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Tag: Speeches

  • Ben Bradshaw – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    Ben Bradshaw – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    The speech made by Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.

    It is notable how much support the Home Secretary has on the Government Benches. She did immense damage, in her previous brief tenure in the job, to our relations with India through her comments about Indian visitors overstaying their visas. The consequence is that the British people are now the only people in Europe who do not have access to e-visas to visit India. That is doing great damage to our tourism sector and jeopardising the travel plans of thousands of British families. Will the hon. Gentleman please use his good offices in the Cabinet Office to bang heads together in the Government, get this sorted out and try to repair the damage that the Home Secretary did when she was in the job last time?

    Jeremy Quin

    Our relationship with India is clearly important. I know that the right hon. Gentleman would not expect me to go into detail about that. I note from the Annunciator ticker that we have an urgent question on India following this one, and I am sure he will use that opportunity to make his point.

  • Stuart McDonald – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    Stuart McDonald – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    The speech made by Stuart McDonald, the SNP spokesperson on Home Affairs, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.

    New Prime Minister, same old Tories—a Government just like their predecessors who clearly do not think the ministerial code is worth the paper it is written on. This appointment is an absolute disgrace. So many questions simply have not been answered. How many so-called errors of judgment have there been? Do Ministers behave like this all the time, as one source close to the Home Secretary apparently said? Did the Cabinet Office raise concerns prior to this particular breach? Who first alerted officials to the breach? Who is undertaking an inquiry? Will there finally be an independent ethics adviser? Is it not shocking that there is not one just now?

    However, as the Minister has acknowledged, the real question here is for the Prime Minister, because there are a million other reasons why the Home Secretary is unfit for office, from her trashing the Office of the Attorney General to her refugee-bashing policies; from her trash talk of “Benefits Street” to her advocating our withdrawal from the European convention on human rights; and from her anti-migration, anti-growth policies to her being the last defender of tax cuts for the rich. And then there is her Rwanda “dream”. How can the Prime Minister ever talk again about integrity and compassion in politics after blatantly making an appointment in his own interest that is completely against everybody else’s interests? Actions speak louder than words.

    Jeremy Quin

    I reiterate that my right hon. and learned Friend made a mistake, she acknowledged that and she stepped down. The hon. Gentleman raises an important point about the independent adviser, and I am glad that he has done so. He will be reassured that it is the absolutely the Prime Minister’s intention to appoint an independent adviser. That is the right thing to do, and I know that it is absolutely his intention.

  • Yvette Cooper – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    Yvette Cooper – 2022 Speech on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    The speech made by Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.

    My questions are about security breaches and the protection of our national security. They are questions to the Home Secretary, who was here just five minutes ago and who then left.

    Yesterday the Prime Minister promised “integrity, professionalism and accountability”, yet the Government have discarded the ministerial code and reappointed someone who breached core professional standards and has now run away from basic accountability to this House. It is the same old Tory chaos, and it is letting the country down.

    I have questions for the Home Secretary that the Government need to answer. The Home Secretary accepted that she had sent an official document via her personal email to someone who was not authorised to see it. Is that the only time she has done that? Has she shared other documents, or other sensitive information? The Home Secretary is responsible for national security, so has the Home Office, the Cabinet Office or the Security Service now undertaken an investigation of her security breaches to establish how many others there have been? If not, may I urge the Minister to ensure that that happens as a matter of urgency?

    What security clearance has the Home Secretary been given? Does she still have access to the most sensitive documents and information, and did the Cabinet Secretary warn against her reappointment? She has been Attorney General, she has been a Minister on and off for four years, so she knows the rules about Government documents, yet she sent one to her own private email, to someone outside the Government, and also copied it by accident to someone else entirely. How is anyone supposed to believe that she is such a novice that she did not know exactly what she was doing, and if she really is that much of a novice, why on earth are the rest of us supposed to trust her with our national security? It has been reported that she sent this as an error of judgment because she was tired after going on an early-morning raid. Is the Home Office just supposed to block her phone and email if she has been up half the night because she might do stupid things while she is tired? There are suggestions that the Home Secretary while she was Attorney General was investigated for a leak of information relating to the Security Service; is that true?

    The Minister is a former policing Minister; does he think that if police officers breached their code of ethics and were sacked or forced to resign, they should then be reappointed to their jobs six days later because they said sorry, or is it just one rule for the Cabinet and another for everyone else? Everyone knows this was a grubby deal to get a coronation, to put party before country, but national security is too important for this.

    Jeremy Quin

    The Prime Minister has made it clear that this Government will act with professionalism, integrity and accountability; that is exactly what this Government will be doing. As the right hon. Lady will be aware, I cannot comment on what the Cabinet Secretary may or may not do; that is a matter for the Cabinet Secretary. On the speculation the right hon. Lady raised—I am not going to comment on speculation either; the right hon. Lady would not expect me to do so.

