Alan Campbell MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I have to say to the right hon. Member—I was going to say my right hon. Friend, which she is in many ways—that I do not share her astonishment about that at all, because that is not unique in places where Reform has councillors and is running councils. Nevertheless, it is an absolute shame that Reform councillors appear to have gone back on their word in this case. One of the themes that must run through the work we do in local government is listening to local people. I have no doubt that she will continue to make that case, and I urge her to do so by organising a debate on the matter.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I first want to recognise the fantastic work that my hon. Friend did as my predecessor’s Parliamentary Private Secretary. I thank her for what I assume, therefore, is her first business question. A 350-mile bike ride is a terrific achievement, and I join her in recognising the importance of the work that the Sikh Helpline does for its local community. That is the sort of matter that could perhaps be raised in an Adjournment debate.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  First, may I add my tribute to my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester Central (Lucy Powell), for her excellent work as Leader of the House over the last year? She spearheaded the revival of the Modernisation Committee, which was a manifesto commitment, and oversaw the packed legislative programme that formed the basis of this Government’s first King’s Speech. I know that I am among many MPs across the House who want to thank her for her diligence and hard work. I would also like to express my thanks to Colin Lee, the Clerk of Legislation, who retires this week, having joined the House service in 1988. MPs from across the House have valued his wise counsel over many years, and I know the whole House will wish him well. I know that the House will also share my sadness about the death of Sir Roger Sands, who was Clerk of the House from 2003 to 2006. Sir Roger was a distinguished servant of the House for 41 years, and the House will want to convey our condolences to Lady Sands and Sir Roger’s family. I thank the shadow Leader of the House for welcoming me to my place. Before I turn to his remarks, I should caution him, and indeed the House, that the last time I answered a question at the Dispatch Box was in the same year that the iPad was released. Both you and I, Mr Speaker, had a little more hair and of a darker hue. At the time the average price of a pint of beer was £2.91—there are people sat behind me who were not even old enough to buy alcohol then. I am looking forward to these sessions with the shadow Leader of the House. We have been in the House together for a decade, but I cannot claim to know him particularly well, so I also went to Wikipedia to find out a bit more. He is a philosopher, a historian and an author of note. It is clear that he is a thinking Conservative, which is an increasingly rare commodity. I associate myself with the right hon. Gentleman’s comments about the anniversary of 9/11, and about the death of Charlie Kirk. Let us remember that, in these circumstances, Mr Kirk’s family have been robbed of a father and a husband. There is no justification at all for political violence, whatever the views of the person involved. I know that there will inevitably be a degree of knockabout about the state of the Government, and indeed of the Opposition, at business questions. I am happy, any day, to have a debate on the comparison between this Government’s 14 months and the right hon. Gentleman’s disastrous Government of 14 years. The only thing that we were unprepared for was the scale of the state that this country was in. On the right hon. Gentleman’s substantive point about Northern Ireland, he knows that those are difficult matters and that the Government have given a commitment to bringing forward legislation. It is important that reassurances are in place, and I can tell him that the Government will be saying something shortly. Let me finish with this. The shadow Leader of the House and I both have a deep respect for Parliament. I can give him and the House the reassurance that I take my responsibility, both as the Government’s representative in Parliament and as the House’s representative in Government, very seriously indeed.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I know that the hon. Gentleman has raised this issue with Ministers before, and I also understand that officials from the Department for Education reached out to discuss the matter on Monday. I pay tribute to him for campaigning on the matter as an assiduous constituency MP on behalf of children, predominantly, but also parents and staff of the school. He will appreciate, as he has acknowledged, that new Ministers are in post after the reshuffle, and there is indeed a new Minister in this role. I will ensure that this is raised with the Minister at the earliest opportunity, in the hope that the hon. Gentleman gets the earliest response possible.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work as Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, and I look forward to working with him. I will commit to an early meeting with him and also to regular meetings. He will know I have long taken the view that we need to take care on Mondays, whether it is with Backbench business or Government business, when we return from recess. I will give some thought to protected time, but the reality is that we can often manage the business of that day. The Government can manage the number of statements that go on; there is an issue around managing urgent questions, which is not the Government’s decision, but it nevertheless can be managed. I will return to that issue if need be. On the really important matter of the situation in Nepal, let me say the recent loss of life and violence in Nepal is appalling. We support fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly, but violence is not the way forward. I expect that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be across this matter, but I will draw his remarks to its attention.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am not sure of the detail of this case, but it is not unfamiliar to many of us to see the stress that big developments sometimes cause to residents. Again, this is the sort of thing the hon. Gentleman should seek an Adjournment debate on.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Yes, I will. Environmental matters are so important in constituencies, and the work of community groups is so important, because they are the heart of what makes a true community. I pay tribute not just to that group, but to my hon. Friend for his tireless work on their behalf.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I could not agree more about the importance of the availability of toilets in our town centres. I am sure that issue comes to MPs’ attention very often. For many people—particularly those with complex needs or health conditions—the lack of a toilet can be the deciding factor in whether they leave the house. As the issue is clearly one for so many colleagues across the House, I think it would be a great topic for a Westminster Hall debate.