Tag: Speeches

Steve Reed – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 July 2024.

It is a huge honour, on my first opportunity to speak from the Dispatch Box as the Secretary of State, to close today’s debate on His Majesty’s Gracious Speech. I welcome my predecessor, now the shadow Secretary of State, to his place and thank him for the way he has worked constructively with me. I look forward to that continuing, although I prefer it this way around.

It has been an honour to be present for maiden speeches from across the House. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to go through their excellent comments in much detail, but I would like to mention my hon. Friends the Members for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth), for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody), for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer), for Hexham (Joe Morris), for Heywood and Middleton North (Mrs Blundell) and for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley). Many of them represent rural constituencies, and they all showed what great assets they will be to this House and to the communities they represent.

I cannot respond to everyone who has spoken—I am sorry about that—but I will do my best to cover what I can in the limited time available. I will start with the subject of planning. This Government were elected on a mandate to get Britain building again. As the Deputy Prime Minister said, reforming the planning system is the key to unlocking our country’s economic growth. The existing planning system is too restrictive, slow and uncertain, which undermines investor confidence and means that the homes that we desperately need do not get built. We will overhaul the planning system to tackle the chronic shortage of homes and power up the economy.

Alongside that, we were elected on a platform to deliver for nature, and will take urgent action to meet the Environment Act targets that the previous Government missed. We will protect, create and improve spaces that increase climate resilience and promote nature’s recovery on land and at sea, recognising that ensuring a positive outcome for nature is fundamental to unlocking the housing and infrastructure that this country so urgently needs.

We must take tough action to tackle the housing emergency and build the 1.5 million homes that we need over this Parliament, but we remain committed to preserving the green belt. Our brownfield-first approach means that that authorities should prioritise brownfield sites. However, brownfield development alone will not be enough, so we will also transform lower-quality grey belt land, such as wasteland or old car parks, into housing, including affordable homes for those most in need.

Mr Holden rose—

Steve Reed

I am sorry, there is not enough time for me to give way. [Interruption.] Members should have spoken for less time.

Rural communities have been severely undermined by the previous Conservative Government. For a party that once claimed to be the party of the countryside, their track record is one of abject and absolute neglect. Voters in the countryside rejected their failure and embraced Labour’s positive vision. That is evident from the huge increase in Labour MPs representing rural constituencies, and the collapse in rural support for the Conservatives. Thanks to the Conservative party, transport links in many rural areas are now close to non-existent; there are more potholes in England’s roads than craters on the moon; schools cannot recruit enough teachers; GP surgeries are full; families cannot find an NHS dentist; thousands of rural businesses have collapsed; and rural crime goes unpunished. This is an abandonment of the countryside on a historic scale.

If we solve the problem of social care, we will not need to build ever bigger hospitals.

But I am optimistic for our NHS. Britain leads the world in scientific advances. Right in my own region of East Anglia we have world-beating biomedical science and leading universities.

Recently, we celebrated 75 years of the NHS. My father—who, if he were alive and here today, would be astonished—was an RAF medic who joined the RAF in 1948. My son is an A&E doctor right here in London. My sister is a nurse. My family has served the NHS continuously since it began.

When the great Nye Bevan invented the NHS, a painful hip was treated with a walking stick, and a cataract with a thick pair of glasses. Now the miracles of joint replacement and cataract surgery are no longer regarded as the surgical miracles they are, but as an entitlement. Nye would have been amazed.

I am sure we will see in our own time scientific and medical advances beyond our imagination. Already we are at last seeing effective treatments for dementia and neurological disorders, and genetic cures for haemophilia and other inherited problems. We will also have cancer vaccines and other marvels that we cannot yet imagine.

I urge all my honourable colleagues in this brand-new Parliament to do whatever we can to support research and innovation with all our heart and all our soul, for as the great poet Seamus Heaney wrote,

“once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme.”

I commend this King’s Speech to the House.

August 9, 2024
Steve Barclay – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Steve Barclay, the Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

I begin by congratulating the Secretary of State and the ministerial team on their appointments and wishing them well. I also pay tribute to the hon. Members for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins) and for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), who did a lot of the hard yards in opposition and missed out on ministerial roles this time.

I pay tribute to the excellent maiden speeches we have heard on both sides of the House today. We started with the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth), who I was delighted to hear has significant rural areas in his constituency and has an interest in this sector. We heard from the hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), who gave the House an informed tour of his constituency. We had a fantastic speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross), who brings real practical and professional experience to rural affairs and rightly focused on the need to tailor policies to the needs of rural communities.

We heard from the new hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer), who was very generous in his tribute to his much-respected predecessor. We had a brilliant speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Alison Griffiths), who highlighted the importance of the rural economy and water quality—what an asset she will be in the House. We also heard from the hon. Member for Hexham (Joe Morris), who talked about farming as the beating heart of his constituency, while the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton North (Mrs Blundell) spoke about the radicalism of a former figure from Middleton—I hope that will inform her relationship with the Government Whips Office moving forward.

We had two outstanding closing speeches. My hon. Friend the Member for Broxbourne (Lewis Cocking) spoke about the importance of infrastructure in the rural economy, and focused particularly on planning. We also witnessed the huge experience, which is respected across the House, that the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) brings as a surgeon. I know he will be an important voice in health debates, among others. I am delighted that all those new Members chose to make their maiden speeches on the issue of rural affairs in the King’s Speech.

Labour campaigned on a slogan of change, but they are offering only uncertainty to farming and fishing communities. It is no surprise that, just last night, the president of the National Farmers Union said that farmers are facing a “cliff edge” and are

“being kept up at night”

by the uncertainty. That uncertainty is not because the Labour Government have not had time to prepare their policies for farming and fishing; it is because the issue is not a priority for a Labour Government. That is why the Labour manifesto had just 87 words on farming and nothing at all on fishing. It is why this King’s Speech has nothing for the farming and fishing communities. It is why the Government have not even given any dates for when this uncertainty will end. We should be clear in this House that that is an active choice. It is a point that the Government have chosen to prioritise, in contrast to the prioritisation we were willing to make with the additional funding that we committed.

Is it not all the more ironic that just a few years ago, the now Prime Minister went to the NFU and admitted that farming and rural affairs had for too long been an afterthought for the Labour party and promised to change that? That is an early example of promised change that is not then delivered. We can see that uncertainty in the farming budget. The Government have made no commitment to what the budget will be, or whether they are continuing it or increasing it. We were willing to make decisions to prioritise £1 billion of additional funding over this Parliament. There is nothing from Labour on that, leaving farmers uncertain. Can the Secretary of State confirm what his budget will be? Does he even know? Has the Chancellor told him? Can he even tell the House when he might know? We do not even know when the spending review will be. He is probably as much in the dark as the rest of us.

