Contributions
497 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLord MandelsonMy right hon. Friend is making a serious and important point. She has talked about how she ended up in this place, and I do not think anyone should denigrate all the hard work she…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonI could not have said it better myself—although I might not have used the word “you”. It is important to recognise the reach that Mandelson had, how he was enabled, and the fact…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonI find it disgusting. What Epstein did was absolutely disgusting in its own right: he trafficked, he was a child sex offender, and in many ways he was a coward in how he left this…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonI will leave Labour Members to reflect on that because many have spoken up today, but I say once again that they are just words if there is no action. The judgment of the Prime…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonMy hon. Friend always makes excellent points. I was going to talk about Gordon Brown later, but I will do so now. He raised the question back in September. He wanted to know what…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonThe Prime Minister has brought his judgment into question. The Opposition have been saying that for a couple of years—Oppositions do that—but on this issue, he has marched…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonWell, it is not bizarre, because we have been here many times before. The Government have been dragged along time after time, scandal after scandal. I say to Government Back…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonIt is a great honour to follow my hon. Friend, although I have to say that was one of his shortest speeches. We come here for a serious matter of the utmost gravity. I have heard…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonMy hon. Friend talks about it being worth the risk, but this is not just about denigrating those victims; it is also about those Labour Back Benchers that the Prime Minister is…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonMy right hon. Friend’s exasperation is exactly the exasperation that the British public will be feeling as they read the headlines. That is how they have felt as the stories have…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonI agree with my hon. Friend. We were sitting together earlier in the debate and reflecting on some of the speeches. I think it was the Health Secretary who talked about the “toxic…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonI am glad to say that I did not mention any single Member of the House, so I am happy that the hon. Lady has put that on that record, but I do not trust Mandelson— [Interruption.]…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonWe should all share anger about that, because it speaks to a rot that, as we are finding out, has infected our politics and Government—Labour Government—in this country for…04 Feb 2026HANSARDLord MandelsonThe hon. Member can shake her head all she wants; we know that Mandelson had a close relationship with Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff. The Labour party has…04 Feb 2026HANSARDKey Stage 1 CurriculumI made that very clear. We support the education statutory framework as it is, but I think that the questions around social media and the use of phones are really pertinent. That…26 Jan 2026HANSARDKey Stage 1 CurriculumI thank all hon. Members who have contributed to the debate, and those people who signed the petition. The Opposition recognise the importance of play, which is why we challenge…26 Jan 2026HANSARDKey Stage 1 CurriculumIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Barker, and to take part in this debate on play in the key stage 1 curriculum. First, I thank the 106,082 signatories of…26 Jan 2026HANSARDKey Stage 1 CurriculumAbsolutely, Mrs Barker. The point that I was going to make was that if children are not using social media, that will free up more time for play. That is why that issue is really…26 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness Rates: Retail, Hospitality and LeisureThose who run pubs in my constituency are really worried about the Budget and its impact on their business rates bills. Last week the Business Secretary said that there was no way…19 Jan 2026HANSARDSEND: High-quality School PlacesThat example, and the example mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith), illustrates Labour Government spin perfectly. That £3 billion is…19 Jan 2026