorders Awareness Week
You will not be surprised to hear that it is a pleasure to serve under you in the Chair, Ms Vaz.
I thank the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) for the way she introduced the debate and for her leadership of the APPG on eating disorders. I join her in thanking Hope Virgo for all the work that she…
Absolutely. I do not attend the APPG as much as I should, but when I do people tell amazingly personal stories about what has happened to them, not only as survivors but as people who have lost loved ones. It can be very emotional for people, but it is important that we share the stories and experie…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
25 February 2026
Post Office Green Paper
In a previous statement, I learned that the directly managed post office in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh South West was to close. It was a really concerning time for the community, but Mohammed Arshad and his sons Aamir and Adam stepped up and absorbed the service into their shop, Plaza News. Resident…
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
Online Harm: Child Protection
It is not just impractical; it is also anti-democratic. As Bills proceed through this place, there is interaction with our constituents who want to influence how we are thinking and how we are voting, so it is important for us to have time to discuss these matters with them as well as in the Chamber…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 February 2026
Gaza Healthcare System
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way under time pressure. He has mentioned Hamas twice. It is an absolutely awful organisation and I want to see the end of it, but he must accept that Netanyahu has some role to play in the crisis and has to take ownership of the problem as well.
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 February 2026
EU Membership Referendum: Impact on the UK
I thank the hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry (Stephen Gethins) for the way in which he introduced the debate. He did forget, though, in his recollections, that we could have had a customs union if he had not abstained on that decision, along with his 35 SNP colleagues. That is a simple fa…
Commons
Proceedings
9 February 2026
2 contributions
Brain Tumour Survival Rates
What an honour it is to follow my fellow Scot, the hon. Member for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray), on this topic. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) for the way she introduced this debate. I think she said she was guided by experience, but I know she…
This is about equality. There is a fantastic charity called The Eve Appeal, which is focused on gynaecological cancers. It makes the point that a disproportionate number of people with these cancers end up being diagnosed in A&E, by which time it is too late. Through a meeting I had with Blood C…
Commons
Debate
5 February 2026
Road Safety
Will the hon. Member give way?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 February 2026
National Cancer Plan
This plan gives so many people so much hope, and it was great to see it delivered with so much passion and energy. It is clear why the Minister is really respected by many people right across the sector. I have to say that I have never seen a statement delivered with so much energy—more of that, ple…
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
14 contributions
Lord Mandelson
Will the right hon. Member give way?
Will the right hon. Member give way?
+12 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
2 contributions
Fast-Track Visas: Skilled US Citizens
A constituent has written to me in very similar terms about coming to the UK from the USA to “flee Trump”, as he puts it. He did not come here to steal jobs; he came to create them. He came here to start a business, at great sacrifice and financial cost to himself, but he feels betrayed by the chang…
Earlier I gave an example of an entrepreneur who came to the UK from the USA. He spent a lot of money coming here, and he feels he has spent an important part of his life in the UK—when he could have spent it elsewhere in the world—but he feels betrayed now, because of the review of the ILR arrangem…
Commons
Debate
3 February 2026
2 contributions
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
Will the right hon. Member give way?
We do not have to look to France. This is fundamentally an issue that many families face around balancing their budgets; many of them are having to get second jobs. Perhaps we can learn from the right hon. Gentleman’s experience, because he has been forced out to get a second job to make ends meet. …
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 February 2026
4 contributions
Town and City Centre Safety
In October last year, I ran a community meeting in partnership with Catriona Munro, who is Labour’s candidate for Holyrood in the Edinburgh South Western constituency. One of the key things that was brought up was the activity of food delivery companies. At the heart of this activity is what some wo…
Thank you, Mr Dowd. I appreciate that guidance.