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I am tempted to give the answer that one of my predecessors, Ted Short, gave, which is to say, “No”. However, I will not do that because these are important matters. I made it very clear in my opening remarks that I regard my role in this House as respecting the views of Members and making opportunities for Members to debate those, even if they are—I have to say—abhorrent. The hon. Gentleman has been here long enough to know that there are many ways in which these matters can be raised—he has just done so now. I am resisting the temptation to recite the very important work that the Government are doing, but if he seeks a debate on these matters in the usual way, perhaps he will be successful.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The Government have been clear in their condemnation of many of the things that have been happening over the last time in Gaza. They have made it clear that it is important that aid gets into the area and that we move towards a ceasefire to resolve this. But when the hon. Member talks about whom we might talk to about that, I say gently that most conflicts end with some kind of diplomacy, and that requires people to talk to each other, even though they may not agree. That allows the UK Government and the Prime Minister to put views across, which is really important. International law is at the heart of everything that the Government seek to do. As for an opportunity to raise that, there have been many statements and debates in this place about this important matter, and my intention is that that will continue.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate that I am new to this role, but I give him a commitment that I will follow that up after this session. Hopefully, I will be able to arrange a meeting with the Minister and get a response, which sounds overdue.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I certainly join my hon. Friend in congratulating 6 Towns Radio on its 15th anniversary and community radio right across our country. The Government recognise the importance of community radio and continue to support the sector as part of a diverse media landscape. He may wish to go further than just seeking congratulations for what is happening in his area and consider a Backbench Business debate on the matter, because I am sure that many colleagues would wish to speak in such a debate about their own community radio stations.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue, and recognise that his constituents who have been affected will have gone through a great deal of stress in trying to deal with it. I will ask colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to reach out to him, in the hope that these matters can be resolved as soon as possible.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I will commit to making the Prime Minister aware of what the right hon. Gentleman has asked, and I hope that will be heard when the President visits. Given the right hon. Gentleman’s experience and voice, I am pretty sure that message will be heard loud and clear.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I very much congratulate Bournemouth on how it is promoting its town, as well as my hon. Friend on how he is promoting it. I have to say he is stretching it a bit by asking me to say it is the best seaside town since I have Whitley Bay in my constituency, but it should not be a competition. What we need to do is promote seaside and coastal towns. They are fantastic places to live and to visit.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Again, I have to admit that I am not across this issue. We would be very supportive on the general principle of transparency. As I am not sure where responsibility lies for such decisions, I suggest that the hon. Lady writes to me, and she might seek a debate on the issue.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As yesterday’s debate highlighted, the whole House cares deeply about bus services and their role in our local communities. This sounds like a fantastic event to celebrate an impressive anniversary and a great deal of hard work to organise it. I am happy to pay tribute to everyone concerned and delighted to hear about the event’s success. It might have been for the anniversary of the Midland Red Coalville bus garage, but it is about celebrating buses and volunteers as well.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  What my hon. Friend says about X is truly shocking. We are very much in favour of free speech, but we are also against incitement to violence. We have delivered the Online Safety Act 2025 to seek to strike the balance between user protection and freedom of speech. On the matter of the Government’s use of X, it is right that the public are kept up to date with information and a number of people still use X, although of course many are moving to other platforms. I am sure that the Government will take that into account in our deliberations in future, and we also keep our wider social media practices under review.

• 11 Sept 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises an important matter. I am sure there will be a lot of people across the country, particularly those who were hardest hit by the very fine and dry weather, concerned about what might happen going forward, in both the short and long term. Our flood resilience taskforce is focused on the long-term delivery of our flood resilience strategy and investment. Should she seek a debate, it would allow Ministers to set out our plans.

• 13 May 2025 · Speaker’s Statement · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is by convention unusual for the Government Chief Whip to address the House. It is also by convention forbidden to refer by name to those who hold the office of principal private secretary to the Government Chief Whip. It is a measure of Sir Roy’s service that today we lay those conventions aside. Sir Roy was the literal embodiment of the usual channels for more than two decades, ensuring each day that while the Government got their business, the Opposition were able to scrutinise their work. As I look back on what were, on occasions, tumultuous times in this place, Sir Roy was, with skill and integrity, the constant that held things together. Trust was placed in him and his wise counsel was sought over many years. I send my deep condolences on behalf of the Government to his family, friends and the many staff who worked with him. Such was Sir Roy Stone’s diligence and long service that one could be forgiven for thinking that work was his main concern, but I know from speaking to him that his main priority was always his family, of whom he was tremendously proud. They should be equally proud of him. My thoughts are with them at this difficult time.