Tag: 2022

Christopher Chessun – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Bishop of Southwark)

The tribute made by Christopher Chessun, the Lord Bishop of Southwark, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

My Lords, it was profoundly moving to sit together in this Chamber and listen to His Majesty the King speaking to the nation and Commonwealth of his profound thanks to his mother, Her Majesty the late Queen, and of his commitment to follow her example of selfless service. That resonated deeply.

I wish to share two conversations that I heard while travelling here today. One was on the Underground, when someone looked across and said, “You must be busy at the moment”. Guessing what this was leading up to, I said, “How is the news of the Queen’s death affecting you?” He said, “I’ve just been with my mum, who came to this country 70 years ago; she is now 74. She has only ever known the Queen and she is devastated. I too am full of sorrow”. And on we talked. Then, to get here in good time, I hopped into a black cab. The cab driver, when he knew where I was going, also put two and two together. He dropped me off and said, “That one is on me, Father. We are all sharing in this”. And so it is.

The tributes paid in this House and in the other place have rightly dwelt on personal reminiscences and the place of our late sovereign in the life of the nation. I too, like my fellow Prelates, have made my way to Sandringham in the depth of winter. Like them, I have both made my homage in due time and faced the Supreme Governor of the Church of England across a jigsaw puzzle. I have had my sermon judged and been put at my ease in spacious hospitality.

Since the news yesterday, we have been thinking deeply about what we knew of Her late Majesty in the light of our loss. I have one particular observation to make. As your Lordships know, my diocese covers the boroughs of south London and east Surrey. Near where I live is the magnificent edifice of Streatham public library, to which was added in 1912 a truly splendid clock by public subscription in memory of the late King Edward VII, who had died two years previously. A little further, again funded by public subscription, is a monumental statue of the same King at Tooting Broadway. I mention this because both stand out and both were by public subscription, and thus reflect the sense of the people of the day as a tangible means of expressing thanks and making their own tribute.

I wonder what we might say and do in response to the life of our late Queen. There are many tangible tributes that we may make in the coming months and years to Her late Majesty the Queen, but one of the greatest tributes would be to take to heart the sense of vocation and service she embodied in her role. In an age where politics is dominated by great parties and economics by great corporations, is it not salutary that even those who wield political and economic power are in some sense accountable and defer to someone who personifies the unity and well-being of the nation, and in that person to find a pledge of lifelong service and integrity—one that is not shouted out but lived out year after year?

I will tell one small anecdote. My late sister-in-law, who was profoundly deaf, accompanied me during my time as Bishop of Woolwich when the Royal Artillery moved from Woolwich down to Salisbury Plain. Her Majesty the Queen was there for the occasion and spotted that my sister-in-law was wearing a Duke of Edinburgh gold badge. She went up and, as soon as she realised that my sister-in-law was deaf, her face lit up and non-verbal communication took place that was at the deepest and most wonderful level. My sister-in-law felt that she had had a wonderful conversation with the Queen, the Queen not least talking with her about deafness in her own family. Her capacity to reach out, particularly to those who live in this life with great challenges—disabilities, learning difficulties and many other challenges—was a real hallmark of her own integrity.

Her late Majesty the Queen spent her long life in service with an uncomplaining dedication that she derived from her pledge to us and her duty to God, who called her to be our Queen. So, in audiences and walkabouts, at her official boxes, in correspondence, at investitures, before military personnel, before crowds, at great national occasions, in countless private moments, in numerous personal kindnesses and in her prayers, she did not fail us. May we embody these standards in the vocation we have been given—that will be a fitting tribute. Thanks be to God; God save the King.

September 17, 2022
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (16/09/2022) – 205 days

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 16 September 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

In Kharkiv region, investigative actions are ongoing in the areas that were liberated from the Russian occupation.

All the crimes of the Ruscists are being recorded, evidence of their guilt is being collected.

Torture chambers where civilians of occupied cities and towns were abused, premises where people were kept – even foreigners – were found. In particular, seven citizens of the Republic of Sri Lanka, students of the Kupyansk Medical College. Back in March, they were captured by Russian soldiers and subsequently kept these people in the basement. Only now, after the liberation of Kharkiv region, these people were saved, they are provided with proper medical care.

Exhumation of bodies continues at a mass burial site near Izium. As of now, more than 440 graves have been found. It is too early to say about the number of people buried there, investigations are ongoing.

There is already clear evidence of torture, humiliating treatment of people… Moreover, there is evidence that Russian soldiers, whose positions were not far from this place, shot at the buried just for fun.