What about the uncertainty on food security? We made commitments with the food security index, the annual farm to fork summit, the food security duty, the biggest ever grants payment, and the additional funding to deal with the wet weather that farmers had recently faced. What is the commitment from the Labour Government on food security? There is nothing in the King’s Speech about legislating for that. Can the Secretary of State confirm whether they intend to legislate and it was just an omission that they did not get around to, or is it something that he is now ruling out?

What about the uncertainty about just how much farmland will be lost as a result of this Government? We know what their 2030 environmental targets are—to triple solar, to increase onshore wind and to increase the pylons connecting to offshore wind—so can the Secretary of State confirm to the House that he will publish before the summer recess an impact assessment on how much farmland will be lost as a result of delivering his 2030 environmental targets? Does he even know?

Mr Holden

One cornerstone of the Conservative manifesto was for an underground-first approach to new electricity pylons. That is an important matter for my constituents in Basildon and Billericay. Will my right hon. Friend also highlight to the Government exactly how important that is and try to seek an answer on what their proposals are in this space?

Steve Barclay

My right hon. Friend gets to the nub of the issue, because if a Government are promising change, they need to be able to say what the timelines are. They need to say what the budget is and what legislation they will pass to deliver that. On all those things, there is silence in this King’s Speech.

The Labour manifesto has lots of high-sounding things that are hard to disagree with. Labour wants more food security, and says that food security is national security, and we on the Opposition Benches agree. Labour says it wants to raise animal welfare, and we have done a huge amount to do so. That is fine. However, if the Government say they want to end the badger cull, when will they do that? There is nothing in the King’s Speech on that, so what are the timelines? Dairy farmers would like to know. Will the Secretary of State publish the analysis from the chief veterinary officer on what the impact of ending the cull would be on the trajectory? We know that the current approach has seen TB cases come down in England from 34,500 in 2018 to below 20,000. Certainly the advice that I had was that vaccinations would not be ready for some time. Will he publish the trajectory and tell us when the cull will end?

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

You need to respect the science.

Steve Barclay

Of course we respect the science. The hon. Gentleman chunters from a sedentary position, but I presume he will get the same science brief—in a way, he makes my point—that I got from the chief vet, which was that the vaccinations were not ready and the cull was being effective. In fact, we only need to look at Labour’s policy in Wales, where the opposite is happening, to see that. I hope that, as he represents Cambridge, he will follow the science, because the Government made a commitment that does not. Perhaps that is the sort of change they mean—a change from what they committed to in the manifesto. It did not take long.

Speaking of things at a high level that no one can disagree with, the Government talk about making more use of public sector procurement. Again, the Conservatives not only agree with that, but we have helped the Government with it. The former Member for Colchester did a fantastic review, the Quince review, looking at how that will be done, but the Government are silent on the funding for that. Will it be funded out of the budget of the Department for Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Defence, local government—or will it come out of the Secretary of State’s budget? It is difficult for him to say, because he does not even know what his budget will be.

The reality is that we have empty slogans from a party that does not care about the rural economy. The Government are not giving clarity to farming and fishing; they barely mentioned farming in their manifesto, and they did not even mention fishing. This King’s Speech does nothing for the farming and fishing communities. The decisions that we have seen so far take vast amounts of farmland out of food production in order to prioritise the eco-zealotry that we have heard so often in this House. I hope the Secretary of State will give the clarity that is sadly lacking in the King’s Speech on what the Government will do—and when—on the budget, on food procurement, and on dairy farmers and the badger cull, and will end the uncertainty that the president of the NFU and so many others in the farming and fishing community currently face.

August 9, 2024
Stephanie Peacock – 2024 Speech at the Football Supporters’ Association AGM

The speech made by Stephanie Peacock, the Minister for Sport, on 20 July 2024.

I’m delighted to be here today to speak to members of the FSA, the Football Supporters’ Association, as Minister for Sport, at the home of English football – Wembley Stadium.

It’s a privilege to join you at this AGM which is of course Malcolm Clarke’s last as chair, after a mere 22 years. I know the huge impact he has had, and I wish you well.

You are all meeting here today to discuss how fans can be given a greater voice and ensure your concerns are addressed by the game.

Fans are the heart and soul of the game and I want to set out how this government will support you.

The inclusion of the Football Governance Bill in the King’s Speech on Wednesday is the first step in delivering that support – by introducing a new regulator for football in law.

The FSA is one of our key partners, ensuring that the voice of fans is represented as we develop these proposals. I want to continue to work with you to deliver this commitment which will ensure a more sustainable future for our football clubs and to ensure fans’ voices are heard. Having worked with you closely over the last few months, I know firsthand the impact you have had.

Every football fan deserves the opportunity to follow the team that they love without having to fight back against unsuitable owners; battle to keep their club’s name, colours and badge; see their club try to join a closed league of select clubs syphoned off from the rest of the English football pyramid; or even risk their club disappearing altogether.

Our football fans are the best in the world – which is why we are committed to repaying that dedication – by making this country the best place in the world to be a football fan.

We’ll do this by giving fans a greater say in the way their club is run and ensure the financial sustainability of football clubs, protecting them for generations to come.

This will include ensuring that clubs regularly consult a representative group of fans on strategic matters and other issues of interest to supporters. This means that a wide range of fans, regardless of background, will have the opportunity to have their voices heard.

Too often we’ve seen how the financial mismanagement of beloved clubs like Bury has a devastating impact on loyal fans and local communities. Indeed, the Secretary of State’s first visit was to Gigg Lane. Irresponsible owners, unsustainable financial models and inadequate regulation have cast a shadow over too many of our community clubs.

Their experiences highlight the frailties of current football governance systems in place to help protect clubs. Governance systems that have led to excessive and reckless risk-taking, something that the new regulatory regime will address.

But while we work to address those issues, I also want to recognise the fantastic global success story that is English football. It is one of our greatest cultural exports, attracting more viewers and higher revenues than any of its international rivals.

That’s why we need to ensure that the Regulator’s approach is proportionate, risk-based and targeted, while keeping fans at its heart. I’m confident that providing this stable regulatory environment will attract investors that will improve the experience for you, the fans. This is a view which is also shared by a number of clubs across the footballing pyramid.

I know that the risks clubs face are real and current. So we will act as quickly as the parliamentary timetable will allow to get the Regulator in place.

I want to finish by thanking the FSA for inviting me to speak at this year’s AGM.

And to take the opportunity to congratulate Kevin Miles on the award of an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in recognition for his services to football.

