Contributions
1,746 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillInterestingly, the hon. Gentleman cites the Gordon Brown study, which one of Gordon Brown’s allies told me had just gone too far and therefore was not acceptable to the Labour…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI will try to be helpful to the hon. Gentleman because he is a new Member. We all learn something every day here, and when a Member has been here for 27 years, unless we are…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI am extremely grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way. I intervened merely to say this: many people might assume that he is being foolish for raising issues of financial…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillLast time we debated this issue, I talked about legitimacy, continuity and dignity, and nothing I have heard today refutes the arguments I made then. Of course it is true that…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI am immensely grateful to my hon. Friend, who is making a speech in the spirit of his predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Sir Oliver Dowden), on why the…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI will give way to the hon. Gentleman, who is edging towards the edge of his seat. I gave his speech four out of 10: two for energy, one for enthusiasm, and one for content.12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy right hon. Friend allows me, on that basis, to give him a short lecture on the character of conservatism. He needs to understand that the collective wisdom of ages, vested in…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillThe facts do not bear out what the hon. Gentleman has said. If he looks at the record, he will see that hereditary peers tend, proportionally, to speak more often in debates, they…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Billrose —12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillGiven that the hon. Lady’s amendments are not likely to be passed, I assume that, on the grounds of logic and consistency, she will vote against Third Reading of the unamended…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillThere are those who believe that this reform is about making the House of Lords more democratic. Clearly, the Minister cannot be among them, because these provisions do not seem…12 Nov 2024HANSARDRural AffairsJust before my hon. Friend comes to that impactful email, may I say that he makes a fundamentally important point about food security? Food security is vital to national economic…11 Nov 2024HANSARDRural AffairsIt may be that I am being generous, but I think this is happening because Labour Members have a patchy understanding of the issue. It is easy for those who do not understand rural…11 Nov 2024HANSARD Mental Health: Farming and Agricultural CommunitiesMy hon. Friend personifies the Conservative commitment to farms and farming, and she does so with style and acumen. The fear that she has described is exacerbated by the way…11 Nov 2024HANSARDRural AffairsIf I can be helpful to the hon. Lady, the critical thing is to get the police funding formula reviewed. It disadvantages counties like Cumbria and Lincolnshire, and has done for…11 Nov 2024HANSARDRural AffairsSuch is my hon. Friend’s insight that he has drawn together two fundamental issues. Over-development in rural areas places immense pressure on infrastructure such as healthcare…11 Nov 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWill the Secretary of State make available—perhaps through a note in the Library—the number and type of foreign national offenders who, aided by deluded interest groups and dodgy…05 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)I am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way, as she does not have much time. As an economist, she knows that it is not what we spend but what we get for it—it is value for money…04 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about growth. The elephant in the room is productivity. He will know from the House of Commons Library figures that productivity fell in…04 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)Absolutely. Restoring accountability means reversing many of the processes that have been taken as read in recent years. Democracy is dependent on clear lines of accountability,…04 Nov 2024