The world must react to all this. Russia has repeated in Izium what it did in Bucha. And now we have just begun to learn the full truth about what was happening in Kharkiv region at that time.

It is good that the UN units are already preparing a group of employees who will visit this place near Izium, who will see and be able to report to everyone in the UN system about what the Russian terrorists did.

We will ensure full access of journalists to the liberated territory and all places of human abuse. We will provide access to tell the world that ruscism must be condemned.

I thank all our partners, all leaders and just our ordinary people who help fight for justice. Fight for the official recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, for the strengthening of sanctions against Russia for this terror.

I held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters today. As always, key leaders of the defense and security sector, key representatives of the central government, who ensure the implementation of the defense plan, attended it. Commanders of operative forces reported on the situation on the front line. In addition to completely understandable issues and solutions, the topic of advanced weapons, which will significantly strengthen our army, was also touched upon.

I spoke today with the President of Finland. I thanked us for the support we have already received and outlined the additional needs we have. An important topic of conversation was the European policy regarding visas for citizens of the terrorist state. I believe that for every country that shares a common border with Russia, the visa issue is vital and should be resolved in favor of a complete restriction of access for Russian citizens.

I also spoke today with representatives of the Nike company. I thanked them for the decision to leave the Russian market. The right decision. This is an example of how business can play a significant role in protecting humanity and freedom. If a state chooses the path of terror, it is the duty of every self-respecting company to distance itself from such a state.

Today, a meeting of the group led by Andriy Yermak working on Ukraine’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development took place in the Office, a meeting with the G7 ambassadors and other partner states. This is an extremely important direction, which is important both in the context of European integration and in the context of the internal transformation of our state. During the meeting, the diplomats were given the details of our initiative to create an ad hoc international tribunal to punish Russia for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. I’m thankful to the G7 representatives and other partner countries for their willingness to support Ukraine!

And one more thing. This Saturday we celebrate Rescuer’s Day – a professional holiday of those who dedicated their lives to saving others. And it is also the day of those who, under certain circumstances and thanks to their decency and courage, became a rescuer by helping someone else. Today, I honored such people with state awards. And, of course, tomorrow in the evening address I will say more about it. But I want right now, without waiting for tomorrow evening, to congratulate everyone who performs this noble work, who saves people. I want to thank you for the thousands of saved lives, for the security you are returning to us, all Ukrainians.

Eternal glory to all who care about people! Please always help each other, always keep unity in everything. We must stick together, all Ukrainians, and that’s how we will win.

Glory to Ukraine!

September 17, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Andriy Yermak discusses support of Ukraine on way to OECD membership, creation of special tribunal on crime of aggression with heads of foreign diplomatic missions [September 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 September 2022.

Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak held a meeting with the heads of foreign diplomatic missions. The meeting was devoted to the issue of our country’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the creation of an ad hoc criminal tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the embassies of the United States, France, Canada, Italy, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Germany, the UK and the EU Delegation to Ukraine. Andriy Smyrnov and Roman Mashovets, deputy heads of the Office of the President, also took part in it.

Initially, Yermak noted the positive news that has recently been coming from the front from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and thanked the partner countries for the help provided to our state and heroic people in the fight against the bloody aggressor.

At the same time, he said that even during such a terrible full-scale war, Ukraine is moving along the path of reforms, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is fundamentally committed to this.

In particular, the head of the Office of the President reminded that Ukraine seeks to join the OECD and the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions. Our country’s application for the OECD membership will be considered at the meeting of the OECD Council at the end of September this year, and the official request to join the OECD Working Group should be considered at the meeting of this body on October 10-14.

Yermak asked the diplomats to promote their countries’ support for the relevant decisions.

“Thanks to its unique experience in supporting the post-war reconstruction process, the OECD should act as one of the key international players during the reconstruction of Ukraine. But it is important for us not just to restore the Ukrainian economy after the war. We strive to build an extremely successful democratic country,” he said.

According to the head of the President’s Office, participation and membership in the OECD Working Group on Bribery is also very important for Ukraine, because our state works hard to make processes in its public and private sectors as transparent and accountable as possible.

“Post-war Ukraine should become extremely attractive for investments. For this, every investor must be sure that his legal rights and interests are protected. Therefore, we are working on strengthening anti-corruption institutions, reforming the justice system, strengthening all law enforcement agencies,” Yermak said.