This honour acknowledges the dedication which Kevin has given over so many years to ensuring that the interests of football fans are championed and that local communities have a staunch ally in protecting their local football clubs.

These local clubs are an essential part of the social fabric of Britain.

They are vital community assets that bring together people from all backgrounds, which is why we need to protect and nourish them in the interests of fans and the local communities they serve.

I look forward to our continued working partnership as we move forward to reform football for the better.

August 9, 2024
Peter Prinsley – 2024 Maiden Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The maiden speech made by Peter Prinsley, the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

I am a surgeon from East Anglia, and it is an honour beyond my imagining to have been elected to Parliament to serve the people of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket in the most beautiful county of Suffolk. I thank its voters for putting their faith in me and in Labour, and for giving us the chance to change Britain. I am the first ever Labour Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, which has been a Conservative seat for nigh on 150 years.

I must thank my predecessor, Jo Churchill, most sincerely for her long service to her constituents. I am the first ear, nose and throat surgeon ever elected to Parliament. I am not, however, the first member of my family to be an MP. I recall my uncle, George Jeger, from when I was a small boy in the 1960s—he was the Member for Goole, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

I thank my teachers at Guisborough grammar school in Cleveland. As a descendant of Jewish refugees, what a pleasure it was to hear my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer) deliver his maiden speech. I went to medical school in Sheffield, and I thank the many surgeons who trained me in the NHS. I thank the thousands of patients whom I have treated during my career, and who put their faith in me and are my lasting inspiration. Indeed, one of the first people I met as I walked into Parliament was one of my patients, Paul from Great Yarmouth, who works here in this place to keep us all safe. I thank my family and in particular my wife, Marian, the former sheriff of Norwich, who has been my greatest supporter and who first encouraged me in politics.

My constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket is a wonderful part of the world, with a rich tradition of agriculture and food production. We are home to Greene King and, according to the records in the House of Commons Library, one of my distinguished predecessors urged the House bars to stock the delicious beer created from Suffolk barley. I see that the present Greene King brew in the Strangers’ Bar is called Level Head—something we are all going to need in the years to come as we begin to rebuild Britain. We are also home to Silver Spoon, and the enormous Suffolk sugar beet production is key to the local economy. In Stowmarket, we have a brilliant food museum to showcase that most essential of national services, farming.

I was delighted to see our new Government’s proposals to sort out our buses. Let us think of them as the crucial services they are and support them. There are villages in my constituency that have two buses a day during the school term and no buses at all in the school holidays. How does anyone without a car get to the GP surgery or to the pharmacy in the nearby town?

Very few surgeons are ever elected to Parliament and I will bring my experience of 42 years as an NHS doctor to this place to do something to help mend a service that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has described as broken. Many of our hospitals are indeed in poor repair and we have seen very little progress on the 40 new hospitals famously promised by the last Government. In Bury St Edmunds, we urgently need to confirm the capital funding to progress the replacement of the West Suffolk hospital which, like my own James Paget university hospital in Great Yarmouth and our sister hospital in King’s Lynn, is supported by thousands of scaffolding poles and is literally falling down. Last week, it was reported that bird droppings had fallen through the roof on to sterile surgical instruments. My predecessor was a strong advocate for the replacement of our hospital, and I will aim to continue her work.

Our brilliant new Government have much to do. Let us use our huge mandate wisely. Let us look after the staff who look after us, end the outrage of food banks for the nurses in many of our hospitals, and sort out the pay and conditions of all who work in our most precious of public services. Let us make the biggest employer in the land the very best employer in the land.

There are things to do to sort out social care and to end the financial lottery at the end of life, which many families fear. The answers are political, and we can do this. Our hospitals are full of patients with a non-medical condition called bed block, because they cannot be discharged safely in many cases. I cannot begin to tell the House how many of my operating lists have been cancelled because of that problem. Whole surgical teams are waiting around for hours and operating theatres are lying empty. If we solve the problem of social care, we will not need to build ever bigger hospitals.

But I am optimistic for our NHS. Britain leads the world in scientific advances. Right in my own region of East Anglia we have world-beating biomedical science and leading universities.

Recently, we celebrated 75 years of the NHS. My father—who, if he were alive and here today, would be astonished—was an RAF medic who joined the RAF in 1948. My son is an A&E doctor right here in London. My sister is a nurse. My family has served the NHS continuously since it began.

When the great Nye Bevan invented the NHS, a painful hip was treated with a walking stick, and a cataract with a thick pair of glasses. Now the miracles of joint replacement and cataract surgery are no longer regarded as the surgical miracles they are, but as an entitlement. Nye would have been amazed.

I am sure we will see in our own time scientific and medical advances beyond our imagination. Already we are at last seeing effective treatments for dementia and neurological disorders, and genetic cures for haemophilia and other inherited problems. We will also have cancer vaccines and other marvels that we cannot yet imagine.

I urge all my honourable colleagues in this brand-new Parliament to do whatever we can to support research and innovation with all our heart and all our soul, for as the great poet Seamus Heaney wrote,

“once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme.”

I commend this King’s Speech to the House.

August 8, 2024
Lewis Cocking – 2024 Maiden Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The maiden speech made by Lewis Cocking, the Conservative MP for Broxbourne, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

I congratulate all Members who have made their maiden speeches today. I am a geographer by background, so it is an absolute privilege to sit here and learn about all the different parts of our lovely United Kingdom.

It is truly the greatest honour of my life to stand here as the Member of Parliament for Broxbourne. I am under no illusion about the responsibility of representing the place where I was raised, where my family lives and that I call home. I am hugely grateful to the residents of Broxbourne, who put their faith in me and elected one of their own. They will be keeping me on my toes—not least my nan, who will not hesitate to badger me if she thinks I need to get things sorted.

We are straight-talkers in Broxbourne, and chief among us was my predecessor, Sir Charles Walker. He certainly was not afraid to speak his mind in this Chamber. More than a decade ago, I was lucky enough to do some work experience in Sir Charles’s office here in Parliament. I simply would not be here today without the opportunities and wisdom that he offered over the years. Sir Charles had a number of triumphs in Broxbourne, and I was grateful to join him and our community in our efforts to save Cheshunt urgent care centre in 2011 and to stop the energy-from-waste facility in Hoddesdon in 2017.

I joined Sir Charles on many occasions out on the doorstep. The December 2019 general election campaign in particular sticks in the mind. Despite the darkness and the cold, the ever-enthusiastic Sir Charles ploughed on. On one occasion, it was just the two of us, and all of a sudden, Charles slipped and fell. I gasped and said, “Charles, please don’t injure yourself when you’re just with me, or they’ll be saying I did it to get the seat.”

