Amanda Martin MP: speeches

Speeches

• 13 Nov 2025 · Police Reform · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister join me in thanking our hard-working named neighbourhood police officers across Portsmouth North, PC Jamie Christian, PC Chris Middleton, PC Nicholas Joyce, PC Ben Treend, PC Hannah Kelleher, PC Matt Lamper and PC Susan Smith, for their continued dedication to keeping our community safe? As we look at reforms to police governance, will the Minister ensure that any savings made by abolishing the PCC role are reinvested directly in the frontline? More broadly still, will she meet me to discuss how we can fund our policing more fairly, given Hampshire’s unfair allocation?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Independent Football Regulator · Hansard source

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  I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. While this Government are focused on finally delivering for fans and securing the future of our national game, the record of the party opposite tells a very different story. We have for years seen Conservative donors and insiders appointed to organisations across the board—to the NHS, to the UK Health Security Agency, and to the British Museum. We have also seen major donors becoming peers, and the Conservatives opening covid VIP lanes for their pals. It is the same old question—the one that Margaret Thatcher famously asked—“Is he one of ours?” Football fans do not care who is one of “theirs”; they care about saving their clubs and having a regulator who will do that. Does the Secretary of State agree that David Kogan, as chair of the Independent Football Regulator—chosen for his experience and merit, not for party loyalty—is finally putting fans first and protecting our beautiful game?

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  I associate myself with the eloquent words of the Minister for the Armed Forces, and thank all those in this House who have served for their service. I am honoured to contribute to today’s debate on behalf of the people of Portsmouth North, including members of the armed forces, as we pause to remember those who gave, and those who will give, their lives in the service of our nation, and to reflect on the continuing cost of conflict and the lasting contribution of our armed forces to our national life. For me, remembrance is deeply personal. On 23 December 1940, during the second world war, my great-grandad George Hector Coles was killed when German bombers struck his home, 22 Abercrombie Street in Portsmouth, in one of the horrific blitz raids on my city. While families across Britain prepared for Christmas, mine received news that changed them forever. He never saw peace return after that war, and never met his grandchildren, but his sacrifice—like those of so many—echoes through generations and shapes my understanding of what remembrance truly means. Portsmouth’s role in our nation’s defence cannot be overstated. As the home of His Majesty’s naval base, our city has stood on the frontline time after time. During the second world war, our streets endured 67 bombing raids, with nearly 1,000 lives lost and thousands left homeless, yet Portsmouth never faltered. The courage of dockyard workers, civil defence volunteers and ordinary families across the city exemplifies the spirit we honour today. At the weekend and today, I was proud to lay wreaths at memorials across our city, where the names of Pompey folk stand alongside those who never returned, including so many who were lost at sea with no grave. We owe it to all of them not only to remember, but to uphold the values for which they served—courage, duty, and a belief in a better future. Remembrance is not only about the past; it is about those who serve today. There are around 4.5 million people in the UK armed forces community, and I am proud to say that my son is one of them. Alongside the Royal British Legion and with the amazing Terry and Denise, I am proud to have sold poppies for many years, and to wear my poppy. I pay tribute to the veterans, veterans’ groups, cadet forces, community organisations and charities across my city who support our armed forces families all