United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, for her part, expressed her support for Ukraine’s desire for membership in the OECD and the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

“I believe that this is a very positive signal regarding Ukraine’s commitment to fighting corruption and continuing reforms. This will be an important signal for international investors, in particular the American business community,” she said.

The head of the President’s Office also briefed the heads of foreign diplomatic missions on Ukraine’s initiative to establish an ad hoc criminal tribunal, the mandate of which will extend exclusively to prosecute the crime of aggression.

“We call on your countries to support this idea, because the crime of aggression must not go unpunished. The crime of aggression, for which the world did not have the courage to punish Russia in 2008, when it came to Georgia. The crime of aggression that the world ignored when Russia came to Crimea and eastern Ukraine,” he said.

Yermak reminded that yesterday another mass burial of innocent tortured and killed people was found in the city of Izium, liberated from the Russian occupiers.

“All these war crimes must be investigated and every guilty person must be punished. In addition, this is another argument for recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism,” the head of the Office of the President said.

According to Smyrnov, deputy head of the President’s Office, specific persons are guilty of the crime of aggression, its legal proof is as simple as possible and does not require complex examinations and numerous interrogations.

Smyrnov said that the Ukrainian side is finalizing the draft international agreement on the establishment of this tribunal to start negotiations on its signing.

Answering the question of Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine Kaimo Kuusk, he said that Ukraine is in favor of creating a tribunal based on an open international treaty to which various civilized countries will join.

“It’s key for Ukraine that this tribunal be as authoritative as possible from the very beginning. And this requires the support of your countries,” Smyrnov said.

Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine Larisa Galadza stressed the importance of bringing to justice those responsible for the horrific crimes committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins said that his country will support Ukraine in the investigation of war crimes by sending relevant specialists in the near future.

Yermak noted the importance of such assistance to ensure that all relevant actions take place quickly, since new and new crimes are opened with the liberation of the occupied territories.

“We believe that if we all continue working together now, we will bring our joint victory closer. Ukraine shows that it is possible. And once again I thank your peoples, countries, governments and leaders for their help and support,” he said.

September 17, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Olena Zelenska holds more video conversations with wives of heads of state and government participated in second Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen [September 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 September 2022.

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska continues video conversations with representatives of the countries that joined this year’s Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. Last week, she talked to the wives of the heads of state and government of Poland, Germany, Ecuador and Greece.

The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is an international platform designed to create comfortable conditions for the exchange of experience and the implementation of joint projects for the well-being of people in the world.

“The video calls that we had within the framework of the Summit make it possible to deepen relations between our countries, to learn more about people’s lives and their needs. And this is all important for joint efforts and work on joint projects. Together we can do more than alone,” Zelenska said.

The talks are aimed at consolidating and deepening cooperation between the countries in the humanitarian, cultural, educational and social areas, as well as in the field of mental and physical health.

During a conversation with First Lady of the Republic of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda, the wife of the President of Ukraine expressed special thanks for caring for the youngest generation of Ukrainians, in particular those who need medical assistance, for organizing their treatment both in medical institutions in Poland and abroad. As reported, on the initiative of Agata Kornhauser-Duda, seriously ill patients were transported from a children’s hospital in Lviv to hospitals in the Republic of Poland (the cities of Łódź, Toruń, Kraków), as well as medical institutions in Italy and Germany.

During a conversation with the wife of the President of Germany, Elke Büdenbender, the First Lady of Ukraine talked about her initiative “Ukrainian Bookshelf,” within the framework of which editions in the Ukrainian language appeared in book chains and libraries of Germany.

“It is important that Ukrainians abroad have access to books in their native language. In the near future, we will expand the assortment of Ukrainian editions in Berlin and other cities,” Zelenska said.

In addition, the wife of the President of Ukraine offered Elke Büdenbender to become the patron of the “Stories of Better Times” book project in Germany. It provides for the publication and reading of books by domestic authors in Ukrainian, German and Dutch languages. They will be distributed in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands. The interesting part of the project will be the opportunity to read aloud the book on your own. According to the organizers, the initiative will help children overcome sadness, integrate into the environment of the host country and keep in touch with relatives who remained at home.

During the conversation with the First Lady of Ecuador, Zelenska thanked her country for condemnation of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and for supporting relevant resolutions within international and regional organizations. The President’s wife also noted the joint activity of the first ladies – protection of children’s rights – and offered to exchange experience on the implementation of relevant programs.