Sir Charles served Broxbourne for 19 years, and although I knew him well, it is only in the short time since my election that I have come to understand just how much of an impact he had on this House. As Chair of the Procedure Committee and, later, the Administration Committee, Sir Charles championed the institution of Parliament and the individuals who make it. That has been made clear to me from the reactions of House staff when they discover that I represent Broxbourne. I will do my utmost to follow him in taking my responsibilities of scrutiny and representation seriously.

As I have said, Broxbourne is my home and the place I love. The constituency is characterised by its closeness to both London and the countryside, with the Lee Valley regional park on our doorstep. In 2012, Broxbourne became an Olympic borough: we hosted the canoe events at our world-class Lee Valley white water rafting centre, and we have a gold post box in Cheshunt thanks to our very own Laura Kenny’s success in the cycling. There are a number of Team GB athletes with connections to Broxbourne heading to the summer Olympics, and I wish them all the best.

The area has many small independent businesses, particularly around our towns of Waltham Cross, Cheshunt and Hoddesdon. They are the backbone of Broxbourne’s local economy, and I will do all I can to support entrepreneurship at every level. I am also proud of the international investment coming to the constituency over the next few years. I am pleased to say that Hollywood is coming to Broxbourne: a £700 million project is well under way to build a film studio complex, which will have the capacity to produce four blockbusters at the same time.

At this election, the constituency of Broxbourne took on the villages of Stanstead Abbotts, St Margarets, Hertford Heath, Great Amwell and Brickendon. These villages are all known for their tight-knit communities and natural beauty, which brings me on to the topic of this debate. While preparing for this speech, I noticed that both of the former MPs for Broxbourne referred to the unspoiled green belt that we are lucky to have in our area. Broxbourne has a local plan and has built hundreds of new homes—too many in a short space of time, some of my constituents would argue, and too many in total. I tend to agree. As many Members who are councillors will have seen if they have sat on a planning committee, developers use outline planning permission to promise the world. I have seen houses in outline that look absolutely amazing: the development has schools, new roads, a local centre and healthcare facilities. However, once outline planning permission has been granted, the developers come forward for full planning permission, and nine times out of 10 the application looks incredibly different, with bad design and no infrastructure. And developers wonder why residents get up in arms!

We need to better link the NHS to new developments. On several occasions, getting local NHS providers to tell us what they need, or even getting them around the table so that we can plan new services for my constituents, has been a real struggle. I have a real issue in Goffs Oak and the wider west Cheshunt area, which has seen a lot of new housing but no new healthcare facilities. It is obvious to everyone living there that those facilities are desperately needed.

We must ensure that developments are acceptable—not development anywhere, but appropriate development in the right places. Infrastructure must come first, with new schools, GP surgeries and section 106 moneys up front, or as close to day one as possible. Above all else, we must ensure that local people have a say over development in their area, so I hope the Government will listen to local people. On this and other issues, I assure my constituents that I will be their voice in this place, and I hope I can begin to repay their trust as my hard work starts now.

August 8, 2024
Mary Glindon – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Mary Glindon, the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, on 19 July 2024.

It is a great honour to be in the Chamber to hear so many wonderful maiden speeches, especially those of my north-east colleagues. They have made me very proud today, and I think they are going to be fantastic representatives of all their constituents.

This is my fifth election to Westminster, but my constituency has changed, with only four wards from my former North Tyneside constituency and six wards added from the former Newcastle upon Tyne East constituency. I thank the people of my former constituency for giving me the honour of serving them for the past 14 years, and I thank the people of the new constituency for placing their trust in me at the general election. I will work hard to honour that trust.

Voters in the former Newcastle upon Tyne East constituency were fortunate to be represented for 41 years by the right hon. Nick Brown, who commanded great respect in this House. Constituents hold him in high regard for all his work and achievements, both in the constituency and as a Minister in the last Labour Government. He has earned his well-deserved retirement, but personally I am grateful to Nick for all his help and friendship.

Across my new constituency, people face the same challenges—the cost of living crisis, a shortage of good social housing, hikes in mortgages and diminished public services—and they have all taken a toll on people’s everyday lives. My constituency is crying out for this Labour Government’s shared mission of renewal. I share the view of our new North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, in fully supporting the English devolution Bill. Kim believes that her office will be the delivery arm of the Labour mission in the north-east, and she is keen to start that work at pace. Although I know it will not be easy, I have great hope that the announcements made in the King’s Speech will start to turn the tide and make life better for everyone in this country.

I was a North Tyneside ward councillor for 15 years before I entered the House, so I have a self-confessed bias for North Tyneside council. The council’s planning committee has not voted against offers or recommendations on any medium or large house building site for over a decade. It has an up-to-date local plan and ambitious housing targets of its own, yet it still has sites stuck in the planning system. Although National Highways agreed in the local plan that strategic sites should proceed and be accommodated in road infrastructure, when it came to planning applications being submitted, National Highways placed a holding objection on the sites, leading to 5,000 new homes being stuck in the system. Alongside dealing with other planning reform issues, I ask Ministers to look at the impact of statutory consultees on delays in the planning system, to help authorities such as North Tyneside.

The Health Equals campaign coalition, which is made up of 27 organisations, has launched its visually though-provoking campaign, “Make Health Equal”, to highlight the fact that levels of poverty and deprivation lead to people in parts of my constituency and other such areas living 16 years less than people in more affluent parts of the country. The coalition acknowledges that the King’s Speech will start to repair some of the building blocks of health, such as decent and secure housing, good work opportunities and clean transport. It looks to the Government to assess the impact of the King’s Speech on health inequalities, and, in the spirit of unity, to work with such groups to deliver the mission in my constituency and across the country.

I also make a plea on behalf of the offshore energy industries. Although the Great British Energy Bill is welcome, we must not lose sight of the fact that oil and gas play a massive part in our economy, and will continue to do so. On the tobacco and vapes Bill, I hope that the Government will, unlike the previous Government, take into account the views of the industry.

I look forward to supporting the King’s Speech in the voting Lobby, along with my 411 colleagues and, hopefully, Members of the Opposition. In so doing, we will vote for an agenda fixed on making the lives of everyone in this country far better.

August 8, 2024
Luke Pollard – 2024 Speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference

The speech made by Luke Pollard, the Minister for the Armed Forces, in London on 18 July 2024.

Good morning all.

When I say that I am delighted to speak to you today, it is not just because this is my first speech as a Minister. It is also because you, the people in this room, are the people who are going to be responsible for the biggest transformation of our Air Force and space capabilities that we need, not just in the UK, but across our Alliances as well.