the year round. This year I have been contacted by constituents who would like me to speak specifically about their heroes. They are Leading Writer Kate Elizabeth Arnold; Kathy Cox—known as Katy Newman—who served as a corporal during the civil war in Cyprus; Barry Hynd, who served 30 years in the Army; Christopher John Purcell, who served 20 years in the Royal Navy, including in the Falklands and the Gulf; Graham Street, who served 35 years in the Navy; Corporal Fred Head, a recipient of the Military Medal and bar, who served from 1914 until 1919; and Walter Gabriel McKay, a first and second world war veteran. We must remember them.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree; I think the key word there is “exploitative”. People in Portsmouth North and across the country deserve fairness, dignity and the ability to plan their daily lives and future. In sectors such as retail, hospitality, construction, social care and logistics, many workers are on unpredictable, variable hours,, with shifts cancelled at short notice or only a minimal work week offered in order for employers to control their labour costs. This makes budgeting, second jobs, childcare, healthcare planning and indeed everything in life almost impossible. Let me give the House a local example. One of my constituents, “Sara”, has worked in a Portsmouth café on a zero-hours contract for four years. She is told at the beginning of each week what hours she might get. One week she might have 25 hours, and the next week she might get eight—and the next she might get nothing. Because she cannot predict her hours, she ends up in debt, skipping medical visits and having to rely on emergency credit to pay her bills. Under the Bill’s intended protection, Sara could request fixed hours and have far greater stability for herself and her family.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. It would leave workers unable to reject overtime, even if they were knackered, having already done 60 or 70 hours that week. That brings me to Dave, a plasterer working on one of my local building sites. He is technically self-employed, but in reality he is also on a rolling zero-hours contract. Some weeks he earns enough to keep his mortgage, and some weeks he earns enough to put aside a little bit of money for Christmas; other weeks, he earns nothing at all. He is told to stand down when winter hits and work slows, with no pay, no notice and no safety net. That insecurity is corrosive and affects not just finances, but families, health and morale on jobs. Let us be clear, the public are firmly with us. According to the TUC’s 2025 mega-poll, support for guaranteed-hours contracts sits at over 70% across the regions and nations of the UK. This is not about denigrating businesses and business owners—many are fantastic and provide great opportunities—but without the bill, unscrupulous employers will continue to sidestep responsibility and run a race to the bottom. Arguments are made that these measures would impose burdens on business, discourage hiring and risk flooding employment tribunals. Those concerns should not be a pretext for hollowing out protections and should instead ensure that workers know how much they will earn each month so that they can plan and live their lives. Sara and Dave, who I referred to earlier, are just two names; behind them are thousands of lives blighted by unfair employment practices. Sara and Dave will not mind me saying that they are not young. Despite what the Opposition want us to believe, zero-hours contracts are not just exploitative for the young; they are exploitative for many other people in our society. People deserve the right to security. I urge colleagues to reject these Lords amendments, which would weaken the Bill, because fixed-hours entitlement is not a radical idea but a basic standard of decency in the modern world of work. If we really mean it when we say in this House that we respect working people, we must deliver laws that protect them.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  It is good to hear about the taskforce. Could the Minister give us more information about what other things it will look at and investigate that will support employees?