During a conversation with the wife of the Prime Minister of Greece, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, Zelenska positively evaluated the children’s rehabilitation program in Greece, which has already reached more than 1,200 young Ukrainians. The First Lady of Ukraine also paid attention to the discussion of the issue of education for Ukrainian schoolchildren who are in the territory of Greece, in particular, the creation of the necessary conditions for studying the subjects of the Ukrainian school curriculum.

“It is important for us that those schoolchildren who wish to continue their education in Ukrainian schools remotely can do so without violating Greek legislation. Therefore, the priority for us is to introduce a flexible schedule and a simplified procedure for visiting Greek schools,” she said.

Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis expressed her understanding of the importance of solving this issue and promised to pay attention to it. In addition, the wife of the Prime Minister said that, according to the agreements with the first lady of the United States, three psychologists will soon arrive in Greece to help in the rehabilitation of a new group of Ukrainian children.

Earlier the first lady of Ukraine talked with the wife of the President of the European Council, the first ladies of Belgium, Austria, North Macedonia, Spain, Serbia, the Republic of Latvia, Belize, the wife of the President of Iceland. In total, Zelenska has already held 13 conversations.

September 17, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Plans for public to watch Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral announced [September 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 17 September 2022.
- Opportunity for public to line routes in London and Windsor for The Queen’s final journey
- Big screens will be put up across the country for people to watch the ceremony
- The funeral, on Monday 19 September, will also be broadcast live on BBC, Sky and ITV
- National Moment of Reflection will be held on Sunday 18 September
The funeral takes place on the morning of Monday 19 September alongside processions in London and Windsor, with public viewing areas and big screens in both locations.

Across the country big screens will be put up, including in London’s Hyde Park, Sheffield’s Cathedral Square, Birmingham’s Centenary Square, Carlisle’s Bitts Park, Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park and Coleraine Town Hall in Northern Ireland. Cinemas across the UK are also opening their screens to show the funeral – bringing together local communities to commemorate.

The funeral service and processions will be shown live on BBC One, ITV and Sky for those who wish to watch at home.

At 10.44am, The Queen’s coffin will be moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral. Two thousand guests are expected to attend the service, which will begin at 11am and followed by a national two-minute silence at 11.55am.

A public procession will begin at 12.15pm as Her Majesty’s coffin travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London.

The procession, which will proceed in seven groups and be supported by a service band, will travel along Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Constitution Hill and end at London’s Wellington Arch.

Space dedicated for those with accessibility requirements is available at the Green Park side of The Mall and the St James’s Park side of The Mall. The Albert Memorial viewing areas will have British Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop.

Her Majesty’s coffin will then be carried from Wellington Arch by the State Hearse to Windsor where The Queen will be laid to rest.

The hearse is due to arrive in Albert Road and, at 3.10pm, it will travel in procession along Albert Road and the Long Walk before arriving to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle ahead of the committal service, where The Queen will buried next to the Duke of Edinburgh, which is not open to the public.

There are a limited number of public viewing areas on The Long Walk, including a number of viewing spaces for those with accessibility needs, and there will be big screens for people to watch the services and procession from London.

Those wishing to line the processional route are encouraged to plan ahead and prepare for delays to travel.

A National Moment of Reflection will take place at 8pm on Sunday 18 September. Community groups, clubs and other organisations, as well as people at home are being encouraged to mark this moment in the form of a one-minute silence.
September 17, 2022
Ilora Finlay – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Finlay of Llandaff)

The tribute made by Ilora Finlay, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

Today, as we pay tribute, having been led so sensitively and eloquently by our Front Benches, we must remember that Her Majesty was patron of over 600 charities and each felt that they were unique to her. Hospices and hospitals benefited greatly from her support and she lifted the morale of everyone, even the sickest person. We saw that she herself lived fully and with her uniquely great dignity until death took her.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy had the honour of having Her Majesty as our patron since 1953—its charter having been granted by her grandfather, King George V, in June 1920. Every year of those 69 years, she sent her official royal greetings to our members to mark our AGMs. In 2020, the centenary of our charter, she particularly noted the vital contribution of physiotherapy staff in response to the Covid pandemic. Every year as president, I read out the message and the uplift in the room was palpable: it was affirmation by her while physiotherapists focused on their service to the health of the nation—her subjects—and all felt, and indeed knew, that she deeply appreciated their role. Every event that Her Majesty attended created treasured memories for all who were there. Every year, many enjoyed the honour of a lifetime: an invitation to one of the Queen’s annual garden parties, and some received honours in recognition of the impact of their work.

