Category: Parliament

Barry Gardiner – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent North, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

This morning I was walking to the station at Wembley Central and an Afghan lady stopped me. Her language was, let us say, not much better than my Pashto, but through her accent I heard her say, “You are MP, yes?” I said that I was and asked if I could help her in any way. She shook her head and left me confused, because I thought I heard her say, “I at Green party, sorry”, and then she moved on. It took me a few moments to work out what she was actually saying. She wasn’t making a statement about her political affiliation, but saying that she had been at the Queen’s party, one of the glorious street parties that we held in Brent for the platinum jubilee. And in that simple word, “sorry”, she wanted to convey her condolences and share her own sorrow at the death of the late Her Majesty the Queen.

In Brent we like to claim that we are the most diverse place in the world. That may even be true. We speak more than 160 languages around the dinner tables, and we have welcomed generations of immigrants, people who came to build a better life for their children, and asylum seekers like that lady from Afghanistan. She spoke for every one of my constituents in Brent when she said, “I at Queen’s party, sorry.”

Every year for more than 40 years, my family has had a ritual. No matter whether the turkey is ready or not, Christmas dinner has to be finished in time to watch the Queen’s Christmas message at 3. I hope it does not seem disrespectful, but we used to grade them. Was it as good as last year? Would she focus on something new this time? Would there be mention of charities and visits to communities celebrating significant anniversaries or suffering from disasters? But two things were constant: the Commonwealth and her own deep, very personal faith in Jesus Christ, which was the guiding principle of her life.

Many have spoken of her life as a pattern of duty and service, and it was. But the virtues which, in my view, her life so manifestly displayed are what Christians call the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance. As St Paul says,

“against such there is no law.”

Integrity is not a very fashionable thing in the public sphere these days, but her life was one of real integrity. We thank God that she brought all those virtues together in her life. It was a life that was selfless; it was a life that was whole. And now it is complete. May her soul rest in peace, and may God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Helen Whately – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Helen Whately, the Conservative MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of my Faversham and Mid Kent constituents, I echo the moving words that we have just heard from King Charles III: to Her late Majesty the Queen, I say, “Thank you. May you rest in peace”—a rest truly earned through a lifetime of service.

Most of us across the country cannot remember a time before Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. She has been a constant in a changing and often dangerous world, a source of strength and steadfastness, and a leader by example with the courage to carry on, whatever the storm. She showed us that strength and courage need not be at the expense of kindness or humour. She touched the lives of so many people, old and young alike, in the UK and around the world.

I am sure that when visiting primary schools, we have all been asked, “Have you met the Queen?”—more often, in fact, than, “Have you met the Prime Minister?”. Sadly, my answer to the first of those questions has always been “No”, but I do have something that I am very personally grateful to her for. During the pandemic, Her late Majesty the Queen addressed the nation. It was a dark time, and I remember her address well, not only for the compassion and hope she expressed, but for one particular detail.

As Care Minister, I endeavoured to get social care staff thought of and talked about on a par with NHS staff. When I heard that the Queen was going to make an address, I sought to get a message to her. To this day, I do not know if it reached her, but what mattered is that when she got to the section of her address about healthcare staff, she spoke of health and social care staff in the same breath. She realised how important her words would be to care workers across country, and that brought tears to my eyes. After the bleak time of the pandemic, she then brought our communities together for her jubilee, a joyful celebration of what we have in common.

As a nation, we mourn her, but first and foremost in my thoughts are her family, who mourn a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. I wish them strength and solace in a life so long and well lived. Our thoughts are with our new King. We know that he will serve with passion and dedication, and on behalf of my constituents, I wish him strength and good fortune as he takes on the responsibilities of our Head of State. Long live the King.

September 10, 2022
Liz Kendall – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Liz Kendall, the Labour MP for Leicester West, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of the people of Leicester West, I would like to send our deepest sympathy and condolences to His Majesty the King and the royal family. They have lost their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, as well as their sovereign. I hope the fact that the whole nation grieves alongside them provides some small comfort at this difficult time.

Queen Elizabeth was a simply remarkable public servant, unparalleled in our lifetime, who always put her people and country first. She dedicated her life to duty and to others; it was never ever about herself. I think this selfless service is why she holds such a unique place in our history and hearts, and it is what she will be remembered for most of all.