• 5 Nov 2025 · Employment Rights Bill · Hansard source

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  I proudly refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my involvement in the trade union movement throughout my professional career. The Employment Rights Bill is long overdue, and although others continually seek to wreck it with worker-unfriendly amendments, we will not allow it. We on the Government Benches know that this Bill is about economic growth and security for all workers. It is about banning unfair dismissals, strengthening statutory sick pay, outlawing fire and rehire, and gaining new maternity and paternity leave rights and rights to bereavement leave. There are so many fantastic measures in this Bill, and as the Minister noted, we are today again presented with a number of amendments that we do not support. I want to speak to just one. Lords amendment 1B is about the Employment Rights Bill’s most vital protection—a manifesto commitment on which I proudly stood in my city to deliver: the statutory entitlement to fixed hours. This is not an abstract legal reform; it is a common-sense protection for people who are often invisible in our labour market and for whom insecurity is the norm, not the exception.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  I welcome the work of my PCC, particularly on retail crime and in rolling out UKPAC. The police officers I have mentioned deserve real credit, and with proper investment and community backing, they can finally do the job that the experts want them to do. That is why the initiatives I have described, alongside the pride in place programme, are so vital for my city. Portsmouth North has been awarded £20 million to breathe life back into local high streets and communities in Paulsgrove. That funding will go directly towards regenerating community spaces, improving safety and supporting the local economy. Importantly, how that money is spent will be decided by the community—the people who know the area best. We already see progress being made by a Labour Government acting on behalf of our communities—in education, in our NHS and in our armed forces. Local residents have told me that they finally feel hopeful that their neighbourhood will receive the investment and respect that it needs and deserves. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn), whose outstanding campaign for high-street renewal has inspired so many of us. It was her work that encouraged me to launch my own local initiative, the “Back Our High Streets—Stop Dodgy Shops” campaign. The campaign tackles an issue that has plagued communities like mine for too long: the rise of so-called dodgy shops—unregulated outlets selling counterfeit goods and illegal vapes, massage parlours and barbers, often operating outside proper licensing and safety standards and shirking their tax responsibilities, leaving an unfair playing field for those who do follow the rules.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  It takes some audacity, or maybe amnesia, for the Conservatives to table a motion about our high streets, given the absolute mess that they left them in after 14 long, depressing years in government. They say, “Let’s look forward, not back,” but those years cannot be wiped away by the people of my city—the cuts were too deep, and the damage was too much. Portsmouth is a proud city, but in Portsmouth North, we have seen what neglect looks like up close. Once-vibrant shopping parades and community spaces were left to decline on the Conservatives’ watch. Allaway Avenue, London Road north end, Cosham high street and the Hilsea shopping areas—to name a few once-bustling local centres—have been blighted by empty shops or inappropriate ones selling counterfeit or stolen goods, as well as by vandalism and illegal employment. Local businesses tell me the same story again and again: despite being in charge, the Conservatives did nothing. Businesses closed, trade dropped, rents and rates remained high, footfall fell, and basic safety and cleanliness were ignored. One shopkeeper in Cosham told me last summer that “We’ve had three break-ins this year alone. We reported it, but no one came.” Data from Portsmouth neighbourhood police backs that up. Recorded incidents of shoplifting and intimidation of local shop owners increased by 30% between 2019 and 2023. Police officers were doing their very best, but under the Tories, law and order was neglected, under-resourced and overstretched for far too long, but there is hope. Under this Labour Government, the situation is changing. Through the safer streets campaign, and now that we have neighbourhood officers, we have seen targeted action in Portsmouth North that has delivered a dramatic downfall in crime in key areas. Links between police and retailers have improved, and modern technology is being used. UK Partners Against Crime is working in partnership with our high street retailers. Neighbourhood officers such as PC Ben Treed and PC Hannah Kelleher need and deserve real credit for tackling antisocial behaviour and protecting our shopkeepers and residents. It is a privilege to go with them on their rounds.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  The flexible labour market under the Tories meant that people were employed but did not know when they were working, how long they were working for and how much they were getting paid.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. Such shops are unregulated and potentially not paying their taxes, unlike other businesses on the same high streets. They drive down the quality of our high streets, put legitimate traders out of business, and create environments where antisocial behaviour can flourish. I am working closely with Portsmouth city council’s trading standards team and Portsmouth police to ensure that enforcement action is taken, including raids and seizures. We need to push councils to use the powers proposed in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill; to work with communities; and to take compulsory purchase opportunities, so that we replace empty units with genuine local businesses and community spaces. This is about restoring pride, safety and opportunity to our local shopping areas. However, our high streets are not just about shops. In a changing world of retail, we can and should ensure that retail, leisure, hospitality, personal services and houses sit together, because high streets are places where people come together and find friendship, conversation and connection. Supporting them is central to rebuilding vibrant, safe and welcoming communities. Conservative Members talk today about “reviving” our high streets, but it is a Labour Government and a Labour MP who are actually doing that in my city—investing in people, working with small and medium-sized enterprises, hospitality and leisure, and rebuilding our communities. We are ensuring that local pride has national action. Let me end by thanking residents, volunteers, tradespeople, retailers, those who work for small and medium-sized enterprises and community groups in Portsmouth. They are out there every single day keeping our high streets alive, and their pride and persistence are the heartbeat of our communities. With this Labour Government and two Labour MPs, they finally have partners in Westminster who share their ambition, their passion and their pride in our city—and we are not stopping there, because we want to reach the heights and become the City of Culture.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  There has been a lot of talk about hospitality, with people mentioning it as a great source of first jobs. Under the last Government, however, 7,000 pubs were closed—last orders were called on those pubs. Does the Minister agree that our plans for thriving high streets mean that Labour is the only party looking to ensure that more pints are poured for our hard-working people?

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  Does the shadow Minister agree that those 5.8 million people deserve a decent wage, deserve to know what hours they are working, and deserve proper sick pay?

