Andrew Lewin MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 17 Dec 2025 · Local Government Finance · Hansard source

  More

  There is fierce pride in Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and our villages, but we are a community of contrasts: the gap in life expectancy a few miles down the road is 13 years. I have had an initial look, and it seems that Welwyn Hatfield will benefit to the tune of about £9 million. That is wonderful news for our community. I thank the Minister for looking at need after housing costs, but will she give me a guarantee that that will continue to be a key part of how our Government look at need? In communities such as Hertfordshire, housing is often such a barrier to people getting on.

• 17 Dec 2025 · UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations · Hansard source

  More

  It was Christmas eve five years ago when Boris Johnson signed his fateful deal, which took away opportunities for young people and kicked us out of Erasmus. I thank the Minister for exorcising that ghost of Christmas past. Does he agree that the message we have heard in the Chamber today is that the Conservative party wants to keep opportunities locked away from young people, that Reform cares so little it has not even shown up, and that those who want to extend opportunities for our young people need to back a Labour Government?

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  I could not agree more on the power of cricket in bringing communities together. I am pleased to hear that the hon. Member has such a thriving club in his community. As in all good teams, complacency is not an option. We are in a good place, but when we reflect on grassroots participation in our game, and who has access to it, we must question whether facilities are always truly open to all. Many of the best cricket facilities in the country are located at private schools—that is not a new phenomenon. There are good examples of such facilities being opened up and shared with a much wider community. King Edward’s school, Birmingham has been highlighted to me as an exemplar. It has a decades-long relationship with Warwickshire county cricket club, and makes its pitches and indoor facilities available all year round. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I would be grateful if the Minister said a little about what her Department is doing to build on examples of best practice, and to encourage more private schools to open their facilities to the whole community. High-quality pitches and outfields will always be core to our game—they are an essential tenet of it—but our sport is evolving fast. I was delighted by our Government’s commitment to the first two cricket domes in Luton and Lancashire earlier this year. The domes will provide a unique opportunity for the game to be played all year round. I would value hearing more from the Minister on the Government’s plans to accelerate and expand the roll-out of these domes.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  I agree. My hon. Friend’s constituency has a proud cricketing history. I know a little bit about the work of the Lord’s Taverners; it is an inspiring organisation that helps young people with disabilities and additional needs to thrive and enjoy our great game. In respect of domes, it is so important that we keep an eye on urban centres in particular, where there is so much passion for our game but far fewer opportunities to take part. We also need to plan today for the facilities of tomorrow. I support the Government’s planning reforms and believe that we need a collective focus on building homes and communities that stand the test of time. Sports facilities, cricket pavilions and pitches are part of what distinguishes a community from a simple housing development. Sports England has been a statutory consultee in the planning process since 1997. In the 18 years prior to Sports England being given that status, 10,000 sports pitches were sold off. Since 1997, that number has fallen to fewer than 600. We need a planning system that values sporting facilities—not simply to preserve them, but to recognise that our most successful places often have a sports club at their core. As the NHS rightly shifts its focus from sickness to prevention, the public health benefits of getting this right today will be felt for decades to come. I appreciate that much of the decision-making power here lies in the remit of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but I would be grateful if the Minister said a little about the representations that she is making to ensure that protecting existing sports facilities and building them for the future is part of live conversations about planning reform. The biggest and best change to happen in cricket since I was playing as a kid is not Bazball—sorry, Brendon—but the growth of the game for girls, women and people with disabilities. I have also had the privilege of visiting a Super 1s cricket programme at Chancellor’s school in Brookmans Park in my constituency. It was one of my most uplifting days in this job—I saw young people with disabilities and additional needs come together in the simple joy of playing a game of cricket. Hatfield Hyde cricket club in my constituency is another leading club in Hertfordshire for disability cricket, and my visit for next season is already booked in. The growth of the women’s game has the potential to reach new heights next year as we host the women’s T20 world cup. I hear that ticket sales are going well—I can say with certainty that they will be drastically more affordable than tickets for a certain event happening at the same time in the US. May I invite the Minister to tell us what plans she has to capitalise on England’s hosting of the world cup next summer, so that it lives long in the memory, not just as a tournament but as a catalyst for further growth of our game? Grassroots cricket is in good health. The top order has built a good foundation, and there is much to be optimistic about, but in cricket parlance we need only add two wickets to the scorecard for things to start looking a bit more vulnerable. Now is not the time for overconfidence or any rash shots outside off-stump—and that is as true for our long-term stewardship of the game here as it is for England in Adelaide over the next five days. I look forward to hearing from the Minister about how she plans to play it from here to ensure that grassroots cricket keeps growing, is open to all, and can be a success story in constituencies all across the country.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  I strongly agree, and will talk a little more about the protections we can offer clubs and what more we can do to build and establish clubs of the future. Cricket clubs set a new record for participation in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s All Stars and Dynamos youth programmes this year, with more than 105,000 children signing up, including a record number of girls taking up the game. Just short of 3,000 girls’ teams played fixtures this summer—another double-digit percentage increase on the previous year.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for grassroots cricket clubs. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. There is something quintessentially English about amateur cricket: the thud of the bat on ball, the awkward silence after a catch goes down—I know, I have been there—and the beer mats hanging out of trouser pockets, as players hope to dry the ball on another soggy May afternoon. Mostly importantly, this summer 2.5 million of us played the game, which is a force for good in so many ways. I want to reflect on why grassroots cricket is so important to our communities and needs to be nurtured and invested in, and to ask the Minister how the Government can work with clubs, schools and the game’s governing body, to ensure that our great game thrives and is open to all. Cricket has always been a big part of my life. I am wearing the tie of Bishop’s Stortford cricket club, where I first rocked up as a six-year-old. I have played for a few clubs in my time. The excellent Play-Cricket website, used by clubs across the country, records that I have batted 193 times and scored 3,854 runs in club cricket. This is a 90-minute debate, so we have plenty of time— [ Interruption. ] No, don’t worry, Mr Turner. I was sorely tempted but, as I intend to stay in your good books, I will resist the temptation to talk any more about my career.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  There were so many good speeches, and I want to briefly reflect on the highlights from each. I congratulate the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) on the new cricket pitch and pavilion landing this year. I was really sorry to hear about the flooding that impacted the club of my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes (Melanie Onn). Cricket is particularly exposed to the damage of climate change in this country and across the world. We need to be really conscious of that. We already knew that there has never been a parliamentary debate missed by the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon); now we know he has never got a duck either. That is particularly big news in Westminster. My hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) talked about the brilliance of the Lancashire league. I largely agree with him, but as I went to York university, I will say no more—I want to remain friends. The hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) gave a really powerful speech. I particularly support his comment that while there is talent everywhere, opportunity is not equally shared. He made a powerful point about state-of-the-art facilities—some young people just need some synthetic turf. His point was very well made. I am sorry that the hon. Member for South Antrim (Robin Swann) and I got off on the wrong foot. He is absolutely right to say that cricket has a very proud history in Ireland. It is not just the Aussies who have beaten the English in recent history; the Irish team has as well, as has Scotland—a lot of people share in that. I love the journey of the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) from cricket widow to a champion of the sport, and the opening up of the game. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Steff Aquarone), is, I think, all out of puns. He might be a little optimistic in thinking that there will be an Ashes test at Cromer cricket club, but the parliamentary cricket team is always looking for fixtures, so we can talk afterwards. The hon. Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) and I might not agree on everything, but we can agree on the class and permanence of Joe Root, whose career has spanned six Prime Ministers. Most importantly, I thank the Minister for everything she is doing for our game: for her commitment to raise the issue of opening up facilities in private schools with the Department for Education, for the specific £400 million investment, and for considering how those two things can work together. I think that will matter to a lot of the Members who have spoken today, and many more colleagues as well. She finished by encouraging submissions to the MHCLG consultation. I do not need any excuse to write about cricket, so I will certainly be doing that. I thank everybody who took part in the debate today. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered Government support for grassroots cricket clubs.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Grassroots Cricket Clubs · Hansard source

