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  • Joe Powell – 2024 Maiden Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    Joe Powell – 2024 Maiden Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    The maiden speech made by Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington and Baywater, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is a great pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Wetherby and Easingwold (Sir Alec Shelbrooke), and the excellent maiden speeches by my hon. Friends the Members for Ealing Southall (Deirdre Costigan) and for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher).

    It gives me great delight to address this House as the new Member of Parliament for Kensington and Bayswater. I doubt that, for any of us, the last seven weeks have been easy. I know that many hon. Members will still be catching up on their sleep after the campaign trail, but having our twins born in the first week of the general election campaign took things to another level. If timing is everything in politics, that is certainly not a combination I would recommend anyone repeat—but my children will obviously have a great story to tell when they are older.

    I want to take a moment to thank the team at Queen Charlotte’s hospital and across the Imperial College NHS trust for their incredible care. Our NHS staff deserve our utmost respect and support, and I hope in the future that Saint Mary’s, Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals will finally get what they need to become the first-class premises that patients and staff in our community deserve, including the delivering of plans for a brand-new St Mary’s hospital.

    I pay tribute to my two predecessors in this new constituency. Felicity Buchan worked hard for the residents of Kensington over the past five years, and I particularly commend her for her work on the Homes for Ukraine programme. Some issues are central to our national and international security, which transcends party politics, and supporting the struggle for a free Ukraine is one of them. I am grateful for her work on this issue. In Kensington and Bayswater, we have a Ukrainian cultural centre, the Ukraine embassy and a substantial Ukrainian population. Having personally worked to support democracy and anti-corruption in Ukraine for many years, I will make sure that our Ukrainian community continues to have a strong advocate in Parliament.

    I was also fortunate enough to inherit part of Dame Karen Buck’s former constituency of Westminster North. Under previous boundaries, she represented north Kensington for many years. I know from experience that tens of thousands of residents have been directly assisted by Karen with expertise and empathy. I hope I can emulate even a small part of her unwavering focus on tackling poverty and our housing crisis, whether that is by holding our social housing landlords to account, by protecting private renters, including by abolishing section 21 no-fault evictions, or by finally ending the outdated feudal leasehold system. Karen did a monumental amount of work to advance those causes, and I am sure she was absolutely delighted with their inclusion in the King’s Speech. She has always exemplified public service over self-interest. I will do my best, along with my other colleagues who are inheriting her constituency, to live up to her legacy. I know how grateful we are for her 27 years of service in this House.

    Kensington and Bayswater is an incredible part of London, as many hon. Members will already know—indeed, I canvassed many of them during the campaign and have already been picking up casework in the corridors. We are an amazing community, with fantastic campaigners and organisations, businesses, entrepreneurs, charities, heritage, music, parks and schools. There is so much going for it, but there is also a deep inequality that has widened in recent years.

    There is now a 19-year gap in life expectancy between a woman born in Notting Dale in North Kensington and one born in Holland Park, only a third of a mile away. That gap that has increased by five years in the past decade alone. Over 6,000 children are living in poverty and over 3,000 families are on a growing housing waiting list. We are rightly proud of our contribution to the nation’s economy in terms of growth, talent, innovation and finance in so many different industries, and we celebrate the tourists who come to visit our museums, Portobello Road and our parks, but we must also tackle the underlying causes of the inequality that prevents too many people in my constituency from reaching their full potential, whether they are housing, education or employment opportunities.

    I know from the thousands of people I have met across our constituency that far too many feel like government is not working for them. They see too many politicians putting political party before country and self-interest before community. I know that trust in government and politicians has plummeted as a result, but it does not have to be this way. I have spent my career working to make democracy work better in dozens of countries around the world by supporting reformers in government to work with civil society to be more transparent, more inclusive and more accountable and to deliver for people on the priorities that they care about. In Kensington and Bayswater, that means, for example, getting a grip on the dirty money in luxury property that still stains our community.

    Despite recent progress in legislation, and despite the leadership that Baroness Hodge, the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) and many others have shown on this topic, we still have in our constituency one of the highest numbers of anonymously owned properties registered in tax havens, with loopholes allowing autocrats and kleptocrats to continue shielding their ownership. Many of those properties sit empty, hurting our local businesses and schools and hollowing out our sense of community. I agree that those that are frozen under sanctions should be utilised as soon as possible, so I am determined to build on our Kensington Against Dirty Money campaign and continue advocating for London to end its reputation as the dirty money capital of the world, and instead become the anti-corruption capital of the world.

    There is no worse example of what happens when government stops listening to people and when transparency and accountability are discarded than what happened at Grenfell Tower over seven years ago. Seventy-two people lost their life in an entirely preventable tragedy, yet we still do not have truth, justice and change for the bereaved, survivors and affected community. These are people whose lives were changed forever on 14 June 2017 and who have had to wait far too long for justice and for those responsible to be held to account. In the coming weeks, the second phase of the public inquiry will report. I know that hon. Members here will join me in looking to those recommendations to ensure that a tragedy like Grenfell can never happen again.