• 4 Nov 2025 · Supporting High Streets · Hansard source

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  Every time we mention the name Liz Truss, we hear groans from the Conservatives Benches, but I am not sure that people in my constituency really want to hear those groans, given that their mortgages and rents have gone through the roof and that business are unable to borrow.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I very much welcome the Government’s Op Valour pilot programme and the Minister’s commitment to improving support for our veterans. However, I am disappointed that Portsmouth—home to the Royal Navy and one of the largest veteran communities—is not part of the programme. Can the Minister reassure me that councils like Portsmouth city council will be encouraged and supported to join Op Valour and look after the veterans who live in our city?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Sentencing Bill · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to support this vital Sentencing Bill, which represents a significant step towards protecting victims and delivering justice. I would like to draw Members’ attention to new clauses 8 and 31 and amendment 1. The Conservatives claimed to be champions of law and order, yet their record was of lawless disorder. After 14 years in power, they increased sentence lengths without planning the prison places to uphold them, delivering just a few hundred spaces while violence, drugs and chaos spiralled across our prison estates. They left our justice system on the brink, and forced the early release of more than 10,000 offenders in secret, shattering public confidence. This Government are taking a different path. We are delivering the largest prison expansion since Victorian times; 2,500 new places are already open and we are on track for 14,000 by 2031. We will ensure that we will never again run out of prison capacity. We must also make prisons work. That means punishment that cuts crime through earned release, tougher community sentences, intensive supervision and proper rehabilitation that turns offenders away from crime for good. Central to making sentencing work is protecting victims, not just at the point of conviction but every day thereafter. I thank the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller) for highlighting the important issue of domestic abuse in new clauses 8 and 31. The Bill introduces a powerful new mechanism under clause 6, “Finding of domestic abuse”, by ensuring that, once the court is satisfied that an offence involves domestic abuse, it must declare that is the case in an open court, permanently recognising the heightened harm to victims. This activates stronger protections, which can include electronic tagging and exclusion zones, ensuring that offenders can be tracked in real time and kept away from victims’ homes and workplaces. The “Loose Women” Facing It Together campaign has powerfully shown the real human impact of domestic abuse and the urgent need for continuous protection. The measures in the Bill meet that need, ensuring that abusers cannot return to intimidate or control and that victims are safeguarded, with the full force of the law behind them. These landmark reforms will end the crisis that we inherited, and restore faith in a justice system that protects the public and puts victims first. Since my election, I have been campaigning tirelessly on the issue of tool theft, a crime that devastates the livelihoods of tradespeople across our country. There are too many to list in this House today, but I expect that we all know someone who has been a victim of this crime. The rate of suicide among construction workers is the highest of any profession—four times higher than that for any other occupation. In December 2024, I laid a ten-minute rule Bill before the House that called for tool theft to be recognised as a significant additional harm and for courts to consider the total financial loss to victims. That would mean considering not just the value of the tools themselves, but the cost of repairs and the loss of work, and the ripple effect on businesses and families. Having worked closely with Justice Ministers over the past year, I am pleased to see that the Bill recognises the additional protections needed for victims, for which the sector has been calling. This Bill, with its provisions requiring courts to consider the full impact of theft on victims, its new restriction zones that can ban prolific thieves from construction sites and tool retailers, and its tougher community sentences, delivers transformative protections for tradespeople. Although the Government do not support amendment 1, tabled by the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello), I thank him for enabling a discussion on the wider impact of crime. I am pleased to note that the Bill requires courts to consider the full impact of crime, including psychological harm. It recognises what victims of tool theft and, indeed, all crimes have been telling us all along: harm does not stop when tools are stolen or a crime is committed. The psychological harm of losing one’s livelihood, the anxiety about future thefts and the mental health impact of not being able to work are real harms that must be considered when sentencing offenders, and the Bill delivers in this regard. These reforms will protect the public through tougher sentencing and tighter monitoring, cut crime by stopping reoffending before it happens, support victims by recognising harm and preventing future abuse, and build a safer society with less crime and, ultimately, fewer victims.

• 28 Oct 2025 · Gibraltar: UK-EU Agreement · Hansard source

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  I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. It was an honour to welcome Gibraltar’s First Minister to last week’s annual general meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on Gibraltar. As a cross-party group, we wholeheartedly welcome the treaty, but can the Minister assure me that it will produce economic benefits for Gibraltarians and an increase in the prospects for tourism?

• 27 Oct 2025 · Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay · Hansard source

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  I congratulate all new parents, and especially my cousin Jake and Shannen on the arrival of baby Kai Burley last week. It is a reminder of the joy that new life brings and the responsibility we have to support families at that crucial time. This is not just about numbers; it is about real families. One Portsmouth father told me that he went back to work in bits and feeling useless three days after his son was born. His partner had undergone an emergency caesarean and could barely move, but he could not afford to lose another week’s pay. Another father, whose daughter arrived prematurely, returned to his delivery driving job after just one week. He said: “Every mile I drove, I felt I should be home.” Those are not isolated stories. They reflect what parents across the country are facing. When fathers cannot afford to take leave, the burden falls entirely on mothers. I have spoken to new mums recovering from major surgery alone while caring for newborns, and often other kids. The toll on their mental and physical health is profound. This is also a workplace safety issue. I heard of tradespeople who supported my tool theft campaign returning to work on almost no sleep, operating heavy machinery, driving long distances and putting themselves at risk. One plainly told me: “I was a danger to myself. But I couldn’t afford to stop.” The petitioners are not asking for special treatment; they are asking for fairness. They are asking for statutory maternity and paternity pay to at least match the national living wage, for six weeks of ringfenced paternity leave, and for self-employed parents to be included. The status quo is failing. This is about fairness, family and the kind of country that we want to be.