The Queen’s astonishing reign saw changes unimaginable 70 years ago. Her constant calm presence gave us stability through turbulent times, and her words of wisdom provided perspective and strengthened our resolve. I think in particular of her address to the nation during the covid pandemic. The Queen reminded us of how families had been separated during the second world war, and that although that was painful, it was the right thing to do. She also rightly said that the challenge of the pandemic was different from the war, because we joined nations across the globe in a common endeavour to beat the virus. There is nothing more powerful than hope for a better future—hope that better days lie ahead. That is what the Queen gave us so many times.

Finally, many hon. Members will know that I represent a very diverse constituency. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester South (Jonathan Ashworth) said, we were absolutely thrilled when the Queen decided to begin her diamond jubilee tour in Leicester 10 years ago. Her loss will be felt in every community and by those of every faith, as well as by those with none. Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish or Jain, the Queen stood for the values we all share—what we hold in common, not what divides us—as does His Majesty the King. I saw that when he visited the Narborough Road in my constituency. Often called the most diverse street in the country, it has more than 20 different nationalities along the way. That was a huge day, and he was welcomed with excitement, joy and open arms, as I am sure he will be as our new King.

I send my constituents’ thoughts and prayers to the royal family and our thanks to the late Queen for all she gave, and on behalf of us all, I say long live King Charles III.

September 10, 2022
Alberto Costa – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Alberto Costa, the Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

In April 2017, as MP for South Leicestershire, I had the honour of meeting Her late Majesty the Queen and His late Royal Highness Prince Philip when the Queen hosted lunch for a small gathering at St Martins House in Leicester following the royal maundy service in Leicester cathedral. Along with the Prince, she was extremely gracious, listening with interest to the issues affecting Leicester and Leicestershire, and thanking those within our local community who do so much in the many charities in our area. It was a moment of great joy to have personally witnessed the late Queen at work. By placing duty at the forefront of everything she did, she was a role model of how public service should be conducted.

On behalf of the chairmen and councillors of the town and parish councils of South Leicestershire; the chairman of Harborough District Council, Councillor Neil Bannister, and his fellow Harborough councillors; the chairman of Blaby District Council, Councillor Iain Hewson; the Leicestershire county councillors of my constituency; all my constituents; and my family—my wife Maria, daughter Sophie and son Alexander—as the Member of Parliament for South Leicestershire, I want to give thanks for the seven decades of public service given by our late Queen, and I express my sincere condolences to His Majesty the King and the royal family. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Jess Phillips – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

Very much like the Prime Minister, I was not raised in a house of monarchists. Yesterday, when the first news came of the Queen’s ill health, I was in the National Security Bill Committee. I was surprised by how deeply affected I felt by the news—I was extremely emotional immediately. It felt like that phone call that almost everybody who has lost somebody close to them gets, that says, “Get here soon. Now is the time.” That made me wonder, “Why do I feel like this?” It is because it feels as if the Queen was a member of every one of our families—even a family like mine. We can project our own life on to hers. No matter how different that life is from the one that the Queen had, her universal experience feels like ours, and she feels like she is with us all.

That made me reflect on all the stories we have all been reading. There is a story for everybody about the Queen’s grace. Anyone—no matter what their political persuasion or religion, and whatever floats their boat—can find a story going around at the moment about the Queen that leads to their bias.

Alison McGovern

She was clever like that.

Jess Phillips

Yes, she was clever like that. It is an incredible skill, and shows what an icon and a diplomat she was.

You can see the Queen as a traditionalist, you can see her as a modernist, you can see her as somebody with deep faith, you can see her as somebody who represented well people without a faith, but what I have found is that the Queen was a feminist. The brilliant story about the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia being driven quite roughly by the Queen around the Balmoral estate when women in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to drive is one of my top stories. But I saw a story that said:

“When HM Queen came to open the Rolls Building, she was ushered into a room in which were waiting all the judges. She looked at the ermine-clad…ranks of Chancery judges, smiled, and said crisply ‘Where are the women?’ A look of panic crossed multiple faces, until someone saw three female chancery…district judges in a dark corner. ‘There they are!’ he shouted. So the Queen went to talk to them.”

What a woman, what a leader—who, no matter what sort of family they grew up in and no matter in which bit of the world, everybody feels they have a tiny little bit of her with us. God rest the Queen.

September 10, 2022
Vicky Ford – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Vicky Ford, the Conservative MP for Chelmsford, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I remember as a child being given a large pair of scissors and a huge stack of well-thumbed magazines and being asked to make a massive collage of pictures of the Queen and her family. It was the silver jubilee, and there did not seem to be any arrangement for a party, so my mother had decided to fling open the doors and hold a fête. We wrapped up presents to put in the lucky dip, we even arranged to have a candy floss machine, and somebody bought some ponies for pony rides—but we did not know whether people would come. I wanted to tell this story because this was in Omagh, in Northern Ireland, in 1977, in the middle of the troubles—but the people came. They came in their hundreds. They came from all walks of life. The Protestants came. The Catholics came. And they came because they loved our Queen.