    I warmly welcome the inclusion in the King’s Speech of the duty of candour law for public servants. I applaud the effective campaigning of those affected by Grenfell, Hillsborough, infected blood and Windrush, and of others who have suffered because of an unacceptable defensive culture across many of our public institutions. I hope we can look at further measures to ensure robust oversight of the implementation of the recommendations from those inquiries.

    Kensington and Bayswater is a special place making a huge contribution to our national life in so many ways. My hope is that, under this Labour Government, we will become a fairer place too, building on our strengths and addressing the inequalities that have held us back. It will not be easy and it will not happen overnight—as a QPR fan, I have learned over many years to be realistic—but we have an opportunity now to restore faith and trust in government and democracy, and to restore our reputation internationally too.

  • Alec Shelbrooke – 2024 Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    Alec Shelbrooke – 2024 Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    The speech made by Alex Shelbrooke, the Conservative MP for Wetherby and Easingwold, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    It is a real pleasure to follow the maiden speech of the hon. Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher). It is also a great pleasure to have another Yorkshire Hammer in the House, but let me give him some friendly advice: he might not want to have my neighbour, the hon. Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon), sitting behind him next time. If the hon. Gentleman does give him any trouble, he should just ask to compare their teams’ European cabinets.

    As the current leader of the UK delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I want to say something about defence in an ever-changing world. I hope there is not too much of a pause in the defence reviews that have already taken place, and there has been some debate about that. I understand why a new defence review is taking place under a new Government, but I think it worth noting that we have moved to a 360° view of NATO and the threats that it faces.

    We may well see a change of Administration in the United States, and with any change of Administration it takes time to work out the direction that the new Administration want to take. I do not feel as fearful as some about President Trump returning to the White House, because during his last tenure he invested heavily in NATO and did not undermine it. We know that while his habit is to create great upset and make big statements, the reality turns out to be somewhat different, and he works towards building on that. Nevertheless, this is something that will have to be considered. What Trump did succeed in doing was getting European allies to build their defence strategies and budgets, and we cannot escape the fact that the demands on the defence of Europe are growing and growing, not just on land but at sea.

    We know that Russia has mapped the bed of the North sea. It has mapped the fuel pipelines and the data cables, and obviously the surface platforms are at risk. We know that the Royal Navy and our allies spend a great deal of time counteracting that, and I am proud that the Conservative Government established a huge shipbuilding programme the likes of which had not been seen for very many years. It provides long-term contracts that allow the shipyards and the companies to invest, and, crucially, allow the Royal Navy to be the capable force that it needs to be. That must be key not just to the maintaining of a maritime nation, but to where the maritime interests lie in the world.

    Climate change has already been mentioned today. An undeniable fact in that connection is the opening up of the High North and the north-east passage. Another undeniable fact is that the Russians have been rebuilding and revamping bases along their northern shoreline, and yet another undeniable fact is that the Ukraine war that Vladimir Putin illegally started, thinking he would be able to walk in and dominate that country in a very short space of time, has decimated his economy in the long run. Going to war will always decimate an economy, but this war has decimated Russia’s military, costing it a huge number of military personnel, and has made Putin reliant on other countries, such as China. It is notable that before the Ukraine war Chinese vessels never really went into the High North, but they do now because Russia lets them in.

    Tension will build in the High North, and we have to be ready for it. I think we are ready for it—we have taken part in vital exercises in the area—but that just goes to show how vital the Royal Navy is. It is, of course, also vital that we have a functioning air force, and that we continue with the procurement of F-35s. Russian jets try to violate our airspace—certainly NATO airspace—on, I think, a daily basis, and they need to be met with confrontation. NATO is a deterrent rather than an aggressive force, but deterrence can only happen if those concerned feel the consequences of the balance of power. I believe that NATO is strong enough at the moment. No other combined maritime force in the world constantly has at least 36 ships patrolling the sea; that is what NATO is able to bring together. However, it is vital that when we carry out the strategic defence review, we analyse not just what we need in maritime terms today, but what will come in the future; not just how we patrol the airspace today, but what will come in the future.

    We must also address the position of the Army, which has been under discussion for decades. It is all very well to talk about hollowing out the armed forces and going for the lowest number of personnel. This was, in many ways, the post-cold war dividend, and that dividend has gone, as a number of us warned that it would before the conflict in Ukraine, and it will not come back. That leads to some tough choices. There has to be honesty in the conversation about how much of our GDP we should be spending, because it will add up to 100%, and that means that the budget must be cut somewhere else. I am proud that we have the track to get to 2.5%, but, as I was trying to ask in my intervention on the Secretary of State, if this review adds up to more than 2.5%—if it says, “This is what we need to be able to defend a changing arena”—will the Government spend that money? We cannot on one the hand say that we aim to get to 2.5%, rather than giving a specific date, and on the other hand say, “We are going to have a strategic defence review, but what if it costs 3%?” Will this actually be achieved? That is an important question.

    Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD)

    The right hon. Member is making a most interesting speech. Does he agree that the present size of the British Army is militating against recruitment? A great many people who might be good in the Army and have considered it as a career option are saying, “Actually, if I could get another job I might do better,” and that is very, very dangerous.

    Sir Alec Shelbrooke

    Recruitment has become a big problem in the armed forces, especially now that unemployment is at historically low levels. One of my colleagues said to me recently that it was not officers but the ranks who were difficult to recruit. I do not have an immediate answer on how we can change that, but I can say this. In my short tenure as the procurement Minister at the MOD, it became blatantly obvious within 24 hours from looking at the letters and written questions on my desk that accommodation is one of the biggest issues facing the services. I make no criticism of any of my successors or predecessors in that role for trying to handle the issue of accommodation, because I quickly discovered just how difficult it is. I wanted to make front-loading the capital expenditure budget a priority in order to sort out accommodation, but there are so many legal hurdles in the deals that have been done in the past that it becomes difficult.

    I want to put on the record that I see service accommodation as a defence capability, and it should be treated like all other defence capabilities. If we are asking our service personnel to go to war, do we want the last thing they hear before they go on to the battlefield to be that their family are moving out and going somewhere else because they cannot live in such conditions any more? Do we want the last thing our personnel on Trident hear before disappearing for four months to be, “I’m leaving; I’m going back to my family home with the kids. We can’t live like this”? That means it has become an issue of operational capability. We need our highly trained and highly professional personnel to know that they are being looked after, which starts with accommodation.

    I wish the Government all success in trying to grasp this issue and take it forward, because it is exceptionally complex. I am looking at the shadow Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), who was one of my successors. I know that he personally tried very hard to sort this issue out and carry it forward. I know there is a body of work taking place, but this is a priority and needs to be sorted. I hope that the new Minister for the Armed Forces, the hon. Member for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard), makes good on the 50 written questions he submitted on 23 and 24 May this year about accommodation, and on the several questions tabled by the now Secretary of State. They obviously recognise that it is a huge concern, and we look forward to finding out how they will approach that as soon as possible.

    I will move on to foreign affairs. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most contentious issues in the previous Parliament, as well as outside and during the general election, was the war between Israel and Gaza, which has inflamed passions on all sides. I fear that the general election campaign showed that some of the militant pro-Palestinian protesters are stepping over the mark. That does not apply to all pro-Palestinian protesters—there are very different sets of people—but I am talking about the militant pro-Palestinian protesters who seek to use fear and intimidation to try to achieve their objectives.

    Mr Deputy Speaker, I have not given notice to the hon. Member for Birmingham Yardley (Jess Phillips) about what I am about to say, but it is not a criticism, so I hope she will accept it. As she pointed out in her acceptance speech, it was one of the most horrific campaigns she had ever been through. Nobody putting themselves forward in a democracy, let alone for public service, should have to experience what not just she but several other people experienced. Do you know what most of them had in common, Mr Deputy Speaker? They were women. Female candidates in the election, especially Labour female candidates, had the most horrific, misogynistic abuse hurled at them over the issue of Gaza and Israel, and we have to call that out.

    Everybody elected to this place is here as a parliamentarian to speak up for the things they passionately believe in, and no one should ever dismiss someone’s passionate views about a particular subject, even if we ferociously disagree with them. However, it is incumbent on all of us to call it out when we see, in what should be a fair democracy, people having their tyres slashed, being screamed at and being intimidated, which happens to women especially. If we want to have a strong democracy, we have to make sure that this House says with one voice that everybody who wants to stand for Parliament, whatever their views, has the right to campaign safely and put their views across. As a country, we have fallen a long way behind that. Whatever anybody’s view, we have to call that out.

    I am a strong defender and supporter of Israel. I believe that Israel has a right to exist, and a right to defend itself. I believe that a close eye must be kept on whether international humanitarian law is being broken. If it is, the people who are responsible must be brought before the courts and prosecuted.

    The hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran) made a very powerful speech, and I listened intently to every word she said. Her personal experiences bring value to this House, as she is able to talk about what the Israel-Gaza conflict means to her, given that her family are on the ground. Who in this House does not want to see a ceasefire? We all want to see a ceasefire, but there are two sides to the coin. It is still Hamas’s objective to wipe out the state of Israel, which we have to address. We have to keep a balance. As the shadow Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), said, a pogrom was launched on 7 October, and we must make absolutely sure that what happened on that day cannot happen again.

