Contributions
1,077 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDeath of Ann WiddecombeFriday was a funny day. I heard the news very early in the morning that Ann had died, and I was utterly surprised about that because she had seemed perfectly fit the last time I…13 Jul 2026HANSARDSummer JobsIt is always good to speak with the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Blair McDougall) on the Front Bench. Were we discussing the threats that we face or the problems we have…07 Jul 2026HANSARDSummer JobsIt is all about throwing out the baby with the bathwater. I fully understand that the Government want to regulate some of that employment to ensure that people are protected, but…07 Jul 2026HANSARDSummer JobsWill the Minister give way?07 Jul 2026HANSARDSummer JobsIt is always great to have the Minister at the Dispatch Box; we always have a lot of fun. I have had to juggle this issue myself, so I want to ask him a very important question:…07 Jul 2026HANSARDSummer JobsI have always thought that a zero-hours contract was a terrible name for what is actually flexible hours. There was always an ideological opposition to it, but in practice over…07 Jul 2026HANSARDRussia: Level of Threat to UKThe Prime Minister agreed that he would use all his might to tackle the shadow fleet tankers that were coming through British territorial waters. Since then, one has been taken,…06 Jul 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanIs it not the reality that the plan the Defence Secretary has put forward barely scrapes into 2.7%? It is not 3%. It leaves us £9.3 billion short, every single year of the…30 Jun 2026HANSARDSudanIt seems that whoever comes into government, the Foreign Office’s weak policy on the UAE persists. I remind the hon. Gentleman that the UAE has incarcerated a British citizen for…25 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessYes, that is quite correct, and my right hon. Friend is exactly right to make the point now. We really must understand that, if the first priority of Government is defence of the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThe hon. Member talks about 2014 and the invasion, and he is quite right. I was in Cabinet at the time, and one of the points that I and some others raised was what our position…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessMy hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. Does he recall that at the end of the cold war a paper was written by Francis Fukuyama called “The End of History?”? Does he agree that…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessIt is a tremendous privilege to take part in this debate. It has to be clear to us on both sides of the House that this is the most critical debate that we will be involved with.…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. [ Laughter. ] In those conversations, we decided that there was clearly no future for us in the Army. Now, I did stay on a bit…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessThat is exactly the point. I hope that we will be able to drag this point out again on 4 September and make it very clear that if we in this House do not stand by those whom we…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessI do; it was difficult and we stuck to the task. We were not very popular at the time, but that has been a constant in my life. [ Laughter. ] I think you only know you are…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Spending and ReadinessAll these things are a great shame when we look back at the past, but no matter how much we fight the issues of the past, we always lose, because we cannot alter them. What we…23 Jun 2026HANSARDHuman Rights: Supply ChainsIt is always a blessing to have you chairing a meeting, Mr Dowd. It is particularly a blessing today, as we would not have this debate were you not here, so thank you. I have been…18 Jun 2026HANSARDHuman Rights: Supply ChainsCould we get a commitment today that the Government will look carefully at what countries that are well in advance of us, such as the United States and some European countries,…18 Jun 2026HANSARD Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) BillIt is always a great honour to follow the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah), who talks common sense most of the time she gets up, which may…16 Jun 2026