Her commitment to her citizens across the Commonwealth of Nations, as we have heard so eloquently, was evident throughout her long service. She unwavering dedication to all her subjects provided stability during many turbulent times. At the recent launch of the Commonwealth Tribute to Life—a memorandum of understanding across the Commonwealth—the friendship and support that she inspired were palpable among the transplant professionals in the room.

I saw Her Majesty’s concern for each person when I attended Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park. Suddenly, one of the choirboys was taken ill. After attending to him—he did seem rather ill—I stood outside, rather than disrupt the last minutes of the service. At the end of the service, Her Majesty came towards me and inquired, with great concern in her kind blue eyes, about the welfare of the child and whether he would be all right. Her sensitive concern overrode all other duties in those moments.

Her corgis were also an important adjunct to her quiet sensibility. David Nott, the trauma surgeon, described how half a dog biscuit, discreetly handed to him to give a corgi under the lunch table, helped him to recover his composure as the post-traumatic stress of Aleppo overwhelmed him.

Our deepest sympathy and sincere condolences are offered to all the Royal Family, as the whole nation shares in profound grief and treasures those moments, some longer than others, when their lives were touched and enriched by our amazing Queen. My very first memory is of watching her Coronation on our neighbour’s first TV. We all have our lifetimes of memories of Her Majesty to treasure, as if she was our own much-loved mother or grandmother. Now, in deepest sympathy with all who love her deeply, particularly her family, we pledge our commitment and allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.

September 17, 2022
Nicky Morgan – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Morgan of Cotes)

The tribute made by Nicky Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Cotes, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Viscount. So much has already been said this afternoon, but at a time of grief it is better for us all to say something. In his message yesterday, our new King said that he and his family would draw comfort from all the sentiments of loss, mourning and gratitude that people would express in the coming days. We have heard many fantastic and moving speeches and it has been a privilege to be part of your Lordships’ House today to listen to them.

I will offer three brief thoughts. First, as has been mentioned and as the noble Viscount just captured in his tribute, the Queen’s last service was to invite her 15th Prime Minister to form a Government. Her face in that picture was still innately curious. To have that level of curiosity at the age of 96, after everything that the Queen had seen, was truly remarkable. Her curiosity was also captured, as we heard earlier, in that very simple question to those City financiers after the 2008 financial crash: “Why did no one else see that this was going to happen?” What a good question that she asked on behalf of so many of her subjects.

Secondly, we have heard that, for those who encountered her in the flesh, it was an unforgettable experience. She said that, for those who were just going to catch a glimpse, she deliberately wore bright clothes so that she could not be missed. Whatever we might think of His Majesty’s wardrobe, he is unlikely to wear that rainbow of colours that we got so used to.

As we heard, in 2012 the Queen visited Leicester with the new Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Edinburgh. It was a huge honour for both the city and county for that visit to be the first to any city in the Diamond Jubilee year. Of course, there was great excitement, but the tip that I took away, having watched Her Majesty during the lunch, was that it is acceptable to open your handbag, get out your lipstick and put it on after lunch. I have taken that tip and told many people about it; they found it a great insight into what was in her handbag—apart from marmalade sandwiches.

We heard a story from the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, of someone encountering the Queen and not being able to speak. In my case, when I was appointed to the Privy Council, I forgot to breathe. As the black spots appeared in my peripheral vision, I suddenly realised that I had stopped breathing as I was so close to my monarch and was observing her in close quarters. We also heard about the kissing of hands. While one is not meant to go into the details of Privy Council experiences, it is fair to say that, however experienced in life you are, that ceremony of kneeling and kissing your monarch’s hand is probably the most agonising kiss that you will ever make in your lifetime.

Thirdly, the Queen was our voice of stability at key moments. We have mentioned her Christmas afternoon broadcasts. Of course, after the death of Princess Diana, when the country needed a moment of stability, she was the one who invoked the phrase:

“Grief is the price we pay for love.”

That is worth remembering today. She was also asked to speak in spring 2020 when the Covid pandemic had struck with such ferocity.

I have no doubt that His Majesty the King will provide that same stability and that our thoughts and support will be with him over the coming days and months as he takes on his new duties. In many ways, we began to see that transition of power when he was at the State Opening of Parliament in this House just a few months ago. As we have heard, all these events will be much more of a shock for everyone at every level of society and everywhere around the globe than most of us would have expected. God save the King.

