Commons
Proceedings
15 December 2025
Point of Order
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. On 12 November, during Prime Minister’s questions, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) and leader of Reform announced that the
“Reform-led West Northamptonshire Council will be issuing foreclosure notices on three migrant hotels”—
including one in …
Commons
Debate
10 December 2025
8 contributions
Seasonal Work
As the late great Andy Williams sang, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” but I am afraid that is not true for farmers, business owners or those in retail, hospitality or leisure. Following the Chancellor’s Budget just two weeks ago, there are only two lines in that song that resonate—“scary …
My hon. Friend makes a valid and correct point. We have started to see a rise in unemployment in South Northamptonshire among 16 to 25-year-olds exactly because of that.
The business owner I spoke to said that the problem is that the business starts paying at a certain level, but that increase push…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
10 December 2025
Engagements
Q14. This Government are always talking about the fair choices that they have made, but is it a fair choice to balloon the benefits bill? Is it a fair choice to introduce an unfunded and unwanted digital ID that will cost the public billions of pounds? And is it a fair choice to increase taxes on wo…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Welfare Spending: Economic Impact
1. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of future welfare spending on the economy.
The oldest law in economics is that if we tax something more, we get less of it. The inverse is also true: if we subsidise something more, we get more of it. Why do this Government believe that subsidising unemployment through huge increases to the welfare bill will not lead to more unemployment? Wi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
3 contributions
Digital ID
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward.
“Why are they needed when we already have secure ways to identify ourselves?”
“This is being pushed under the façade of security.”
“The cost to the taxpayer would be prohibitive.”
“This system would be incredibly vulnerable to hackin…
If time permitted, I would happily take an intervention from any Government Member on where it was in the Labour manifesto that such a measure would be included, or if any member of the Government could actually tell us how much the scheme would cost. But I will save them the trouble, because it was…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
4 December 2025
Dawn Sturgess Inquiry
To the extent that he is able, can the Minister please explain what steps he is taking to secure UK commercial ports, given recent reports of individuals with links to the Russian military entering via those routes?
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
4 December 2025
Topical Questions
T2. First, I want to echo the concerns of the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael): the Paymaster General really must meet with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee to discuss the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement—meeting with the Chair in private is not enough. …
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
3 December 2025
2 contributions
Grooming Gangs
3. What steps she is taking with the Home Secretary to help tackle grooming gangs in Wales.
Welsh Labour voted against a grooming gangs inquiry in the Senedd. Now Scottish MPs are bemoaning the lack of action from the Scottish National party and the Scottish Government. Given that Welsh Labour is also dragging its heels over this inquiry, will the Secretary of State step up and ensure that…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 December 2025
Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts
If the Chancellor really takes the integrity of the Budget as seriously as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury says, she would not have leaked so much of it to the media beforehand. There is speculation and then there is being spoon-fed. The only principle guiding the Chancellor was keeping her Back…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 November 2025
2 contributions
Immigration Reforms: Humanitarian Visa Routes
I thank you for chairing the debate, Sir Edward, and the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for allowing Members the opportunity to discuss the impact of the reforms on humanitarian visa routes. I also congratulate him on his recent appointment as patron of Hong Kong Watch, an organisation tha…
I think we would like to hear from the Minister, so I will push on.
Although it is unsurprising, given the continuing restrictions on freedom, the fact that the Government assume that those who arrive on the BNO route will settle after five years, and that those who switch on to the route will also…
Commons
Proceedings
24 November 2025
Ministerial Code
How can the Minister justify the former Deputy Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela Rayner) receiving severance pay after she had to resign in disgrace?
Commons
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
Topical Questions
T8. A more dynamic and active market unblocking pathways to home ownership and boosting local businesses by up to £1.2 billion—I am sure if someone offered that to the Secretary of State, he would bite their hand off, so why, when those are the benefits of scrapping stamp duty on homes, is he not lo…
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
2 contributions
Welfare Spending
Every one of us in this Chamber, and generations of MPs before us, want to help and improve the lives of our constituents. That is why this debate is so important, and we really have to tackle it.