We absolutely need more police, but unfortunately their budget was cut in Scotland last year, which has made their job even harder. I recently wrote to Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat. They track their riders’ every move, and they say that despite k…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 February 2026
Indefinite Leave to Remain
You will not be surprised to hear that it is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Lewell. I start by thanking the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan), who introduced this debate, the hundreds of my constituents who either emailed me or took part in my survey…
Commons
Debate
28 January 2026
6 contributions
Youth Unemployment
I am really impressed by how the hon. Lady is representing her constituents and businesses. I loved her summary of recent youth unemployment levels, but the reality is that when we came into power in 2024 youth unemployment was rising. We cannot blame the problems we are facing now on the current Go…
I accept that youth unemployment is higher now than when we took office. I regret that and it is great to see that the Government are doing more on it. The point I was making was that when we took office, youth unemployment was rising and it was rising fast. It has continued to rise, but it was risi…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
26 January 2026
4 contributions
Armed Forces Bill
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
I apologise for interrupting. I fully understand that the shadow Secretary of State wants the Government to spend more on defence, and I think we all share that aspiration, but he must welcome the increase in spending that we have committed to—the biggest increase since the cold war ended.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
2 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way, because I know this subject is very important to him. He has carefully explained why he does not think the Government have to act, but he has not explained why his Government were negotiating a deal if they did not have to act, at great cost and with …
Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
4 contributions
Holocaust Memorial Bill
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Will the right hon. Gentleman give way, on that point?
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 January 2026
5 contributions
Sale of Fireworks
Thank you, Mr Pritchard; surely you are irreplaceable.
A change in this domain is inevitable. The Government can choose to be proactive, or they will end up reacting to events—perhaps when someone is killed. It is really important to remember that.
When we had this debate last year, I spoke about the lawlessness we saw in my constituency and in Edinbur…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Proceedings
15 January 2026
Digital ID
Given that we are all employers, I am slightly surprised that some people think that all you need to do to employ someone is know their national insurance number; that seems a little bit odd. I have been there, checking people’s passports to onboard them, and as a relatively new Member of Parliament…
Commons
Debate
14 January 2026
Ukraine
Does my hon. Friend agree that, if anybody has any doubt about Putin’s motives or morality, they should look at who his partners are in this war? Iran is a country that is killing its own people on the streets and is now executing them. Is it not the case that Putin is an absolute disgrace, and anyb…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
14 January 2026
2 contributions
Tertiary Education
4. What recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on funding for tertiary education.
Scotland’s universities have been facing a funding crisis that has been many years in the making. Funding for students in Scottish universities is currently over £2,000 less than it is in England. Universities Scotland yesterday, in response to the SNP Budget, made it clear that it will have little …
Commons
Debate
13 January 2026
3 contributions
Finance (No. 2) Bill
May I start by wishing everybody taking part in dry January good luck? I admit that I am not one of them. It is fantastic that the shadow Minister is talking about the impact of these changes, but I am surprised that his list did not include alcohol harm. Many charities and campaign groups are pleas…
As an important point of clarity on the living wage, which of our constituents on low pay does the hon. Member think do not deserve that uplift in living wage? Is she saying they do not deserve it?
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 January 2026
Iran
When I was in Balerno on Saturday, a constituent politely reminded me that I had a moral obligation to be optimistic—not always easy when you are Scottish, I am afraid. But I do hope that what has happened in Iran will bring the international community together to take action and bring this horrible…
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 January 2026
Universities: Statutory Duty of Care
I have come to this place from the university sector, so I understand the points that my hon. Friend is making. I pay tribute to staff across the sector who are supporting students right now. My hon. Friend will know that the sector is under huge financial pressure, so does he agree that a statutory…
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 January 2026
11 contributions
Call for General Election
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his constructive comments about the need to change the political culture inside this place, but there is also a need to change it right across the country, including in our councils and devolved Governments. Does he agree that working to roll out proportional represent…
The hon. Gentleman talks about being sorry. Many people across the country voted Reform in local council elections on the basis that there would be either no increase in or perhaps even a cut in council tax. Now they face with rises at the very limit of what is legally possible. Is he sorry for that…
+9 more contributions in this session