September 16, 2022
Stephen Benn – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (3rd Viscount Stansgate)

The tribute made by Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

My Lords, I hope the House will allow me to begin by saying how much I appreciated the opening speeches by the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the Convenor of the Cross-Bench Peers and the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury, who made a collection of remarks that set the tone for today’s debate. I have listened to some wonderful tributes from other Members throughout the day and I think today’s Hansard will be a remarkable document and a testament to the person in whose honour we are holding this debate.

I remember when I lost my own mother, as many Members will remember losing theirs. It is a very difficult thing to lose one’s mother and therefore my sympathy personally goes out to the King, from whom we will hear shortly, and his family, because of the loss they are suffering, which is of course combined, as others have said, with the duties that now fall upon the new King.

I am one of the Members of this House who did not meet Her Majesty and I am not going to claim that I did. I was in close proximity to her on more than one occasion—at the investiture when she gave my wife an OBE, and so on—but I am not going to claim that I had any personal conversations with her. Nevertheless, I recognise the enormous importance she had to the lives of people in this country and the impact she had on them. I am sorry in some ways that my dad is not here to make a speech about his relations with the Queen, because he certainly had many stories he could have told, including his rather unsuccessful attempt to cut her head off—not in any physical sense, you understand, but in relation to British stamps. Noble Lords can read all about that in his memoirs.

The more I have thought about it over the last 24 hours, the more I think it was no coincidence that we saw her fulfil the one last constitutional duty which only she could fulfil on Tuesday in appointing the new Prime Minister, and then sadly found that she became very unwell and died shortly after. I think she knew for weeks, as we all did, that she had this duty ahead of her and she held on to fulfil it. That would be absolutely typical, from everything I have heard anyone in this Chamber say about Her Majesty in the 70 years she reigned. I do not think it was a coincidence that she lived long enough to do it.

I also think she is a supreme example of a successful constitutional monarch, for which we should all be very grateful. Looking back over the years of her reign, I think that this country has moved, as has been indicated by others, from a position where we were still an imperial power and had an element of what you might call hard power. Over the decades it has been transferred into soft power, and she embodied that in a way that is going to be very hard to follow.

Her death is still a shock and for many people it will continue to be so. When we hear from the new King in a moment, it will begin to bring itself to bear on people’s lives. However, there is a great deal to celebrate. We all know that she lived to see an unrivalled Platinum Jubilee celebration. Although she was not able to take that much of a part in many of the events, the country, the nation and the Commonwealth had a chance to say thank you to her, and her own contribution was, in a way, to live to see it unfold in front of her. However, there is still a great deal of mourning now.

Reference has been made to the remarkable interviews that she gave when she was younger and her pledge to serve her country and the Commonwealth whether her life “be long or short”. It turned out to be remarkably long, for which we are all very grateful. She served her country as she promised to do and fulfilled her promise. You cannot ask for more than that and I do not think we will see her like again in our lifetime.

September 16, 2022
Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on Healthcare in Northern Ireland

The comments made by Colm Gildernew, the Sinn Fein Health Spokesperson in Northern Ireland, on 16 September 2022.

Reports that pressures in our health service had led to 300 more deaths than expected this year are staggering and underlines the urgent need to get the Executive up and running and for all parties to work together to make health the priority.

How much longer will the DUP sit on the sidelines and continue to boycott government while people suffer on waiting lists and our health service continues to feel the pressure?

We will meet the health minister next week on the urgent need to recruit more doctors and nurses, cut waiting lists and to properly invest in our cancer and mental health services.

Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive today, to work with others, and start to fix our health service by investing an extra £1 billion and securing a three-year Budget.

September 16, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : In less than three months, Ukraine fulfilled about half of the recommendations of the European Commission – Ihor Zhovkva [September 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 September 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva had a telephone conversation with Minister of European Affairs of the Czech Republic Mikuláš Bek.

The interlocutors discussed the results of the visit of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Ukraine on September 15. The significant progress of our country in implementing the recommendations of the European Commission regarding EU membership and the true democracy of Ukrainian society, which shares and defends European values on the battlefield, were noted.

“In less than three months, Ukraine fulfilled about half of the recommendations of the European Commission. We are on an optimistic path to their full implementation by November of this year,” Ihor Zhovkva emphasized.

The parties coordinated joint political and practical steps for Ukraine’s advance on the European integration track. They also discussed Ukraine’s participation in the high-level EU events that will take place during the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union until the end of 2022, in particular, in the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government on October 6 and 7 in Prague (Czech Republic).

“We expect that the leadership of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU will influence the opening of a window of opportunity for the start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union in the near future,” said the Deputy Head of the President’s Office.

September 16, 2022