Contributions
4,303 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUkraineWe will be undertaking a strategic review of our capability, gauging it against our challenge, and, obviously, I will put the results before the House in due course. I would just…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI thank the parliamentary staffers who have done such significant and important work. On the right hon. Gentleman’s important question about reaching out beyond Europe, I agree…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI agree with the right hon. Member completely. We know Putin’s ambitions, and we know that he is not a man to keep his word. We absolutely have to guard against those risks, which…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI do understand the right hon. Lady’s concern. As I explained to the House last week, the decision on defence was not one I wanted to take, but the defence and security of Europe…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI agree with everything that my hon. Friend says. Those are the principles and values that must be uppermost in our mind as we take our decisions.03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineThe hon. Member makes a very good point, which is peace through strength. It is vitally important that Ukraine is put in the strongest possible position to fight on if…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI agree with the points my hon. Friend makes, in particular on our ability to support Ukraine in a number of different ways. It is important that we take these steps.03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI thank the right hon. Gentleman for his support. I really do appreciate it. Yes, we do need to ramp up European defence spending, and that discussion is happening at the moment.…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineWe do have to ramp up and improve our procurement, because we have to ensure that as we increase defence spending, we get absolute value for money and the best capability for the…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineEnergy security in Ukraine is hugely important. It is being attacked every day, and that is why it is so vital that we help Ukraine defend its energy arrangements and work for a…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI am really pleased that the announcement that we made over the weekend was for jobs in Belfast; that is hugely important. That is the model that we should follow. As we ramp up…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI do think it is important that we work with our European allies, whether on ramping up spending or on capability, but the point my hon. Friend made about co-ordination is also…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI agree with all that, and I think the House agrees with it, too.03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineNATO membership is a form of guarantee; article 5 is a form of guarantee. There are different ways in which the guarantee can be put in place, but what is important is that it is…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineYes; it is a serious point. In the time we had available, I was most anxious to discuss the question of security guarantees, and that is why I devoted the vast amount of time I…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineThe message would be, “Thank you for everything you do. We support you in everything we do.”03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI do not accept that characterisation. It is very important that we provide the funds we need for our defence spend, but what we have got from SNP Members is what we had at the…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineI agree with that. I am proud of the fact that, as a country, over many decades and throughout our history, we have always stepped up when it has been necessary to step up. It is…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineThe hon. Gentleman makes a very good point in relation to those around the world who will be looking in and observing the way in which we deal with Russia and with the risks from…03 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraineThe hon. Member is absolutely right about that, which is why we need to bear down on the shadow fleet. We are doing that through sanctions, and we are working with other countries…03 Mar 2025