Because whether you are a member of the armed forces, an international ally, or a partner in industry, you will know that our air, land and sea naval capabilities are all dependant on our ability to work together in space, and in cyber.

Satellites and cyber communications are intrinsic components of our command and control, our secure comms, our ISR and PNT capabilities, and our missile defence.

Yet for far too long, the Ministry of Defence and Government strategies have not given enough value to space and cyber that they should have. And neither have they given enough value to those people who work in them either.

If we are to get Britain’s fighting forces fit to deter our adversaries, and defeat them if necessary, we must be ready for the profound step-changes in warfare that we are seeing in our increasingly fast-evolving, volatile, and contested world.

We need to be a truly integrated force, equipped for ‘all domain warfare’.

Multi domain integration is not enough.

I see MDI as a journey that takes us to a destination. That destination is all domain warfare.

Where to win we control space, cyber, electronic spectrums, as well as air, land and sea in a single joined up approach.

And that is the change that we are determined to bring to defence, to support those people in defence who are already working on that.

I will come back to that concept of All Domain Warfare in a moment, and the role we all have to play in realising it, but I’m first going to focus on the existing work of our air, space and cyber forces, and how the new Labour government’s plans for defence can strengthen that work.

If we ever needed reminding about the outstanding work that our servicemen and women of our air, space and cyber forces do, then 2024 has given us plenty of examples.

From protecting UK and NATO airspace 24/7/365, or 366 as it will be in this leap year,

to operating seamlessly with allies to conduct precision strikes against Houthi sites in Yemen; intercepting Iranian missiles and drones launched against Israel.

From training Ukrainian F-16 pilots and lighting up the sky for the anniversary of D-Day to thwarting countless cyber attacks; getting crucial humanitarian aid into Gaza, and conducting major exercises with NATO, and our other allies around the world. Showing that NATO is joined-up, capable, and ready.

And they’ve also kept our comms systems and intelligence secure, and strengthened our alliances that help protect our national interests right round the globe.

It amounts to an impressive legacy from just 7 months’ work. And I want to thank everyone who has served for their professionalism, and for everything they and you do to protect not just our country but our allies as well.

But the United Kingdom does not fight alone. We are proud of the NATO alliance. Proud to be the founding member. And my party is proud of the role we played in forging that alliance all those years ago.

Proud that it continues to grow with our new alliance partners in Sweden and Finland.

And proud to work seamlessly with so many allies around the world, many of whom are represented here today.

Now, I’m the son of a Royal Navy submariner, and a very proud Navy brat, and as an MP for my hometown in Plymouth, which is home to Devonport, the largest naval base in Western Europe, my experience of talking to Armed Forces personnel has gone from being a small child smuggled onto a submarine to have a look around, to attending Armed Forces Days up in Plymouth Hoe if you’ve seen them.

I know that when you speak to our Armed Forces personnel about their achievements, they’re more than likely to say it was just ‘part of the day job’.

But as I’ve seen since being a kid, being a member of our Armed Forces is more than a day job.

It takes you away from your home and your loved ones and demands everything from you. It is the ultimate public service. And that’s why, as the Minister for the Armed Forces, I will endeavour to always have your back.

But I have to level with you first. That does not mean that we will be able to do everything we want to as quickly as we’d like.

Over recent years, the new Defence Secretary, John Healey, and myself, have raised concerns about real term Government cuts, and its inability to fund existing plans.

I’ve raised concerns about force size and capabilities; about readiness and resilience; about the state of defence facilities and the appalling state of military housing that we ask our Armed Forces personnel and their families to live in; and about the state of retention and recruitment.

And regardless of how much I would like to be able to address all these challenges overnight, we know it will take time.

But the work of change has begun across Government and that includes in the Ministry of Defence.

The Prime Minister has laid out an ambitious, yet deliverable path, towards rebuilding our Armed Forces, built on public service and collaboration and a clear understanding that defence is the first duty of any Government.

And that started with the Strategic Defence Review, that he announced on Tuesday.

That review will be overseen by the Defence Secretary and led by former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson.

You don’t need me to tell you that this is going to be a critical review for the Royal Air Force, for UK Space Command, for our partnerships with industry, and for the evolution of our air, space, and cyber capabilities.

Over the last year, drones and missiles fired by Houthis have terrorised international shipping. Putin has used them to terrorise our friends in Ukraine, and Iran has used them to attack Israel.

They have pushed the envelopes of what we consider modern warfare.

That means we have to look again at how we fight. How we strengthen air and missile defence, look at our counter-measures and get that right up the agenda.

As drones and technology reshape the battlefield, and satellites become increasingly central to warfare, if only in the public understanding of their role. The risk of cyber attacks continue.

The risks of undermining our institutions, our critical national infrastructure, our democracy continues.

The breadth of the threats we face, and the need to innovate at an ever-increasing pace, demands a fresh assessment of the state of our armed forces, the capabilities we need, and the resources that we have available.

So you’ll be hearing more from me and other ministers about a ‘one defence’ approach, with truly integrated Services and capabilities, that we can prosecute all domain warfare.

It is integral to our ability to deter and integral to our ability to fight and win if we need to.

Our Strategic Defence Review will be an open and collaborative defence Review. And those who that have heard me speak before will know that I always give out homework.

And the homework I’m giving out to you is this: Please contribute.

Whether you are from the forces, industry, academia, or one of our allies: Please add your insights and expertise to that process.

So that we don’t just bolster the front line – we do everything that underpins it as well.

From our skills base to our industrial resilience, and of course to our alliances.

That collaborative approach will mean that the Strategic Defence Review will report in the first half of 2025.

However, the work to strengthen our deterrence began on day one of getting elected.

For the international visitors: you go straight from a sports centre where you get announced as an MP at 4am in the morning, slightly bleary-eyed, into a department.

It’s slightly a whirlwind time. But the work of change needs to start straight away.

That’s why we have committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP as soon as we can. We have committed to our nuclear ‘triple lock’ – that’s continuing out continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, with our four new next generation ballistic missile carrying nuclear submarines being built in Barrow, and a commitment to all the future upgrades required to keep Britain and our NATO allies safe with those submarines.

And although there has been a change in Downing Street, let me reassure you as well that there will be no change in Britain’s steadfast support for our friends in Ukraine.

Within 48 hours of being appointed, the Defence Secretary was in Odesa to pledge a new shipment of missiles and munitions to support Ukraine’s fight. And he committed to President Zelensky to get crucial UK kit into Ukrainian hands within 100 days.

At the NATO Summit in Washington, the Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that he would stick with Ukraine and provide £3 billion in military aid each year for as long as it takes for Ukraine to win.

Putin’s illegal war has underlined the belief our government has in a ‘NATO first’ defence policy.