People love our Queen. She has been the rock beneath our feet in troubled times and the light that has shown us the way in the darkness. They love her in Chelmsford, they love her across the country and they love her across the world. During my political career, I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries, especially in the past year, and I have felt that love and fondness again and again. It is particularly in many developing countries that I have felt that love, respect and gratitude. That is because, at every Christmas message, and in so many visits and events, the Queen used her voice to speak out for the most vulnerable and to make sure that their voices were heard. As the Development Minister that she appointed earlier this week, I pledge to continue that legacy for her.

I also know how much love and respect there is for our new monarch, King Charles III, especially for his work on the environment and climate change. My condolences, my thoughts and my prayers are with him and his family. I look forward to his reign. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Colleen Fletcher – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Colleen Fletcher, the Labour MP for Coventry North East, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise to pay tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on my behalf and that of the people in my Coventry constituency. For all of us, individually and collectively, this is a moment of great sorrow and profound national sadness as we mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II—our longest-reigning and most remarkable monarch, who always displayed an unwavering commitment and steadfast devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth.

For over seven decades, the Queen has been a symbol of stability and continuity, an ever-present part of the fabric of national life. For so many of us—me included—she was the only monarch we have ever known and was a constant presence throughout our lifetime. Indeed, as our society, our country and the wider world changed beyond all recognition around us, she was a reassuring presence of solidity and constancy.

Throughout her reign, the Queen certainly made her mark on the city of Coventry. She first visited Coventry in 1948 to inaugurate the new city centre and lay the foundation stone of the new shopping precinct as the city recovered from the devastation of war and the blitz on Coventry. Thereafter, she visited Coventry on several other occasions, most notably for the consecration of the new cathedral in 1962—I remember that very well; when I was a child, we all went along from school—the opening of the newly refurbished Walsgrave Hospital in 1970 and, latterly, the home front exhibition at Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in the year 2000. It was on that occasion that I met the Queen. I was a councillor in Coventry and took along my elderly mother-in-law, Val, to meet her, too. Even though Val was extremely nervous, she was able to chat to the Queen about life in Coventry during the war. Val never forgot that day for the rest of her life, and she spoke about it often. Watching Val, I strongly sensed people’s allegiance and love for the Queen and her family. Following those visits, and the many others the Queen made to Coventry, she left a lasting legacy in the city and enduring memories for its residents, who I know will feel an overwhelming sense of loss following her passing.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and a much cherished monarch. Her life was one of extraordinary dedication and service, and her loss will be felt in every corner of our nation and right across the world. Rest in peace, your Majesty.

September 10, 2022
Andrew Selous – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Andrew Selous, the Conservative MP for South West Bedfordshire, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

Tonight, the good people of Bedfordshire are grieving so deeply because they loved their Queen so dearly. Some of them, like me, were hugely privileged to be with Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh when she visited the elephant care centre at Whipsnade zoo in April 2017. Her Majesty had a deep interest in wildlife. She fed some of the baby elephants bananas, and that was something they were very pleased about. Afterwards, she visited the independent living centre in Dunstable, which was opened by Central Bedfordshire Council. She had a deep interest and passion in how older people were looked after and felt that they should not be isolated and lonely in their later years.

As many of us have said this afternoon, she was our rock, but in my brief contribution, I want to look at who was her rock. I commend to all hon. Members the book that was published in honour of her 90th birthday, “The Servant Queen and the King she serves”. It is published by the Bible Society and the clue is rather in the name of the book. She lived out her faith and did so with humility, grace and kindness, but she was also not afraid to speak about it either, as she did in her Christmas broadcast in 2002:

“I know just how much I rely on my…faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to…do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God…I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.”

It was the Queen’s faith that enabled her to take the long view. As the daughter and wife of a naval officer, she had the attitude that this storm, too, shall pass. When she was facing difficulties that can sometimes seem to overwhelm us, she took the long view. It was her faith that enabled to face her end calmly, because she knew that thinking death is the end is the great lie of the evil one.

May she rest in peace and rise in glory. I look forward to the reign of His Majesty King Charles III, who cares passionately for the wellbeing of all peoples across these islands and who has been way ahead of his time on issues like climate change and the environment. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Rosena Allin-Khan – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am truly humbled to follow what was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful outpourings of love I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. [Hon. Members: “ Hear, hear.”]

