Contributions
65 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, when I read in the Times last week that the Prime Minister was going to announce an £18 billion increase in defence expenditure, I thought, “At last, the Government are…21 May 2026HANSARDResetting the UK-EU Relationship (European Affairs Committee Report)My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak after the noble Baroness, whose service in Brussels was so distinguished and whose experience of the Commission is so much more recent than…26 Feb 2026HANSARDUK-EU Customs UnionMy Lords, I too congratulate the maiden speakers on their contributions. Time restricts me from saying more, but time does not diminish the warmth of my welcome to them, and I…29 Jan 2026HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, as we look to the future of what is happening in Ukraine, it is important to bear in mind, as the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, has just done, the extent of the Ukrainian…31 Oct 2025HANSARDStrategic Defence Review 2025My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, on his review, and welcome back the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, whose writings over the years have done so much to…18 Jul 2025HANSARDNational Debt: It’s Time for Tough Decisions (Economic Affairs Committee Report)My Lords, as a former member of the Economic Affairs Committee, I add my congratulations to my noble friend Lord Bridges and to the other members of the committee for the…25 Apr 2025HANSARDHolocaust Memorial BillMy Lords, I will speak briefly in support of my noble friend Lord Pickles. It is impossible to carry the words of this amendment into effect. Of course the Nazis initiated the…27 Mar 2025HANSARDHolocaust Memorial BillMy Lords, we are having a civilised discussion about this matter, but it is quite clear how controversial it is. It is also quite clear that, once the building begins, and as it…20 Mar 2025HANSARDHolocaust Memorial BillMy Lord, it is quite clear from the exchanges that we have had this afternoon that the site of this learning centre is extremely controversial. It seems to me that a memorial to 6…11 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Brady spoke very eloquently, but he did not refer to his Amendment 90C: “A person can only be a member of the House of Lords if they are not a…10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillThen I will move to the other amendment which I wish to speak to and take issue with the noble Lord, Lord Newby. Democracy is the central feature of our governing system, and the…10 Mar 2025HANSARDRules-based International OrderMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, on sticking to the seven-minute speaking limit; he is the first person to have done so. This is a very broad, wide-ranging…16 Jan 2025HANSARDSyriaWhat is the Government’s view of the recent Israeli military actions in Syria?12 Dec 2024HANSARDThe Ukraine Effect (European Affairs Committee Report)My Lords, unlike the noble Baroness, I was not a member of the committee, so I begin by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Ricketts, and the other members of the committee on the…21 Nov 2024HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, I begin by welcoming the noble Lord, Lord Spellar, to this House and congratulating him on his maiden speech. I had the pleasure of getting to know him some years ago,…25 Oct 2024HANSARDHolocaust Memorial BillMy Lords, I stand amazed that this Bill should be brought before the House. By its very nature, a memorial to the dead, let alone to the millions of people who were killed in the…04 Sept 2024HANSARDMiddle East: Deployment of British Armed ForcesMy Lords, thanks to our armed services are all very well, but they are now being very much stretched. It would be good to hear something from the Government about increasing the…17 Apr 2024HANSARDSpring Budget 2024My Lords, in his great novel Anna Karenina , Tolstoy remarked that: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. How true that is of the…18 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, it is a privilege to follow the most reverend Primate. I begin by saying how much I agree with every word that my noble friends Lord Clarke and Lord Hailsham said about…04 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, I will briefly address the point raised by my noble friend Lady Lawlor. The Conservative Party is a great historic party, and there is a lot to be said for drawing on…14 Feb 2024