And it has shone a light on shortcomings of our and many of our allies’ stockpiles as well.

So we will provide leadership by boosting Britain’s industrial capacity and resilience of our supply chains by aligning our defence industrial strategy more closely with our security priorities as well as our economic priorities, which will provide a boost for British jobs, industry, and our regions.

And we have also committed to look hard at procurement – to cut out waste, improve value for money, and bring greater urgency to our acquisition programmes.

And we have instigated important organisational reforms to improve military leadership and planning, with a new Military Strategic Headquarters, and a new National Armaments Director.

Whilst these domestic commitments and reforms are fundamental to strengthening our deterrence and our capabilities, our global alliances and partnerships are equally important to the security of our nation.

Our commitment to NATO is unshakable.

We must, and we will fulfil all our obligations as a member and strengthen Britain’s leadership within the alliance.We will also seek to strengthen European security by negotiating a new security pact with the EU – seeking a new bilateral defence agreement with Germany, refreshing the Lancaster House agreement with France, and stronger defence partnerships with our Joint Expeditionary Force partners.

Further afield, to protect our values and global interests, and drive innovation, we are committing to developing and strengthening the AUKUS partnership to realise its full economic and security potential, and committed to building closer partnerships in the Indo Pacific and our allies in Africa.

The final and most important piece to have effective defence is our people.

And again, I must level with you that we are currently not recruiting or retaining enough people in our Armed Forces.This is a challenge not unique to Britain – many of our Allies are facing this as well.

But if we are to transform our Armed Forces, we need to attract more people, we need to train more people, and we need to retain more people.

That means offering them a career that makes them want to stay for longer. And for those who have left, want to rejoin.

The moral component of fighting power remains the key to building an effective and lethal force.

Which is why, over recent years, John Healey the Defence Secretary, and I have fought to highlight the need to improve conditions for serving personnel, their families, and veterans.

And that’s why, as a Government, we are determined to renew the contract between the nation and those who serve. You will hear more about that in the months ahead.

It’s a commitment we made in our manifesto and it’s absolutely vital for our national security.

If we don’t get this right, we don’t get the people that keeps the country and our allies safe.

So we will put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law and appoint an independent Armed Forces Commissioner with a clear brief to improve service life.

And as our new Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, my colleague, Maria Eagle, has said we will fix our broken procurement system. And she also has a determination to tackle the poor quality of the housing our personnel and their families.

And our new Minister for Veterans and People, who was until a few months ago a Colonel in the Royal Marines, Alistair Carns, will improve veterans’ access to support for mental health, employment, and housing.

We will be a joined-up, ‘One Defence’ ministerial team, breaking down silos, and working to deliver a joined-up ‘one defence’ approach to the sector, with serving personnel, officials, innovators and industry, all working more closely.

Now, the window in my new office overlooks the River Thames. This is a big improvement to the window to my office in Parliament.

As a relatively new MP elected in 2017, if you’ve got a window in your office, you’re doing well. So to have multiple windows is a quite a treat.

So to have multiple windows in the MOD I can see the RAF memorial on the banks of the River Thames.

That memorial to the British and allied pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain,

that Churchill christened as the “few who gave so much for the many” is something that I take very seriously.

It’s a reminder of the important role that the Royal Air Force plays. Not just in our national security but our national story as well.

As I take on the role of the Minister for Armed Forces, those memorials, not just on the Thames but in every community around the country, including the one that I represent in Plymouth, are a lasting reminder that we must have a strong Air Force, but that we must back the people who work in uniform and the civilians who support or Air Force.

But like in the 1930s, our world is increasingly volatile and dangerous. And like the 1930s, we need to invest in airpower, and give our Royal Air Force not only the best aircraft but the best capabilities and people that we can.

Just like the 1930’s, when new technology like radar was being pioneered by the RAF, today, some of the same spirit of innovation exists and must be nurtured further in space, cyber and across electronic warfare, giving us a much clearer plan for averting war in Western Europe than existed in the 1930s.

Our security relies on ‘effective collective deterrence’. And this new Labour government will enhance it: By increasing defence spending; investing in our Armed Forces; investing in our next generation nuclear capability; and reconnecting Britain with our allies and partners.

We will reform defence to improve decision making, strengthen industrial resilience, improve morale, and deliver better value for money.

And in partnership with our innovators and industry, we will equip ourselves for all domain warfare, cutting edge capabilities, and greater lethality.

More integrated and interoperable with our allies, standing with Ukraine, standing up to Putin, and standing up for the values that we all share. Democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

So whether you are on the front line, or in support. An international ally, or ally in industry. We all have an important part to play.

And to our international friends, I want you to know that Britain is back.

In Britain, with Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and John Healey as Defence Secretary, you have a refreshed and revitalised partner in the world stage.

Reconnecting with friends and building new alliances in service of collective deterrence and security.

We have our eyes wide open about how difficult these challenges are and how hard the world is. And nothing I’ve outlined today will be quick or easy.

There are difficult challenges ahead: Hybrid threats and hostile states.

But we bring serious pragmatic leadership, a clear plan, and a renewed spirit of collaboration, that will make us more secure at home and strong abroad.

Thank you.

August 8, 2024
Daniel Zeichner – 2024 Speech at the NFU Summer Reception

The speech made by Daniel Zeichner, the Farming Minister, in the Attlee and Reid Room in the House of Lords on 18 July 2024.

Thank you so much, Tom, thank you for that very, very kind introduction. Ministers often say they are really pleased to be here. I think you will understand I’m really, really pleased to be here.

And let’s start by thanking you Tom, David, Rachel, Abby and Aled for the advice and help you have given me in learning this brief over the last four or five years. I suppose I’m in a slightly fortunate position in the sense of having done the shadow brief for four and a half years. I’ve always said, I was always finding out how much I didn’t know. And now I’m in the department, that’s really quite clear. It’s a learning process but you and all your staff have been hugely supportive in providing support for me.

Can I just start by saying that the Secretary State would have loved to have been here today. He’s actually visiting one of our key facilities in terms of protecting our biosecurity, which I think you will be pleased to hear. He sends his very best wishes and we were delighted to first meet Rachel at the Great Yorkshire Show last week. We wanted to send a very clear message in our first few days. And I listened very closely to the wise words of Lord Carrington and your wise words, Tom. And let me say, absolutely at the outset, I recognise the pressures that so many people are under – very much echoing your points. The climate issues, which have led to flooding in an unprecedented way, is a real challenge. The threat of disease, which we know is all too real. And of course, the cost pressures. And we know that, put together, they’re putting a huge toll on people’s mental health. And let’s be frank, uncertainty. Uncertainty about policy direction and change – all of which contributes to making life really, really hard.