    At the end of the day, it is very simple: the Home Secretary made a mistake, and has acknowledged that she made a mistake, but she offered her resignation and stood down. The Prime Minister has looked again, and has decided, as is his right, that she can return to Government. I believe in redemption; I hope the right hon. Lady can as well. The Home Secretary is busy today, doing the job of the Home Secretary: keeping our borders secure and helping the police do their job—and I am sure that the right hon. Lady welcomes, as I do, the fact that we now have over 15,000 additional police officers, delivering day in, day out for the country. That is what this Government can be relied upon to do.

  • Jeremy Quin – 2022 Statement on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    Jeremy Quin – 2022 Statement on the Personal Conduct of Suella Braverman

    The statement made by Jeremy Quin, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.

    I was disappointed, on leaving my previous Department last night, that I would no longer be seeing the right hon. Lady across the Dispatch Box, and I am so glad that she has put that right for me today. She has a good memory, and I know she will recall that last week the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office—my hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Brendan Clarke-Smith)—said, in responding to a question that she had tabled, that questions relating to

    “breaches of the ministerial code”

    or related issues

    “are a matter for the Cabinet Office, not the Home Office”.—[Official Report, 22 October 2022; Vol. 720, c. 834.]

    That is why I, not the Home Secretary, am here answering the question today.

    My hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw set out the circumstances regarding the departure of the Home Secretary last week. The Home Secretary made an error of judgment. She recognised her mistake, and she took responsibility for her actions. The ministerial code allows for a range of sanctions when mistakes have been made. The Home Secretary recognised her mistake, raised the matter and stepped down. Her resignation was accepted by the then Prime Minister.

    The right hon. Lady will be aware that ministerial appointments are a matter solely for the Prime Minister, as the sovereign’s principal adviser on the appointment, dismissal and acceptance of resignations of Ministers. The Prime Minister was very clear in his speech to the nation yesterday when he said:

    “This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.”

    He has said that he will work “day in, day out” to earn the trust of the country and live up to the demands and expectations that the public rightly have of their Prime Minister. The Prime Minister expects all Ministers to uphold the values and standards set by the ministerial code, as the public would rightly expect.

    As I have said, the Home Secretary made an error of judgment. She recognised her mistake, and she took accountability for her actions in stepping down. After consideration, the Prime Minister has decided, given the apology issued by the Home Secretary, to reappoint her to the Government. They are now focused, together, on working to make our streets safer and to control our borders. However, while we should learn from mistakes, we should also look to the future, and the Prime Minister has appointed a team of Ministers to lead the country through the issues that it faces.

    All Ministers are bound by the ministerial code, and the Prime Minister expects his Ministers to uphold the code and hold the highest standards. As I have noted, the code allows for a range of sanctions for breaches, and on the recommendation of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the code was updated in May to make that clear. On an ongoing basis, we will need—every Minister—through our actions and in how we conduct ourselves, to demonstrate that we can continue to command this Prime Minister’s confidence as we tackle the huge challenges that are to come for the country.

  • Bambos Charalambous – 2022 Speech on the Situation in Iran

    Bambos Charalambous – 2022 Speech on the Situation in Iran

    The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Shadow Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, in the House of Commons on 25 October 2022.

    For the past six weeks, Iran has seen huge protests following the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of its brutal morality police. Ms Amini was violently beaten following her arrest for breaching strict hijab rules.

    Iranians in huge numbers have bravely said that they will accept this no longer. Women and girls are putting their lives on the line to lead a mass movement calling for nothing more than basic human rights and civil liberties. Braving severe state repression, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have joined protests. Over 12,500 have been arrested and, sadly, over 250 people have died at the hands of the security forces. Britain must support all those who stand up for basic freedoms, including freedom of conscience and religion and the freedom to live one’s life as one chooses.

    It is clear that the Iranian regime is restricting information in an attempt to quash the protests. Internet access has been periodically blocked in the country, meaning that details of human rights abuses cannot be shared and protesters cannot organise. Freedom of information is integral to the success of any political movement. The UK must and can play a strong role in supporting an independent press in Iran. Reporters Without Borders has declared Iran one of the worst countries in the world for press freedom: journalists routinely face harassment, detention and threats to their family. What are the UK Government doing to encourage press freedom in Iran? What pressure is the UK putting on Iran to support fundamental human rights and freedom of speech?

    The UK can and should lead calls for the UN Human Rights Council to urgently establish an international investigative and accountability mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious crimes in Iran under international law. Can the Minister assure me that the UK will do so?