    This House has always pushed for a two-state solution, but it cannot be down to Israel alone to make the ceasefire happen. I will carry on defending Israel’s right to defend itself and maintain its security. I will also carry on defending international law and making sure it is abided by. If it is not, I will hold people to account. But the call for a ceasefire cannot just be on one side. Hamas have to release the hostages and give up their objective of wiping out Israel, and then we may be able to move things forward.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Speech at the Opening Plenary Session of the European Political Community

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Speech at the Opening Plenary Session of the European Political Community

    The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at Blenheim Palace on 18 July 2024.

    Friends, fellow Europeans…

    Welcome to Britain…

    And welcome to the splendour of Blenheim Palace.

    I hope you enjoyed the weather, the drive, and the architecture of this beautiful place.

    Thank you so much for being here.

    It is of course the birthplace of Winston Churchill …

    And we stand for the values that he embodies around the world.

    Liberty and democracy, yes, of course…

    But also defiance and resolve in their defence.

    And today, as a new storm gathers over our continent…

    We choose to meet it in that same spirit…

    And we choose to meet it together.

    And that is the choice of the government that I lead. Now two weeks old.

    We want to work with all of you…

    To reset relationships…

    Rediscover our common interest…

    And renew the bonds of trust and friendship…

    That brighten the fabric of European life.

    And the task is urgent…

    Because our security is on the line.

    Every day Ukraine fights to protect not just the Ukrainian people…

    But the European people.

    A continent where our belief…

    In freedom, democracy and the rule of law…

    Was hard-won.

    And that wants to live in peace.

    So President Zelenskyy, in your struggle to uphold those values…

    I, we, salute you, once again.

    Have no doubt: we will stand with you for as long as it takes.

    Because I was struck by something that you said in fact during the NATO summit last week.

    When you said that Ukraine needs more air defence, and then you said used words: before the new school year starts.

    And that really struck me…

    Because returning to school after the summer break…

    That should be a moment of joy and excitement for children.

    New uniforms, new exercise books, seeing how much their friends have grown over the summer holidays, and reuniting with friends.

    How could anyone consider that them a target?

    So our first task here today…

    Is to confirm our steadfast support for Ukraine…

    To unite once again behind those values that we cherish…

    And to say, we will face down aggression on this continent – together.

    Because the threat from Russia reaches right across Europe.

    Many of us have seen attacks on our own democracy.

    People targeted on our streets.

    Military planes entering our airspace.

    Ships patrolling our coastlines.

    And in Moldova and the Western Balkans…

    The threat is obviously even more acute.

    So this is the moment for us all to do more.

    And I’m proud of Britain’s role in maintaining European security.

    Through NATO, through the Joint Expeditionary Force, and more.

    We stand together.

    We guard Europe’s frontiers.

    And now we must find new, more ambitious ways of working together…

    Firing up our industries…

    Meeting, not just the military challenge….

    But the challenge to our economic, cyber and energy security as well.

    I take a practical view of how the UK can meet this moment.

    I’m not driven by ideology – but by what is best for my country.

    And so we will strengthen our existing relationships…

    And we will build new ones.

    This includes resetting our relationship with the EU.

    Because I believe that the UK and the EU…

    Working together as sovereign partners…

    Are a powerful force for good across our continent.

    For peace, for security, for prosperity…

    For all our people.

    We have shown this I think in the G7…

    Where we are using Russian assets…

    To ensure they pay for the devastation they have brought to Ukraine…

    We’re placing unprecedented sanctions on Russia…

    And reducing our collective dependence on Russian oil and gas.

    And I think we should take pride in the steps our continent has taken on this.

    But now we must see the job through.

    We must use this moment…

    To accelerate towards clean energy…

    Support Ukraine to meet its energy needs ahead of winter…

    And tackle the ships that are helping Russia to evade sanctions.

    We know what we can achieve together.

    But it’s also time that we bring this resolve to another challenge facing our continent…

    The vile trade of people smuggling.

    Let’s be frank – “challenge” – is the wrong word.

    It is now, I think, a crisis.

    As we speak, as we gather here…

    A criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today.

    Profiting off human misery and desperation.

    Prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers…

    Innocent people…

    To their deaths.

    And last week four more souls…

    And actually, last night another one…

    Were lost in the waters of the English Channel.

    A chilling reminder of the human cost of this vile trade.

    And this summit is an opportunity to set a new path on illegal migration.

    To transform the way that we work together…

    On border security…

    And law enforcement.

    And to say, together: no more.

    And in the UK our new Border Security Command will work in partnership with you.

    We must combine our resources…

    Share intelligence, share tactics…

    Shut down the smuggling routes…

    And smash the gangs.

    Before I came into politics, I was the Director of Public Prosecutions in Britain…

    A job I held for five years.

    And I saw the work that can be done, across borders…

    On issues like counter terrorism.

    Sophisticated gangs working across our borders.