The issues with welfare go back generations. We talk about the welfare state as we know it now, coming…
I am very sorry that that was the experience faced by the hon. Lady’s constituent, but it is good that she has managed to get the opportunity to work. That is the thing; that is the difference. Changes need to be made. We have come to the Chamber today to try to find a route through this issue for a…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Topical Questions
EKA Ltd in my constituency is a supplier to Ministry of Defence service recovery vehicles that have to be deployed with our tanks, but an issue that it and other service personnel have highlighted is the absence of the provision of robust spare parts in the event of a breakdown or damage. The Govern…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
29 October 2025
2 contributions
Farmers: Inheritance Tax
1. 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 place. The impact of the changes to IHT goes far beyond just farmers. Last month, a Pembrokeshire farm gathered 57 businesses from vets, machinery dealerships, and milk processors, to electricians and fencing companies, employing almost 11,000 people. Almost half of tho…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
3 contributions
Stamp Duty Land Tax
They say an Englishman’s home is his castle—the place he feels safe and has control of, a place with a sense of permanence. In today’s world, though, we have younger people stuck at the gatehouse, renting, unable to break through into property ownership; and we have older generations locked inside t…
I will make some progress.
Labour Members sneer when we talk about living within their means. That is something that every single constituent of ours has to do. They have to make those tough decisions not to spend at certain points, or to save, or to work harder, but this Government do not even fol…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
16 September 2025
Ambassador to the United States
On rare moments, Members on both sides of the House come to the Chamber with the same question on their minds: how did it get to this? The Prime Minister is proud of his record as Director of Public Prosecutions and of his skill to prosecute, interrogate and investigate—skills that are absent here. …
Commons
Debate
15 September 2025
Employment Rights Bill
When the Minister consults on those powers, will he include the agricultural sector? With seasonal work, there is a big concern that employers will not necessarily have time to provide a notice period as the weather changes. On behalf of all our farmers, I ask him to consider that.
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
15 September 2025
Grooming Gangs: National Inquiry
The Conservatives raised the issue of a national statutory inquiry in January. The Government attempted to block our calls for an inquiry until they were forced into a U-turn in June. On 2 September, the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess P…
Commons
Proceedings
10 September 2025
Russian Drones: Violation of Polish Airspace
The Minister agreed with my hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) that industrial collaboration between the UK and Poland is an important part of our relationship. A key part of that is primarily focused on ground-based air defence, and these events surely underline why that is …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
10 September 2025
Engagements
Today is the 10th annual Back British Farming Day. Given that the Prime Minister has been so keen on resets in recent weeks, will he reset his relationship with our farmers and reverse the family farm tax?
Commons
Debate
9 September 2025
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
We talk about the cost. The TaxPayers’ Alliance has concerns about the amounts we are calculating, because they will be dependent on inflation. The calculations do not take into account market values, so the £35 billion stated by the Government Actuary’s Department will actually be more like £47 bil…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
8 September 2025
2 contributions
Veterans: Support
22. What steps he is taking to help support veterans into employment.
From my proud support of the National Transition Event held annually at Silverstone in my constituency, I am aware of the work of Mission Community, a service charity tasked with the delivery of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ veterans industry engagement programme, which is designed to advocate f…
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
Diabetes in Sport
As a type 1 diabetic myself, I completely agree with what the hon. Member says. Exercise is an excellent way of moderating blood sugar levels, but it can also bring stresses and strains, as diabetics do worry about hypoglycaemia, which I am sure he will come to. I am a big fan of anything we can do …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
Topical Questions
T5. On 23 July, my constituent Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, a naturalised British citizen who is undergoing cancer treatment, was denied boarding her flight home to the UK from the US, a journey she has made numerous times without trouble. She was told to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development …