Contributions
108 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHolding the Line Against Tyranny and Anarchy (Constitution Committee Report)My Lords, I declare my interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. One of the key findings of this excellent report is summarised as follows: “Public confidence in the…09 Jul 2026HANSARDContemporary Cultural BoycottsMy Lords, I, too, pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley, for bringing forward this debate and to Freedom in the Arts for having produced this excellent and timely…09 Jul 2026HANSARDPolice Leadership Commission ReportMy Lords, I declare my interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. I welcome this report, which contains many sensible suggestions. Gavin Stephens, the chairman of the…08 Jul 2026HANSARDMedia Green PaperMy Lords, the Green Paper does not simply propose that the prominence regime be confined to public service media, including public broadcasters; it suggests that it should also be…29 Jun 2026HANSARDState of Extremism ReportMy Lords, I declare an interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. The issue of how to tackle extremism while preserving the right to freedom of expression falls squarely…17 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Media Ban for Under-16sMy Lords, I declare an interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. I have read through the DSIT document published yesterday, Growing Up in the Online World: Progress…16 Jun 2026HANSARDConcealed Surveillance Equipment in Government Offices and VehiclesI declare my interest as director of the Free Speech Union. Can the Minister give some indication of when Section 9 of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act is likely to…10 Jun 2026HANSARDDigital Safety: ChildrenMy Lords, I declare an interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. Can the Minister tell us how the Government intend to safeguard against the obvious risks of requiring…09 Jun 2026HANSARDSchool Admissions: Selective InclusionMy Lords, I declare an interest as a member of the Knowledge Schools Trust. In light of this Sutton Trust report, does the Minister share my misgivings about the Government’s…08 Jun 2026HANSARDLocal Councillors: Recruitment, Retention and Well-beingMy Lords, I am at a slight disadvantage in this debate. I am one of the few participants who has not served as a local councillor, so I do not have the coalface experience that…04 Jun 2026HANSARDAI Regulation BillMy thanks go to my noble friend Lord Holmes for securing this debate. The last thing that one of the few sectors in the British economy that is growing needs is more regulation.…04 Jun 2026HANSARDSporting Events Bill [HL]Without wanting in any way to defend the remark that our member made, it was made in the heat of the moment and in the context of an exchange of insults with a rival group of…03 Jun 2026HANSARDSporting Events Bill [HL]My Lords, I too am a supporter of Queens Park Rangers, although perhaps a slightly more steadfast one than the previous speaker. I want to raise an issue that at first blush does…03 Jun 2026HANSARDSporting Events Bill [HL]I thank the noble Lord for that intervention. I would not dispute that there were serious problems that football banning orders were originally designed to address. My point is…03 Jun 2026HANSARDSporting Events Bill [HL]I thank the noble Lord for that intervention. He makes the point that I was trying to make even more forcefully. Even those with licences, nevertheless being unauthorised to sell…03 Jun 2026HANSARDLord Mandelson Humble Address: Government ResponseMy Lords, as my noble friend Lady Finn said, the Prime Minister has staked his moral authority on the Hillsborough law and the duty of candour. That is admirable but, when candour…02 Jun 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I am grateful to be contributing to this debate in response to His Majesty’s most gracious Speech and it is an honour to be following such excellent maiden speeches. I…19 May 2026HANSARDCrime and Policing BillLeave out from “House” to end and insert “do insist on its Amendment 334.”16 Apr 2026HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords, I urge noble Lords to support Amendment 334 and declare my interest as the director of the Free Speech Union. The Minister will tell noble Lords that the amendment is…16 Apr 2026HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords—16 Apr 2026