    And we used those same techniques to take those gangs down to ensure the safety of citizens across Europe.

    And so I for one simply do not accept and will never accept that we can’t do the same with the smuggling gangs…

    That somehow, they are the only gangs that can operate across Europe with impunity.

    I just never will accept that, having been involved myself in the taking down of terrorist gangs.

    So we must do more, together.

    We must also do more to tackle the problem, of course, at source…

    To recognise the root causes…

    We know what they are.

    Conflict, climate change, extreme poverty.

    The crisis we face is the fault of the gangs – no question.

    But the decisions people take to leave their homes cannot be separated from these wider issues.

    It is global inequality…

    And that deserves our attention as well.

    So let me say something very clearly.

    We are resetting our approach here.

    This Government will not commit taxpayer money to gimmicks…

    We are here to serve our country in the national interest…

    In pursuit of solutions that will actually deliver results.

    And more than that…

    We will approach this issue with humanity…

    And with profound respect for international law.

    And that’s why my government scrapped the unworkable Rwanda scheme on day one.

    And it’s why we will never withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Churchill himself was among the chief architects of the Convention.

    It was built on the blood bond of 1945…

    And our shared sacrifice for freedom.

    I myself first read about these principles of the Convention and international law in a law library in Leeds, well 40 years ago now.

    And that inspired me in everything I have done since then…

    And I still draw strength from it and value from it everyday.

    Because they speak about the dignity of every human being…

    And that word “dignity” is there in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the most important words in it.

    Dignity of every human being.

    The very essence of what it is to be human.

    And that is our legacy…

    And so the nations of Europe must lead again today.

    Together we have the opportunity to make the world safer, fairer and more prosperous.

    So let’s use this moment…

    To do more for Ukraine…

    Defend our democracies…

    Secure our energy supplies…

    And tackle illegal immigration…

    It is a pleasure today, on behalf of my country…

    To extend a hand to all of you.

    To say that, under my leadership…

    Britain will be a friend and a partner….

    Ready to work with you.

    Not part of the European Union…

    But very much a part of Europe.

    Not focused on the differences between us…

    But on the values that we share…

    United by our determination to defend them…

    And certain about what we can achieve together.

    And now I’d like to invite a true champion of European freedom…

    …to address the plenary.

    Our friend, President Zelenskyy.

    Slava Ukraini!

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement on ‘Our Government of Service’

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement on ‘Our Government of Service’

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 17 July 2024.

    This government has been elected to deliver nothing less than national renewal, to stop the chaos of the past fourteen years, to turn the page on the era of politics as performance, to return it to public service and start the work of rebuilding our country.

    Because people are crying out for change, and that’s what this government of service will deliver through actions, not words.

    That is why today I am setting out our plan for change, to turn the page and rebuild our country so that it’s back in the service of working people. That is what our mission-driven government will be about, focused on ambitious goals bringing together the best of our country.

    We’re getting on with the job right away. Today we’re setting out new laws that will put manifesto commitments into action – improving living standards for working people and fixing the foundations of the country so that every part of the UK is supported to drive economic growth.

    Growth starts with economic stability, which is why we are introducing a budget responsibility bill which will make sure that taxpayers’ money is respected.

    From that solid foundation we can release the brakes on growth and wealth creation.

    We will reform the planning laws, a choice ignored for fourteen years, to build the homes and infrastructure Britain needs. I know how important this is.

    Our pebble-dashed semi provided a secure foundation that my parents were able to build their life on. I want everyone to have that security, including those renting, which is why we are also bringing forward tough new protections for renters.

    It’s not just security at home that matters, but security at work. That’s why we will level-up rights at work to deliver security and dignity for working people. It’s what they deserve.

    Alongside that, we’ll push forward devolution to the cities, regions and councils of England to deliver quality jobs and opportunities in every corner of this country. We’ll do that by putting local decision-makers in charge, moving power away from Westminster and back to those with skin in the game, who know their communities best.

    We’ll also ensure people in those communities feel safe and secure. That means strengthening community policing by giving the police greater powers to deal with antisocial behaviour, strengthen support for victims, and bring forward plans to halve violence against women and girls.

    We won’t stop there. I was the first in my family to go to university, and I remember the pride on my mum and dad’s faces when I graduated. I want every child to have the opportunity I had to succeed.

    And no child should feel that they have less of a chance to fulfil their potential because of the circumstances they were born into.

    That’s why we will break down the barriers to opportunity that hold so many young people back from living the life they deserve. We’ll also raise standards in schools, with one of our first steps recruiting 6,500 new teachers by ending unfair tax breaks for private schools.

    We will also get our health service back on its feet by reducing waiting times, and bring the Mental Health Act into the twenty first century to tackle the mental health crisis.

    This is a programme that will deliver the change that so many across the country are crying out for, one that is driven forward by this government of service.