    Gillian Keegan

    There is much that we all agree on in this House, from our condemnation of what is happening in Iran to the actions we take and how we work with others. We are looking at all options to hold Iran to account for its human rights violations, and we are active participants at the UN Human Rights Council. On press freedom, last week we joined a statement of the Media Freedom Coalition condemning Iran’s repression of journalists. We will continue to do so, working with other countries and other groups to call out Iran, as well as taking firm steps, as I laid out in my statement.

  • Dawn Butler – 2022 Statement on Comments Made by Kemi Badenoch about Ben Cohen

    Dawn Butler – 2022 Statement on Comments Made by Kemi Badenoch about Ben Cohen

    The statement made by Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent Central, on Twitter on 27 October 2022.

    I’ve written to Kemi Badenoch regarding her inaccurate comments in the House of Commons, in which she used parliamentary privilege to spread misinformation about Benjamin Cohen and Pink News. I’m calling on her to follow ministerial code and return to the chamber to correct the record.

  • Gillian Keegan – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Iran

    Gillian Keegan – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Iran

    The statement made by Gillian Keegan, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the House of Commons on 26 October 2022.

    We have all been in awe of the bravery of the Iranian people since the death of Mahsa Amini over five weeks ago. The Iranian people have taken to the streets to express in no uncertain terms that the sustained repression of their rights by the Iranian regime must end. Women should no longer face detention and violence for what they wear or how they behave in public. The Iranian regime’s use of live ammunition and birdshot against protestors is barbaric. There have been reports of at least 23 children having died and non-governmental organisations suggest over 200 deaths during the protests.

    Mass arrests of protestors and the restriction of internet access are sadly typical of this oppressive regime’s flagrant disregard for human rights. These are not the actions of a Government listening to the legitimate demands of their people for greater respect for their rights. It can be no surprise that the Iranian people have had enough. This year, 2022, has seen a sharp increase in the use of the death penalty, a sustained attack on the rights of women, intensified persecution of the Baha’i, and greater repression of freedom of expression and speech online.

    The UK has been robust in joining the international community’s response to holding Iran accountable for its human rights violations. The Foreign Secretary summoned the most senior Iranian official in the UK on Monday 3 October to express our concern at the treatment of protesters. On Monday 10 October, the UK imposed sanctions on Iran’s so-called morality police and seven individuals responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.

    The UK has consistently raised the situation in Iran in the United Nations Human Rights Council and through other multilateral fora. On 13 October, the UK issued a joint statement with European partners condemning the death of Mahsa Amini and calling on Iran to stop the violence and listen to the concern of its people. On 20 October, the UK joined 33 other members of the Freedom Online Coalition in issuing a joint statement condemning internet shutdowns in Iran.

    We continue to work with our international partners to explore all options for addressing Iran’s human rights violations. Through the UK’s action on sanctions and robust statements with international partners, we have sent a clear message. The Iranian authorities will be held accountable for their repression of women and girls and for the shocking violence that they have inflicted on the Iranian people.

    Bob Blackman

    Thank you for granting this urgent question, Mr Speaker, and I thank the Minister for her answer. I also thank the Foreign Secretary for his letter yesterday advising me that I have been sanctioned by the Iranian regime.

    Since the brutal murder of Mahsa Jina Amini by the morality police, there has been a nationwide uprising in Iran. Contrary to what the Minister advised, the National Council of Resistance of Iran advised that more than 400 mainly female protesters have been murdered and that more than 20,000 have been arrested over the past 39 days of nationwide protests. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must issue the strongest condemnation of those killings and mass arrests? In order to do so, is it not right that we recall our ambassador from Tehran and even consider closing our embassy in Iran, to demonstrate that this is unacceptable?

    Does the Minister also agree that we need to recognise the Iranian’s people right to self-defence and resistance in the face of the deadly crackdown, which particularly targets women and their right to establish a democratic republic? I note the sanctions that have been issued by our Government against particular individuals in Iran, but does she not agree that now would be completely the wrong time to renew the JCPOA—joint comprehensive plan of action—agreement and give Iran the capability to establish nuclear weapons? Does she also agree that it is now time to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and—I say this to the Secretary of State—its assets in the UK?

    Gillian Keegan

    I thank my hon. Friend, and I probably ought to congratulate him on being sanctioned—that shows all the efforts that he and many colleagues in the House have made to call out the regime and the terrible actions that are taking place in Iran. The death of Mahsa Amini is a shocking reminder of the repression that women in Iran face.

    We condemn the Iranian authorities and have taken very strong action. We condemn the crackdown on protesters, journalists and internet freedom. The use of violence in response to the expression of fundamental rights by women, or any other members of Iranian society, is wholly unjustifiable. We will continue to work, including with our international partners, to explore all options for addressing Iran’s human rights violations. However, as my hon. Friend knows, we will never be able to comment on possible future actions, sanctions or designations.

  • Gillian Keegan – 2022 Appointment as Education Secretary

    Gillian Keegan – 2022 Appointment as Education Secretary

    The comments made by Gillian Keegan on her appointment as Education Secretary on 26 October 2022.