• 20 Oct 2025 · Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban · Hansard source

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  Ensuring that all fans can attend sporting events in safety and without fear must always be our first priority, and we must fully respect the operational independence of the police. Can the Secretary of State reassure the House that this Government will provide the necessary resources to support local policing in this case, particularly in the light of the heightened and very deep concerns around antisemitism, to ensure that resourcing is not the reason given for the block banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans?

• 15 Oct 2025 · Pride in Place · Hansard source

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  On behalf of the people of Portsmouth, I am delighted that we have received £41.5 million under Labour’s pride in place impact programmes. Some £20 million of that is for Paulsgrove, which is close to my heart. It is a proud and resilient place, but it was neglected and ignored under 14 years of the previous Government. As pubs, shops and facilities have closed, volunteers and community champions have been running them out of their own pockets to keep that part of the city going. Will the Minister confirm that the community of Paulsgrove will now be able to have a say and put into action what the community wants and needs, with real investment from the Government, rather than from their own pockets?

• 13 Oct 2025 · Baby Loss · Hansard source

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  I rise to speak about baby loss on behalf of those affected—those who I know and love, and those who I do not know. This tragedy touches far too many families in Portsmouth North and across our country. We have heard today how each year in England and Wales, tragically, around 2,500 babies are stillborn and a further 1,600 die within their first year of life. Behind every statistic is a grieving family—mother, father, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and siblings—whose world is changed for ever. Around 2,000 babies are born in Portsmouth each year. While outcomes have improved, we still see the deep inequalities that drive baby loss, and babies born in our most deprived communities are twice as likely to die before their first birthday than those in our wealthiest communities. Many of our maternity teams are working tirelessly to change that. At my hospital, the Queen Alexandra hospital, the maternity service has earned a UNICEF baby-friendly gold award, a national HSJ digital award and an NHS parliamentary award for innovation and compassionate care—proof that the possibility of dedication and excellence can and does exist. However, such excellence should not be a postcode lottery; it should be national and available for all. We have the knowledge to prevent many of these tragedies. We have had inquiries that have produced recommendations and actions about early, informed and accessible antenatal care, tackling health in pregnancy, supporting maternal mental health, accountability, transparency, openness and addressing inequalities, and listening to women and families about their experiences, to ensure that their birth choice is right for mum and baby, free from pressure and prejudice. Services must be properly funded, staffed and joined up. When nothing can be done and a loss occurs, compassionate bereavement support is vital. Parents tell me that small acts of care, including a quiet room, a midwife who listens, a support group for all the family, the use of language—that it is a baby loss, not a miscarriage —and the opportunity to talk and be heard, can all make a difference. However, like maternity provision, bereavement support varies widely and too many families are left to cope alone, often in silence. This week, as we mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, we must stand with every parent who lights a candle, remembers a name or holds in their heart the baby they never got to take home or who was not physically in their lives forever, but who will always be a part of their family. To those families, I know we all say, “You are not alone, your babies are not forgotten and your courage gives meaning to this work and to our debate.” As a Government, we must work with local NHS leaders, public health teams and charities. We cannot talk about breaking down barriers to opportunity if we do not do that in our maternity services. Baby loss is not inevitable, but it is a challenge that we, as a Government, can and must meet. With compassion, we must have action.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  As the third-largest employer in Britain, hospitality supports 3.5 million jobs and is the beating heart of our high streets and communities, yet this vital sector has been let down by a decade of Conservative neglect; over 10,000 pubs closed between 2010 and 2024. This motion continues to let down businesses and workers, and as my hon. Friends the Members for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank), and for Tipton and Wednesbury (Antonia Bance), eloquently pointed out, our workers are our hospitality sector—workers like my cousin James, a fantastic head chef in my city. He has been a skilled professional for over two decades. He deserves the same workers’ rights and protections from the Low Pay Commission as any office worker. This Labour Government are turning the tide. We are backing hospitality with our new hospitality and night-time economy zones, cutting red tape, and supporting al fresco dining to boost footfall. We are delivering permanently lower business rates for hospitality in 2026 and developing our strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises. Through our safer streets mission, we are reducing crime and keeping our workers safe, but we must also recognise the unique challenges facing seasonal hospitality businesses, particularly in coastal communities. These areas have remarkable booms during the summer months, but face economic hardship through the winter. This feast-or-famine cycle makes it difficult for businesses to budget. That is where the English devolution Bill is crucial. By empowering mayoral combined authorities with greater control over growth and resources, we can develop targeted support for seasonal economies—a great example of this Government working together to protect workers. Local leaders understand their communities’ rhythms. They know when businesses need support, and understand the impacts, both positive and negative, on the local economy and our public services. The hospitality sector—pubs, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities, as well as the often forgotten and ignored security staff who keep us safe in those venues—is vital. I want to praise all the fantastic workers and businesses in Portsmouth who go above and beyond in our city. There are so many great places to spend leisure time. They provide employment and contribute brilliantly to our communities. They include the Café on the Green and the Cross Keys—the final pub left—in Paulsgrove; Bar Aroma, the Heath’s tearoom and café, set up by two brilliant young sisters, and the Drayton Tavern in Drayton and Farlington; the Mardin café and the Star & Garter in Copnor; the Casemates and Hilsea Lines cafés in Hilsea; Makemake brewery and Beeny’s in Baffins; the Palace café, the Highbury café and the Portsbridge pub in Cosham; and the Mother Shipton and the North End café in Stamshaw and North End, to name only a few. I thank all of them, and hope that they continue to flourish under our Labour Government.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Property Taxes · Hansard source

