Contributions
478 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJury TrialsI do not agree that the Government should curtail our rights to trial by jury. Trial by jury is an ancient right in England and the very essence of our criminal justice system.…07 Jan 2026HANSARDJury Trials Proposal: Impact23. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposal to restrict the right to a jury trial for certain offences on the rule of law.16 Dec 2025HANSARDJury Trials Proposal: ImpactWhen the Lord Chancellor made his statement on jury trials last week, he said that an impact assessment would be published with the legislation. Given how powerful a defender of…16 Dec 2025HANSARD Employment Rights BillTwelve months ago, the hon. Gentleman and I sat on the Bill Committee. This is the first time that the Commons has had the opportunity to debate this measure, courtesy of the…15 Dec 2025HANSARD Employment Rights BillDoes the shadow Minister recall that in 1999 when the Blair Government increased the cap, they held a consultation beforehand, and that in 2015 when the coalition Government…15 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkWill the hon. Lady acknowledge that under the last Conservative Administration, the minimum wage rose at the same time as we created 4 million new jobs and left unemployment at a…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkThe Globe Inn in North Petherton is a fantastic local pub. This financial year, its business rates bill is zero. By 2029-30, it will be £5,000, thanks to this Government. That is…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkI am fortunate to represent a beautiful part of the Somerset coast. Burnham-on-Sea, Berrow and Brean all have lovely sandy beaches and are visited by many holidaymakers every…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkI am grateful to my hon. Friend for making that point, which I agree with. The Globe Inn is not a husband-and-wife team but a mother-and-daughter team, and those extra costs bear…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkMy hon. Friend is correct. In fact, what will probably happen is that many businesses will offer less work. That tells us that these regulations have been drawn up by people who…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkMy apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker. If the current Prime Minister and the current Chancellor were to disappear, all confidence in the Government would collapse. It seems that the…10 Dec 2025HANSARDSeasonal WorkMy right hon. Friend makes a powerful point with which I agree. The combination of extra costs and extra regulations means that it becomes incredibly burdensome for small…10 Dec 2025HANSARDIncome Tax and National Insurance Threshold Freeze18. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending freezes on income tax and national insurance thresholds on working people.09 Dec 2025HANSARDIncome Tax and National Insurance Threshold FreezeExtending the freeze on income tax thresholds will cost working families £900 a year. It will also drag many pensioners into paying income tax for the first time. Why is the…09 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsT2. Unemployment is higher today than it was on the day the Chancellor took office. Will she tell the House why that is the case?09 Dec 2025HANSARD Railways BillOne of the first acts of this Labour Government was to hose money at striking train drivers to buy them off. Does my right hon. Friend share my fear that we will see the cost of a…09 Dec 2025HANSARDDigital IDIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore) for introducing this debate on behalf of…08 Dec 2025HANSARDOBR: Resignation of ChairI am grateful for your advice, Madam Deputy Speaker. Perhaps I can rephrase that: the Chancellor inadvertently misled the public to justify those tax rises.03 Dec 2025HANSARDOBR: Resignation of ChairFor the first time in its history, the OBR was forced to correct the record about the forecasting process in the run-up to the Budget. Is not the reason that the Chancellor…03 Dec 2025HANSARDCriminal Court ReformIn his report, Sir Brian Leveson made a number of recommendations to reduce the Crown court backlog. Many of those recommendations are welcome, but curtailing the right to a jury…02 Dec 2025