Now, some of those things are big things that we must address but the policy uncertainty, it is my responsibilities to address. So, I keep coming back and I will keep coming back to the key point the Prime Minister has been making. That it’s about public service, it’s about stability. And this job isn’t actually about us. It’s about you and the people you represent. For a long period of time now, my boss, Steve Reed, the Secretary of State, has been saying “we’re not going to upset the apple cart”. I always thought it’s a slightly interesting phrase really; I’m not sure there are that many apple carts anymore. All those Australian Pink Lady apples, I doubt they come by apple cart.

But the point is an important one, we absolutely recognise the need for stability. I’d also say that in terms of public service, I look around and I see some familiar colleagues from the last Parliament. And I say, welcome back to all of those. But I also see many, many new people, and a really warm welcome to all the new colleagues. Let me make an offer to all of you.

In the last Parliament, I think it’s fair to say that some of us enjoyed many a happy day in Westminster Hall or at Defra questions on a Thursday morning. Sometimes it was a slightly small, select band. But I think we always tried to work in in a friendly, positive and collegiate way. And it’s true that some of the big characters have left. Jim Shannon is still here and I’m sure he’ll be making his voice heard. But what I want to say is, I will try and make sure that the debates will continue to be conducted in a spirited, collaborative manner. And I’ll try and work it out in a cross-party way wherever I can because these challenges are bigger than just one particular party or one particular government.

I’m going to say a little bit about where the current government is coming from. You’ve heard the words: food security is national security. This is absolutely at the centre of Labour’s mission to grow the economy and actually underpins the agendas of multiple government departments and constituencies. So, food security is a shared mission of this government. Absolutely, we share it with you. And to get there, we’ve pledged a number of things and this will be familiar to many from the manifesto.

We’re absolutely determined to boost rural economic growth and enhance Britain’s food security with a new deal for farmers. We really, really want to seek a new veterinary agreement with the EU to get our food exports moving and absolutely want to make sure that farmers aren’t undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals. We want to cut people’s energy bills by switching on GB Energy. We absolutely want to speed up the planning decisions to allow farmers to rapidly plug renewable energy into the grid.

Whenever I’ve gone around – I’ve done many, many visits over the last couple of years – I’ve always been shocked by crime. It’s a horrible thing. It’s unsettling. In some cases, it’s more than unsettling. It’s downright vicious. I’m talking about people which are not easily intimidated. But some of the stuff people face is really horrible. So, we’re absolutely committed to the first ever cross-government rural crime strategy. Of course, this will cover agricultural theft, fly-tipping and livestock worrying but also that personal sense of people feeling anxious.

More positively, we want to empower agricultural businesses to upskill the workforce through a reformed apprenticeship levy. Going back to my earlier point, we want to tackle mental health and loneliness, with a mental health hub in every rural community and 8500 more mental health professionals.

Let me go back to the point about stability and continuity. That’s one of the ironies of the election campaign – the change was the change to stability. And I think that’s an absolutely key point. It’s what many of you need most of all because remember, you are businesses. You’ve got to be able to run effective businesses. And every sector, it’s the same – business needs stability. So, that will be our goal. So, when people have asked me about whether we’re committed to the ongoing transition to the environmental land management schemes – absolutely, we are committed. Of course, there will be tweaks, changes; it’s been an iterative process so far and that will continue to be the case. But we’re absolutely committed to working with you to make sure that this system works for farmers and delivers both food security and also provides the protections we need for our environment.

And let me conclude on one of the most difficult issues which you raised with me the other day, Tom. We are determined to eradicate bovine TB. The goal is 2038. That’s quite a long time away. But we’re absolutely determined to do it. It’s a complicated issue. Everybody knows that. We absolutely believe we can do a lot through biosecurity, herd management, and speeding up the development of a vaccine that works with an effective test and all the things that need to come in terms of trade and so on. And I know the culling debate is a really, really hard one. Very, very contentious. Huge passion on both sides of the argument. But let me tell you, the Secretary of State has been clear: the current round of licences will be honoured. I absolutely believe we’re only going to eradicate bovine TB by working closely and constructively together to use all the science and everything that we’ve got to beat it. We are going to beat it. I tell you, I’ve already said to the department, that is my top priority. So, you have my assurance.

In conclusion, we’re committed to supporting farmers and rural communities to boost Britain’s food security, protect and enhance the environment and grow the rural economy. We absolutely want to increase confidence and build trust between farmers and government. And I so look forward to working with you, Tom, and everyone else here throughout this Parliament to deliver the practical policies that are needed to achieve that mission. Thank you very much.

August 7, 2024
Alberto Costa – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Alberto Costa, the Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

I welcome the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton North (Mrs Blundell), who gave a wonderful speech. It was interesting to hear about her constituency; I confess that I did not know much about it before, but I certainly know a lot about it now. It was generous of the hon. Lady to pay rightful compliments to her predecessor, Chris Clarkson, who is much missed on this side of the House.

A couple of weeks ago, the Labour party won a mandate for the manifesto that it put before the British electorate. We respect that; it was part of the British parliamentary system and we respect the peaceful transfer of power. However, I say gently to the Labour Government that it is concerning that the King’s Speech and subsequent comments from Ministers have rejected the notion that local communities should be at the heart of developments in their areas.

One particular issue affects my constituency of South Leicestershire: the proposed Hinckley national rail freight interchange. On 8 July, the new Chancellor stated that she would ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who will make the decision on the interchange, and the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to

“prioritise decisions on infrastructure projects that have been sitting unresolved for far too long.”

She did not, of course, explain what she meant by “sitting unresolved for far too long”, but let me help the new Chancellor and Government. “Sitting unresolved for far too long” is perhaps an unfortunate euphemism; what should actually be said is that in our system of laws we respect and listen to local communities. We listen to stakeholder groups and neighbourhood groups. Of course, in most instances local authorities—elected councillors—are, in most planning instances, the ones whose remit it is to make these decisions.

On the issue of the Hinckley national rail freight interchange, I should say that South Leicestershire already has its fair share of developments. It has one of the largest housing developments in Leicestershire, with New Lubbesthorpe; and Magna Park, one of the largest logistics parks in Europe, is to be doubled in size. It has Bruntingthorpe aerodrome, which plays host to many industrial activities, and it has the prospect of a new village—Whetstone Gorse or Whetstone Pastures.

