Contributions
695 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAndrew Mountbatten-WindsorA few moments ago, my hon. Friend referred to a comment that I made earlier in the debate. I am mindful that the Minister was not in his place at the time, so I wonder whether I…24 Feb 2026HANSARDEngagementsOn behalf of my party, may I join the Deputy Prime Minister in marking Holocaust Memorial Day? We will not forget. We also honour the service of Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney,…28 Jan 2026HANSARDEngagementsI note that the Deputy Prime Minister could not name one single consequence if the Chinese do not stop their espionage and repression. The Deputy Prime Minister has responded as…28 Jan 2026HANSARDSupport for BusinessesBusinesses up and down the country know that the Government raised their expectations and then dashed them. This whole sorry saga has been an absolute shambles. The question…27 Jan 2026HANSARD Business RatesIf the Government are serious about saving the high street, then these measures can only be the start. Since the Government’s first Budget, we Liberal Democrats have been warning…27 Jan 2026HANSARDSupport for BusinessesThank you, Mr Speaker, and I wish you a speedy recovery. We know that pubs have been badly hit by these business rates changes, but businesses right across retail, hospitality and…27 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness Rates: Retail, Hospitality and LeisureThese business rates changes will hammer high streets, and with the jobs tax on top, many businesses have already decided to shut up shop. Getting data out of the Government has…19 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI agree 100% with my hon. Friend. One of the points that I have made repeatedly to other Ministers is that businesses heard the promise that there would be permanently lower…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Pubs are irreplaceable, and when a pub goes a community falls apart. Pubs are vital as part of the social fabric: they are the glue that holds…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillClause 86 increases the rate of alcohol duty in line with RPI inflation. On paper, that measure might look like a normal, simple uprating policy, but it must be seen for what it…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillWe Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for the doubling of remote gaming duty, and we are grateful to the Government, who have finally listened and taken that on board. This…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI am incredibly grateful to the right hon. Member for making that point. I am the MP for St Albans, which is a small city, but I am a Suffolk girl born and bred. I know how…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillWill the Minister give way?13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI am grateful for that question, but if the hon. Member reads the explanatory statement closely, he will see that it says “alongside wider fiscal changes”. The Government could of…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillThis is a retrospective tax without transitional protection. It upends plans for those who have already made sacrifices to build up their pensions, undermines confidence in…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI am grateful to the Minister for confirming that she has consulted and that Ministers have had engagement with the industry. I was specifically wondering whether in the course of…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI have explained all those measures in this Chamber before, but I am happy to spell them out again, including the remarks I made a few minutes ago. The very first thing we called…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillAbsolutely not. During the passage of the Employment Rights Bill, we Liberal Democrats said repeatedly on the record in both Houses that we supported a higher minimum wage. The…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillI hope so very much that he is not, but I understand why he said that, and I hear the same from many hospitality owners and pub landlords on my own patch. It is because we Liberal…13 Jan 2026HANSARDFinance (No. 2) BillI will speak to clauses 1 to 8 and schedules 1 and 2. Overall, the tax changes increase complexity, raise the tax burden on small businesses and savers, and raise the risk of…12 Jan 2026