    Through this work, we will stop the chaos, fix our foundations, and take the brakes off Britain by returning politics to serious government.

    That is the path to national renewal and rebuilding our country, and we take another step forward today.

  • Hilary Benn – 2024 Statement on the King’s Speech

    Hilary Benn – 2024 Statement on the King’s Speech

    The statement made by Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, on 17 July 2024.

    Today’s King’s Speech sets out the Government’s commitment to delivering economic growth and stability across the United Kingdom. We are committed to working collaboratively and respectfully with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly to improve public services and generate growth. And we will work with all parties and communities to uphold the Good Friday Agreement and to ensure the stability of devolved government.

    We are committed to protecting Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market, implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, and helping to secure investment by championing Northern Ireland on the global stage as a place to invest.

    The government is committed to addressing the legacy of the Troubles in a way which can command the support of communities, and which complies with our human rights obligations. As set out in the King’s Speech, measures will be brought forward to begin the process of repealing and replacing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, in consultation with all parties.

  • Zarah Sultana – 2024 Statement on Losing the Labour Whip

    Zarah Sultana – 2024 Statement on Losing the Labour Whip

    The statement made by Zarah Sultana, the Independent MP for Coventry South, on 23 July 2024.

    I have been informed by the Chief Whip & the Labour Party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty. I will always stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.

  • David Lammy – 2024 Statement on the Ten-year Anniversary of Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

    David Lammy – 2024 Statement on the Ten-year Anniversary of Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

    The statement made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, on 17 July 2024.

    On the tenth anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a passenger plane travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur, my thoughts remain with the families and friends of all those who died. 298 innocent people, including 10 British nationals, lost their lives that day – future dreams and ambitions suddenly destroyed.

    A decade on from that dreadful day, the devastating impact of this tragedy is still felt by thousands around the world, as they continue to mourn their loved ones. I remain grateful to the Joint Investigation Team for their efforts to uncover the truth. The conviction of 3 individuals in relation to the downing of MH17 was an important step in securing justice for the families of the victims.

    All States have a responsibility to cooperate in full with efforts to establish accountability, truth and justice for the families. We deeply regret the Russian Federation’s decision to withdraw unilaterally from ICAO proceedings on MH17 and we continue to call on Russia to cooperate in full with efforts to establish accountability so that justice can be fully delivered.

  • Richard Hermer – 2024 Swearing In Speech at Attorney General

    Richard Hermer – 2024 Swearing In Speech at Attorney General

    The speech made by Richard Hermer, the Attorney General, on 15 July 2024.

    It is a profound privilege to address the Lady Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor and all the members of this court.

    It is also a personal pleasure for me to make submissions in this courtroom when the risk of being asked tricky legal questions is at least lower than normal.

    Being in government is a privilege that carries the responsibility of having to make hard choices but as we face the challenging path ahead the rule of law will be the lodestar for this government.

    Governments should be judged by their deeds not by their rhetoric but I hope the professions and the public can take some comfort from the fact that, from the Prime Minister down, the new government is comprised of individuals who have the rule of law imprinted into their DNA, none more so than our new Lord Chancellor.

    For all the reasons set out by my lady and for many more, I can tell the Court that we have a Lord Chancellor with the character, authority, intellect and experience not just to protect the rule of law but to begin to address the deep challenges facing our justice system.

    We also have a Solicitor General who brings precisely the right mix of legal acumen, political nous and a dedication to public service to help make law and politics work together.

    We wish to work with all in our mission to protect and promote the rule of law.  Its principles are at the heart of the organisations the Law Officer’s superintend and we will work collegiately with the Bar Council, Law Society and CILEX in what I know is our shared endeavour to entrench the rule of law and promote human rights.

    We recognise the imperative of seeking to ensure a cross-party consensus about our shared fundamental values and how we protect them for future generations.

    The values that we are seeking to protect are not the property of any political party, they are not Labour values or Conservative values they are British values, indeed in many respects universal values.

    The task has never been more urgent.  In recent years, events at home and abroad serve to remind us all that once you start pulling on a single thread of the fabric of the rule of law system, when democratic norms are whittled away through attrition, the risk of systemic unravelling is great and the concomitant task of retrenching standards we once took for granted, very difficult indeed.

    So My Lady the Law Officers will work together with the Lord Chancellor on our mission to protect and promote the rule of law.  There is much to be done, too many tasks to describe in my allotted time, but let me say this.

    We will support the Lord Chancellor’s mandate to protect the independence of the judiciary, allied to this we will work with her to promote better appreciation in Westminster and beyond of our constitutional balance in which a respectful relationship between parliament, the executive and the courts is understood to be the bedrock of our framework of governance.

    We will work closely with the Lord Chancellor to promote the rule of law amongst the public, not least young people – seeking to use it to rebuild trust in our political system by explaining how it serves all of us and that no-one, least of all politicians, are above it.

