Contributions
78 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWorking From Home (Home-based Working Committee Report)My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, who chaired the proceedings of the committee with considerable skill and good temper, as we were all searching…10 Jun 2026HANSARDUK-EU Customs UnionMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Gill, for that absolutely excellent speech, revealing her rich experience in many areas across both the European Union and localities in…29 Jan 2026HANSARDUK-EU Customs UnionI finish with an appeal to the other side to open their minds and maybe open their hearts a little bit, recognise the situation we are now in, not the situation we were in, and…29 Jan 2026HANSARDPrivate EquityTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of private equity in the UK economy.20 Nov 2025HANSARDPrivate EquityMy Lords, I am grateful for this opportunity to revisit one of the darker corners of the financial services sector and to see what has altered since noble Lords last debated the…20 Nov 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I oppose Amendment 147. The compromise formula that my noble friend Lord Barber has just talked about was a very practical solution to a tricky problem in the period…23 Jul 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Hendy for directing our attention to collective bargaining, its historic importance in our national life and its relevance today.…21 Jul 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI was just sitting here looking at the noble Lord, a member of Mrs Thatcher’s Cabinet, with another one over there, the noble Lord, Lord Deben. When they passed a major piece of…24 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI was around when the noble Lord, Lord Burns, was chairing his committee and I was involved on the fringes of some of the work that was done. From the unions’ side, we appreciated…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI look forward to that degree of clarity in Conservative Party funding. We could all be enlightened by the explanation that I believe is about to come. We are talking about an…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI will not be specific about it because I do not want to generally insult people, but over the years, there has been some dodgy funding of the Conservative Party. Maybe something…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, it is commonplace for individuals who express personal views that clash with the ethos of a particular company or institution to run into some trouble. Gary Lineker is…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillOh, he has already done it—very good. Let us be real about this. A lot of situations call for tact and diplomacy, and for us to be careful about the way we express difficult…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I do not doubt that critics of this part of the Bill speak with a lot of personal experience as well as commitment to their employees and the way they run their affairs.…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillThirty-four.21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will speak to Amendment 1 and avoid the temptation to engage in a mini-debate across the whole width. So far, I feel I have been sitting in a Second Reading debate. I…29 Apr 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I add my congratulations to the quartet of maiden speakers. I think they have all laid down a mark and people will look forward to their future contributions in this…27 Mar 2025HANSARDPost Office Horizon Compensation SchemeMy Lords, it is a real pleasure for me to follow that excellent and inspiring speech by my noble friend and fellow Lancastrian—we are doing the northern bit at the moment, so I…27 Feb 2025HANSARDLifelong LearningMy Lords, it is a real pleasure and privilege to follow my noble friend Lady Curran and the excellent maiden speech we have just been treated to. She is a graduate of a tough…06 Feb 2025HANSARDRetail Crime: EffectsI add my congratulations to my noble and long-standing friend Lord Hannett of Everton on securing this important debate. As the noble Baroness, Lady Hazarika, has just said, my…05 Dec 2024