    I’m deeply honoured to have been appointed as Secretary of State for Education by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Education transforms lives – I know that talent is spread equally around the country and I will work tirelessly to ensure opportunity is also.

  • Liz Truss – 2022 Final Statement as Prime Minister

    Liz Truss – 2022 Final Statement as Prime Minister

    The statement made by Liz Truss, the outgoing Prime Minister, on 25 October 2022.

    It has been a huge honour to be Prime Minister of this great country.

    In particular, to lead the nation in mourning the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen after 70 years of service,

    and welcoming the accession of His Majesty King Charles III.

    In just a short period, this government has acted urgently and decisively on the side of hardworking families and businesses.

    We reversed the National Insurance increase.

    We helped millions of households with their energy bills and helped thousands of businesses avoid bankruptcy.

    We are taking back our energy independence…

    …so we are never again beholden to global market fluctuations or malign foreign powers.

    From my time as Prime Minister, I am more convinced than ever we need to be bold and confront the challenges that we face.

    As the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote: “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”

    We simply cannot afford to be a low growth country where the government takes up an increasing share of our national wealth…

    and where there are huge divides between different parts of our country.

    We need to take advantage of our Brexit freedoms to do things differently.

    This means delivering more freedom for our own citizens and restoring power in democratic institutions.

    It means lower taxes, so people keep more of the money they earn.

    It means delivering growth that will lead to more job security, higher wages and greater opportunities for our children and grandchildren.

    Democracies must be able to deliver for their own people…

    We must be able to outcompete autocratic regimes, where power lies in the hands of a few.

    And now more than ever we must support Ukraine in their brave fight against Putin’s aggression.

    Ukraine must prevail.

    And we must continue to strengthen our nation’s defences.

    That is what I have been striving to achieve… and I wish Rishi Sunak every success, for the good of our country.

    I want to thank Hugh, Frances, Liberty, my family and friends, and all the team at No10 for their love, friendship and support.

    I also want to thank my protection team.

    I look forward to spending more time in my constituency, and continuing to serve South West Norfolk from the backbenches.

    Our country continues to battle through a storm.

    But I believe in Britain.

    I believe in the British people.

    And I know that brighter days lie ahead.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2022 First Speech as Prime Minister

    Rishi Sunak – 2022 First Speech as Prime Minister

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, outside Downing Street on 25 October 2022.

    Good morning,

    I have just been to Buckingham Palace and accepted His Majesty The King’s invitation to form a government in his name.

    It is only right to explain why I am standing here as your new Prime Minister.

    Right now our country is facing a profound economic crisis.

    The aftermath of Covid still lingers.

    Putin’s war in Ukraine has destabilised energy markets and supply chains the world over.

    I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Liz Truss, she was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country, it is a noble aim.

    And I admired her restlessness to create change.

    But some mistakes were made.

    Not borne of ill will or bad intentions. Quite the opposite, in fact. But mistakes nonetheless.

    And I have been elected as leader of my party, and your Prime Minister, in part, to fix them.

    And that work begins immediately.

    I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda.

    This will mean difficult decisions to come.

    But you saw me during Covid, doing everything I could, to protect people and businesses, with schemes like furlough.

    There are always limits, more so now than ever, but I promise you this

    I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today.

    The government I lead will not leave the next generation, your children and grandchildren, with a debt to settle that we were too weak to pay ourselves.

    I will unite our country, not with words, but with action.

    I will work day in and day out to deliver for you.

    This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.

    Trust is earned. And I will earn yours.

    I will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his incredible achievements as Prime Minister, and I treasure his warmth and generosity of spirit.

    And I know he would agree that the mandate my party earned in 2019 is not the sole property of any one individual, it is a mandate that belongs to and unites all of us.

    And the heart of that mandate is our manifesto.

    I will deliver on its promise.

    A stronger NHS.

    Better schools.

    Safer streets.

    Control of our borders.

    Protecting our environment.

    Supporting our armed forces.

    Levelling up and building an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit, where businesses invest, innovate, and create jobs.

    I understand how difficult this moment is.

    After the billions of pounds it cost us to combat Covid, after all the dislocation that caused in the midst of a terrible war that must be seen successfully to its conclusions I fully appreciate how hard things are.

    And I understand too that I have work to do to restore trust after all that has happened.

    All I can say is that I am not daunted. I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to live up to its demands.

    But when the opportunity to serve comes along, you cannot question the moment, only your willingness.

    So I stand here before you ready to lead our country into the future.

    To put your needs above politics.

    To reach out and build a government that represents the very best traditions of my party.

    Together we can achieve incredible things.

    We will create a future worthy of the sacrifices so many have made and fill tomorrow, and everyday thereafter with hope.

    Thank you.