    Just as we will promote the rule of law domestically, so we will seek to promote international law and the rule of law in the international legal order. We will support the Foreign Secretary in all his efforts – cognisant of the importance of international law and the rule of law for the prosperity and security of all global citizens.

    Looking inwards, we will seek to promote the highest standards in how we legislate – seeking to increase accessibility and certainty in how we make law, including not abusing the use of secondary legislation

    Finally, as Law Officers we will seek to provide the Government that we serve with legal advice of the highest calibre and ensure that law is at the heart of everything that it does.

    Notwithstanding the Law Officer’s commitment to the political aims of the government our legal analysis will always be guided by law not politics.

    As I told a meeting with all of GLD staff last week – it is our job to speak truth to power.  Sometimes we will get it wrong and in their judgments these Courts will explain why, and we will seek to learn and do better.

    That is how our system works, it is as Lord Bingham said, a cardinal feature of the modern democratic state and the cornerstone of the rule of law.

  • Joe Biden – 2024 Statement on Not Standing for Re-Election as President

    Joe Biden – 2024 Statement on Not Standing for Re-Election as President

    The statement made by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, on 21 July 2024.

    My Fellow Americans,

    Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.

    Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans. We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years.

    Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.

    I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

    It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.

    I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.

    For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected. I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.

    I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.

  • Lee Pitcher – 2024 Maiden Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    Lee Pitcher – 2024 Maiden Speech on Foreign Affairs and Defence

    The maiden speech made by Lee Pitcher, the Labour MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, in the House of Commons on 18 July 2024.

    I thank the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran).

    Like many of us, I found myself standing on the Terrace here in Parliament on my first day, with my back to the stunning Palace of Westminster and the splendour of Big Ben, and the London Eye majestically circling with the buzz, excitement and energy of the visitors here in this great capital city. There I was, looking out across the very still River Thames towards the east end of London, home to the world’s greatest football team, West Ham United, who, I remind everyone, did bring home some European silverware quite recently. But in truth, I was not thinking about the London Stadium at the time; I was looking towards the place where I was born and spent my early years.

    I recalled the 14-year-old in his first year of his GCSEs who slept on a double mattress on the floor, alone with just his mum and his sister; a little lad who had nothing left to his name and who was regularly bullied at school for the length of his trousers. I can tell the House that there is nothing more stark, more devastating and more heartbreaking than seeing your mum’s face—a very proud lady whose primary focus in life was to look after her babies—as she found herself working tirelessly but still losing the home that we lived in. Those times were rough, but I was so fortunate to have the very best and most inspiring women role models around me: my mum and my sister. They showed me that strength of character, resilience, and the importance of kindness regardless of the situation is what will carry you through.

    At that time, what we had were many friends and families in the community who rallied round to give us support and a roof over our heads. That told me that there were people out there who cared—people who would give you hope, and hope is what we needed. That experience absolutely changed my life and set a direction of travel for me to work hard, to do well and to never ever want to see anyone in that position again. And here I am today on 18 July, my 47th birthday—[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Thank you! I stand here in the shadows of the greats in this country that I love with my every being, having been given the chance to make sure I deliver that promise to myself and to my constituents that my situation will never happen to another child.

    Today is a super special day, as was 5 July, when I became first ever Member of Parliament for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme. Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of Andrew Percy, who residents spoke of so fondly on the doorstep as a great constituency MP, and of Nick Fletcher in Don Valley, whose work promoting mental health in men is very dear to my heart, having lost a cousin a few years ago. Nick also campaigned for Doncaster airport, which is a key priority of mine too. I will not stop working closely with the Mayor of Doncaster, the South Yorkshire Mayor, officers and others to see planes flying over the skies of Doncaster again.

    It really isn’t hard to see why we all cared so much for my beautiful constituency, and I will tell you a little bit about why I adore it. Thirty years ago I met my best friend, my wife, who is from the constituency. She introduced me to Yorkshire, and I fell in love with the place in the same way that I fell in love with her at 18 years of age. She has been by my side ever since. Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme is my home. My family have grown up in the constituency, my children have gone to school there and, alongside work, I have volunteered with wonderful organisations.

    There are many unsung heroes in the area who, over many, many years, have given back to our community. I have seen the work of great places such as the Doncaster Lions, whose motto could not align any more to our own values: “We serve”. They tirelessly walk the streets at Christmas every single year with Santa and his sleigh to bring smiles to children who otherwise would not be able to afford to go and see him in his grotto. I also have first-hand experience of the impact of Thorne’s local community radio station, TMCR, which brings a ray of sunshine through music to residents across the airwaves, easing loneliness and creating a sense of family. As a school governor at Travis St Lawrence school for several years, I have seen how the monumental effort of staff and teachers gives children the very best start in life.