I rise to add my tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the people of Tooting, who are united in grief. So many have been in touch with their own memories and stories, yet one word shines through again and again, and that is “duty”. That sense of duty underpins everything she did. Some recall her service in the British Army when, at a time with invasion imminent, she could have fled to Canada; instead, she stayed in London and put on a khaki uniform and a tin helmet. I remember best her service during the pandemic. Suffering the grief of the loss of her dear husband Philip, she cut a lonely figure at his funeral as she observed social distancing. She embodied the pain that so many people were experiencing at the same time and she led, truly, by example. She was a shining beacon of light in that dark moment and never once deviated from her duty.

It is almost 20 years since Her Majesty visited St George’s University Hospital in Tooting to see the work of aspiring doctors and nurses, and to meet NHS staff. When I am there, I often see the plaque she unveiled of two hands clasped in friendship and mutual support. We all need to hold each other’s hands a little tighter and to hug our loved ones a little closer.

I am reminded of the story told by trauma surgeon David Nott after his return from the horrors of fleeing war-torn Aleppo. When he met the Queen, the doctor was deeply distressed and could not face making polite conversation about his work over lunch. Sensing that, in that special way she had, the Queen touched his hand and brought forth a silver barrel of biscuits. “These are for the dogs,” she told him. They proceeded to spend the lunch feeding the corgis under the table. “There,” she said, “That’s so much better than talking, isn’t it?” Such intuition, such emotional intelligence, such kindness.

I mentioned Her Majesty’s role in the war as a young princess. During the darkest hours of world war two, she gave a BBC radio broadcast and said:

“when the peace comes…it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better…place.”

And she did. She made our world a better place. She showed strength as a woman and the strength to shape modern Britain. So let us commit to carry on that spirit of service and, above all, duty: duty to our constituents, to our country and to making the world a better place.

September 10, 2022
John Lamont – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by John Lamont, the Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I, too, want to reflect on the immense loss that we in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth have sustained with the passing of Her late Majesty the Queen. Like every other Member of this House, I can say with pride that the Queen knew well my constituency, in the Scottish Borders; she visited it many times in her seven decades of service as our sovereign.

I treasure memories of two of Her late Majesty’s most recent visits to the Scottish Borders. In 2009, she came to the seaside town of Eyemouth in Berwickshire, and on 9 September 2015, seven years ago today, she opened the Borders railway. That was the day on which she became the longest-serving monarch in our history. On both of those days, the crowds were large—probably much larger than the organisers expected. I remember the enormous anticipation steadily building as the time for her arrival approached. There were local residents there of all ages and backgrounds. A thrill of excitement, like an electric pulse, ran through the crowd when they saw Her late Majesty. There was joy, disbelief and awe at seeing a global icon—the face on every coin and stamp—in the flesh; she was a smiling and radiant lady, here to visit them in their community. Those memories will last a lifetime.

As a Member of the Scottish Parliament for a decade, I had the privilege of meeting Her late Majesty in more informal settings. After each election, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh would host a reception at the palace of Holyroodhouse for the newly elected MSPs. As they moved around the room, the Queen clockwise and the Duke of Edinburgh anti-clockwise, there was a real sense of anticipation—the same as we experienced when she visited the Borders. It was amusing to see how some of my new MSP colleagues, who may not have been the most instinctive royalists, were suddenly reduced to a bag of nerves, but as the Queen joined our group, we were all immediately put at ease by her twinkly eyes and warmth. After brief pleasantries, she launched into detailed and informed questions about our respective constituencies. Given that there were 129 MSPs plus various other guests, the fact that she was able to remember such detailed knowledge was quite remarkable, but this was her kingdom and had been for longer than most of us had been alive.

The Queen was always fully prepared for whatever her duty demanded of her. She never spared herself, as we saw this week, when she fulfilled her last act of service: appointing my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. In good times and bad, we have always looked to the Queen for guidance and leadership, and were never left wanting. Her life spanned the end of the British empire and the start of the age of the internet. Few of us can remember a time without the Queen on the throne.

Our great nation is feeling tremendous pain at the loss of our beloved Queen. As we come to terms with that loss, let us give thanks that it was our good fortune to have her reign over us, happily and gloriously, for so long; and let us give our sympathy and support to His Majesty the King. In years to come, those children who waved flags in the Scottish Borders will tell their grandchildren of the day the Queen came to town. Each of them, each of us here and all our constituents will forever be able to say with pride, “We are Elizabethans.” God save the King.

September 10, 2022