It is not nimbyism in South Leicestershire that has led to the objections to the Hinckley national rail freight interchange; it is the fact that there are five other rail freight interchanges within a radius of 30 miles of South Leicestershire. I am glad the new Deputy Prime Minster has taken a seat to listen to my speech about this matter, but it is important that the Labour Government listen not just to me and my constituents, but to Leicestershire county council, to Warwickshire county council and even to Labour-led Rugby council, all of which have raised issues with the planning process for this unwelcome proposal.

Mr Holden

Can my hon. Friend confirm that that decision is now with a Labour Minister to make at a national level, overriding those local concerns?

Alberto Costa

My hon. Friend is quite right: the decision now rests with the new Labour Government to make. I am afraid that Labour councillors and other Labour activists who might have opposed the Hinckley national rail freight interchange should look now to their party colleagues in government, who will be making this decision within a matter of a few weeks.

I urge the Government to listen to the people of South Leicestershire and the stakeholders I have mentioned. I urge them to listen to the people of Elmesthorpe, Sapcote, Sharnford, Aston Flamville and Stoney Stanton, and to the constituents of my hon. Friend the Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans), who himself has made some valuable comments against the proposed rail freight interchange. It is a deeply unwelcome proposal.

I want to offer a solution to the new Labour Government. Before they recommend this unwelcome development for approval, I suggest the relevant Minister meets me and the stakeholders, including Labour-run Rugby council, to discuss the proposal. They could perhaps look at drafting a national planning framework for the proper location of rail freight interchanges, rather than just riding roughshod over the views of the people of South Leicestershire, as a constituent of mine emailed me two hours ago to say he fears, and as I fear, the Labour Government will do.

August 7, 2024
Elsie Blundell – 2024 Maiden Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The maiden speech made by Elsie Blundell, the Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton North, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to make my maiden speech during this debate. I am so proud to represent Heywood and Middleton North. It is a new constituency, comprising part of Rochdale and most of the former Heywood and Middleton seat, both in Greater Manchester.

People from my constituency have long shaped our parliamentary democracy. Heywood is the birthplace of Peter Heywood, famous for apprehending Guy Fawkes in the cellar beneath Parliament in 1605. Middleton, too, has a famous son in Sam Bamford, the radical social reformer who led a contingent of weavers from Middleton into Manchester in 1819. Their peaceful protest for political representation ended in massacre at St Peter’s Field.

Spotland, in the Rochdale part of my constituency, is home to a stone road widely known as Cotton Famine Road. It is a monument to the cotton workers who lived there in the 1860s, and who bravely sided with the Union cause during the American civil war. It was a selfless act, especially as the Union side at that time was preventing goods from leaving Confederate ports. This resulted in a shortage of cotton supplies—a cotton famine—and caused unemployment, poverty and hardship across Lancashire, but support for President Lincoln and his pledge to end the slave trade held firm.

The workers’ campaign was supported by Rochdale statesman and radical John Bright, of whom a sculpture can be found in the Lower Waiting Hall of Westminster Palace. Bright was a lifelong campaigner against slavery and is especially well known for his role in abolishing the corn laws, alongside another great parliamentarian, Richard Cobden, who—with apologies to my hon. Friend the Member for Rochdale (Paul Waugh)—I will claim as a predecessor, as large parts of what was his constituency now fall under Heywood and Middleton North boundaries.

The history of the area I represent, then, is strongly linked to many political and social reforms in this country and around the world, and to ideals and values that we hold close to this day: that there is no place for violence in our politics; that the circumstances a person is born into must not prevent them from participating in our democracy; and that—as those cotton workers knew in the 1860s—we should be compassionate to all people regardless of race, class or any other distinction.

Alongside Heywood, Middleton and Spotland, I have the privilege of representing the former mill town of Castleton, with its proud history of manufacturing and engineering, and the fantastic villages of Bamford and Norden.

My constituency was also home to renowned architect Edgar Wood, who is widely recognised as the most advanced English architect of his time. More recently, Heywood was the birthplace of Ian Simpson—one half of SimpsonHaugh & Partners—whose buildings, such as Beetham Tower and One Blackfriars, compel people to look up to the skylines in both Manchester and London.

To this day, it is the people of Heywood and Middleton North who continue to make the place great, and I would like to use this speech to pay tribute to some of them. They include retail workers such as Robert and Brenda Bell from Heywood, who are also proud trade unionists, for whom the employment rights Bill, set out in the King’s Speech, will create extra rights to work flexibly and make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal day-one rights. This Government will also ban zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire.

Then there are the many volunteers, including the Pullen family, who run the 1st Heywood Scouts Group; Howard Bowden and Simon Bennett, who do excellent work through the Friends of Jubilee Park group and St Edmund’s church; and Pete Knowles and his group of volunteers at Stoney Hill community wildlife area, who protect and promote our beautiful meadows and woodlands and make sure that children in a relatively urban area can access nature too. People like these make my constituency great, and I will do everything that I can to support them.

I would like to pay tribute to my predecessors. Chris Clarkson has represented the people of Heywood and Middleton for the past four and a half years. I know that many Members of this House valued his good humour and enjoyed working alongside him, including on the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee.

Liz McInnes was the MP for Heywood and Middleton between 2014 and 2019, and served in two shadow ministerial roles. Liz worked incredibly hard in both of those positions and was a fierce advocate for her constituents on many issues, including the NHS, in which she had previously worked.

For the past seven years, I have enjoyed a career in transport planning. I am incredibly pleased by the measures set out in the King’s Speech to accelerate infrastructure delivery and to improve our transport network. Unfortunately, many people in my constituency do not have access to the opportunities and jobs they need, as Heywood and Middleton—despite their location in the great, modern city region of Greater Manchester—are two of the largest towns in the north-west of England not to be served by a rail station or Metrolink tram stop. As one former shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, argued in a recent paper, there has been too little transport investment in low-productivity areas such as mine. We need to improve transport connectivity throughout city regions like Greater Manchester because good transport infrastructure allows for more frequent interaction between people and creates larger pools of workers for businesses.

Earlier this month, we received promising news from the Greater Manchester combined authority of a re-commitment to the linking of Middleton into Greater Manchester’s Metrolink network and of progress on plans for Heywood’s tram-train connection. In future, that will form part of the city region’s integrated transport network, which Greater Manchester must carry on delivering at pace, to boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards in Heywood and Middleton North.

Finally, when it comes to devolution for our city region the job is well under way, but we must be mindful of the fact that it is not yet finished. I look forward to supporting our new Government, because I know that, through the English devolution Bill and other measures, they will put power back into the hands of working people and money back into their pockets. They will strive to ensure that powerful forces are not able to disenfranchise those people again. Throughout history, my constituents have had too much experience of that.

I thank right hon. and hon. Members for their attention, and I thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for allowing me to make my first contribution.

August 7, 2024