    Community spirit can be found in every single pocket of the new constituency, from the urban, proud former mining areas and charming towns of Doncaster East, to the fertile, agricultural farming areas, quaint towns and villages of the Isle of Axholme in north Lincolnshire, through to the thriving local independent businesses and attractions, such as Yorkshire wildlife park—I give a big shout out to Rocco the baby rhino who I met last weekend. Like Rocco, I see what I have in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme as something rare and special that must be looked after, because mine is an area where heritage and tradition have shaped the towns and villages. I am keen to ensure that the unique identities of the different areas are respected, embraced and enjoyed for generations to come.

    The Isle of Axholme was once an inland island, surrounded by streams, rivers and meres until it was drained in the 1600s. It has amazing historic architecture—you really need to come and see it—such as Normanby Hall and the Old Rectory in Epworth, which was home to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. It is also home to the Haxey hood. Has anyone heard of that? It is a tradition that dates back to the 14th century. Lady de Mowbray was riding towards Westwoodside, when her silk hat flew off her head in the wind and 13 local farmworkers ran after it. Eventually, one of them caught it but was too shy to give it back. He handed it to another gentleman who passed it back to her. The whole thing caused such amusement that she dedicated 13 acres of land so that it could be re-enacted every single year. So I say why don’t we, after Prime Minister’s questions, get together in a rugby scrum, as they do every year, and see if we can push the hood back to where it needs to be!

    We also have Keadby, home to the power stations; the Stainforth and Keadby canal; Crowle, with its quaint square and Gothic revival market hall; and lovely rural villages such as Luddington, Ealand, West Butterwick, Garthorpe and Fockerby. In Eastoft, I recently met a couple of farmers who told me that we have the best growing land in the world. Doncaster East comprises wonderful market towns such as Bawtry, a 12th century port, and Thorne, mentioned in the Domesday Book; mining settlements such as Dunscroft, Moorends and Rossington; Hatfield, the place where Northumbrian King Edwin was killed in the battle of Hatfield Chase; Woodhouse, the birthplace of Corporal William J Harper, a local hero who won a Victoria Cross in world war two; and Dunsville, Lindholme, Bessacarr, Branton, Finningley, Austerfield and Auckley, which all have their own enticing charm.

    For all the greatness in my home constituency, my team and I have real challenges ahead. The King’s Speech paves the way for policies and legislation to facilitate change in a lot of areas. For the mum who came to the constituency pregnant five years ago and still has not got her child an NHS dental appointment, I say that there are 700,000 new appointments to come. For the dad I spoke to while he was getting his children ready to visit their grandma—his wife was upstairs in bed; she had had a delay in her chemotherapy treatment and wanted to not see that happen to others because of the anxiety it caused—I say that there will be 40,000 new appointments per week and a huge reduction in NHS waiting times. For the grandad who endured young adults trying to break into his home repeatedly—pretty much every day—and threatening him with knives, I say that there will be 13,000 more police officers.

    For the children I spoke to at the New College hustings, who wanted new industries and new jobs to excite them, I say that there will be a clean energy company, with science, technology, engineering and maths jobs for a future generation. For the parent with the child with special educational needs who got no mental health support or diagnosis for several years, I say that there is a commitment to massively increase mental health provision. For the school leaver who can never envisage having a home for the future or the ability to buy one, I say that there is a commitment to jobs and a commitment to build 1.5 million homes. For my mum, waiting for a bus that is delayed or never turns up, I say that powers will be devolved to regional mayors to take buses back into public control. For the children who go to school hungry and do not have clothes on their backs—there are plenty in my constituency, where the relative poverty rate is 19.7%, according to the House of Commons Library—I say that there are breakfast clubs for all. Energy costs will be reduced by GB Energy, there will be economic stability and growth as a result of projects such as a national wealth fund, and planning reform will create roles and jobs.

    What I do from now on will require personal, role-model, visionary leadership, but it will also require a team effort. When I started my career as a sewer baiter, lifting manholes and putting down bait to kill rats, I was given some advice by the CEO of a company, who said, “Lee, to be successful you need to build the best team around you, and to do that you need to focus on brains. Do not focus on race, religion, age or sexual preference; focus on getting the best brains around you, and you will be successful.” Over the years, I have learned about the need to supplement that with passion in the heart, for those with the right passion and the right brains are bound to be successful.

    I will work tirelessly across the private, public and voluntary sectors, with my wonderful volunteering team and with residents, to bring a better today and an even better tomorrow for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme. No family should do go to bed at night and have nightmares about what tomorrow might bring; they should sleep well, dream big, and wake up to opportunities galore. I do not underestimate the challenge that lies ahead, but I can tell the House that that 14-year-old without a home never did so either, and let me bear witness to that as I stand here today. I say to every single resident of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, “Thank you for putting your trust in me. I am your voice here in Westminster, I am your voice in the constituency, and together we will make a difference.”