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  As a former teacher, I say no. I will continue with the term free school meals. We are also seeing breakfast clubs to support pupils and families at the start of every day, additional nursery allocations to help working parents with the crazy cost of childcare, and investment in our NHS. All of those measures are the result of having a Labour Government and two Labour MPs in Portsmouth. I could go on, because that is just the tip of the iceberg of the investment and initiatives that are very much needed by the people of my city. This is reality, not imagination, speculation or politicking—not, in the words of the motion today, “considering”, but action. None of that would have been possible without the decisions of this Government. Some, I admit, have been difficult, and some have been very necessary, such as placing the burden of tax on the very wealthiest, with private jet tax up 50%, stamp duty on second homes, changes to inheritance tax on big landowners, the scrapping of non-dom status, the ending of offshore trusts to stop inheritance tax avoidance, and VAT on private schools. Does the Minister agree that the investments like those in Portsmouth North are possible only because of the decisions and actions we have taken to raise revenue? Those decisions, Madam Deputy Speaker, were repeatedly opposed by the Opposition. In bringing this debate, which is—in the words of Willy Wonka—one of “pure imagination”, they appear not to be considering an alternative, but to be going back to the status quo of 14 years of cuts and damage to Britain. This debate has been full of amnesia and sloping shoulders, with no regret and not one apology. It is a debate set to talk Britain and its people down—a debate ignoring the most positive things this Government have brought to the people of my city and this country.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Property Taxes · Hansard source

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  Like my family and friends and the people of my city, I saw at first hand the economic failures and harms done to the people of this country under 14 years of the previous Government—harm to our council services, armed forces and public services, the special educational needs and disabilities system, NHS waiting lists, rents and mortgage costs, wages, prison place numbers, police numbers and safety on our streets. It was 14 years of made-up unfunded promises and commitments—14 years in which the previous Government gave up on Pompey, on Britain and on everyone in it, leaving us as a Government to clear up their mess. Fourteen years cannot be cleaned up overnight—it takes time—but, Madam Deputy Speaker, cleaning it up we are. I welcome the investment in my constituency, including £13.8 billion for flood defences to protect our homes; £2.2 billion for the defence sector, which will protect jobs in my city and provide greater opportunities for our small and medium-sized enterprises; £4.8 million for better buses, allowing better transport; £2.7 million on fixing potholes to repair the crumbling streets we live on and stop the damage being done to our vehicles; £2.3 million for upgrading schools and college buildings so that our young people have a safe environment to learn; £1.9 million in additional SEND funding to start the process of patching up the mess, which the previous Government said was a lose-lose situation; and £1.2 million in additional funding for temporary accommodation to house some of the most desperate families in my city. We are seeing investment into solar panels on public buildings to reduce costs and protect the environment, safer streets programmes in North End and Cosham, in addition to named police officers, as well as free school meals and breakfast clubs to support pupils.