Contributions
1,320 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateJust to be clear to my hon. Friend, the primary purpose of the multinational force for Ukraine is not peacekeeping; it is there to reassure Ukraine and help it to regenerate and…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI welcome the hon. Gentleman’s congratulations on the operation. I hope that he will see that this is part of the UK working to support our closest defence ally and the US taking…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateWith respect to the hon. Gentleman, things have moved beyond that point. Jared Kushner yesterday confirmed the readiness of the US to provide a backstop, and special envoy Witkoff…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMy hon. Friend is entirely right. I know she is very proud of her constituents who are part of the workforce that will build those frigates. This is not just the biggest ever…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMy hon. Friend is right that times are changing. He is also right that NATO, which has been outstanding in protecting us and preserving the peace for more than seven decades, is…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI do agree. My hon. Friend speaks warmly and rightly of the strong pride that Rochdale has in its Ukrainian community. He is right to point out that Putin’s purpose is to divide…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateIf my hon. Friend refers back to the strategic defence review that we published in June last year, he will see the identification and explanation of the sort of increasing threats…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateThe hon. Gentleman speaks with military experience, and he is one of the authoritative voices in this House, so I respect what he says. I just say respectfully to him that that is…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateYes, I believe I can. This Government are proud of the fact that this year we have provided the highest ever level of spending on military aid directly to support Ukraine. We are…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMadam Deputy Speaker, thank you for encouraging short questions and short answers. My hon. Friend is right on both accounts: part of the British and European frontline is in the…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMy hon. Friend speaks with great passion and emotion about this issue. I have had the privilege of visiting Ukraine a number of times, and one of the most moving things I have…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI warmly welcome my hon. Friend’s support for the statement and the wise words that she has set out for the House. She speaks with great authority and great strength for her home…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateMy hon. Friend is entirely right that the long-term commitment we and other nations have made to Ukraine is not just about our military support or the deployment of a…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateWhere there are grounds for us as a nation and a Government to take action, particularly where we can do so alongside close allies, we have done so. We have done so against…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI have to admit that I am struggling to follow the concern that the right hon. Gentleman has expressed. I quoted in my statement the words spoken by the Prime Minister in House…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateThe right hon. Gentleman is entirely right. The rules of engagement will be a critical part of the security guarantees, and the sorts of points he raises today will, I am certain,…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI am sure everyone in the House would like to hear from the Reform leader himself. If he would like to participate in a sitting in the House of Commons Chamber rather than in…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI think my hon. Friend would not expect me to be able to, or to be prepared to, answer hypothetical questions. What I can say to her is that if the US, as our closest defence and…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI am sure that the US and the US military will welcome the strong support from the Scottish nationalists for their operation, and the congratulations that the hon. Gentleman…07 Jan 2026HANSARD Ukraine and Wider Operational UpdateI welcome my hon. Friend’s observation that national security is founded on economic security. Economic security is dependent on strong national security; as an MP from the proud…07 Jan 2026