  More

  Of course, Mr Turner, but I hope we can make an exception for a teammate. I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I have played at some of the clubs that do so much for his community. I know that that is true of many hon. Members who will take part in the debate. As for future call-ups, there are still three test matches to go. I want to thank Welwyn Garden City cricket club in my constituency. This August, I played a small part in helping to organise a tournament to raise money for two brain tumour charities. The driving force behind the day was Connor Emerton, the club captain, whose brother Shay was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just 24. Shay and Connor both played on the day, and £10,000 was raised for brain tumour charities. That epitomised the best of a grassroots cricket club: a community coming together, enjoying an English summer’s day and raising money for an exceptionally important cause. Grassroots cricket is in good shape: 2.5 million played the game in some form last year, and 216,000 fixtures were recorded across England and Wales, which is the first time the amateur game has surpassed the 200,000 mark in a single calendar year.

• 3 Dec 2025 · OBR: Resignation of Chair · Hansard source

  More

  Three years ago, the role of the OBR came into sharp focus after the delivery of another Budget, which became known as the mini-Budget, by which the markets were sent spiralling and the Bank of England was forced to take emergency action. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, while the events of this last week have been serious, we have taken action within a week? Three years on, we are still living with the consequences of the decisions taken by the Conservatives.

• 27 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

  More

  rose —

• 27 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

  More

  Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am sure the best is yet to come. I am pleased to address the House on a day with bond yields falling, growth figures for the year revised upwards, and an opportunity to reflect on the announcements made yesterday and what they mean for people in Welwyn Hatfield. I want to try to address two of the macro trends that shape the UK economy today, and which would frame the choices available to any Chancellor, irrespective of their party allegiance. The first trend is the happy reality that people in the UK are living longer than ever before. Millions of Brits are living longer and healthier lives, staying active, spending more time with grandchildren, playing sport, music, doing charitable work and enjoying holidays. That is unquestionably and unequivocally good news, but inequality among older people is stark and real. Lifespans vary hugely by postcode, and this Government’s focus on the NHS is essential if we are to close that gap. However, one challenge is perhaps even more profound, because the ratio between the working-age population and those who are retired has been transformed. Since the creation of the welfare state there has been almost a doubling of what is called the “dependency ratio”, and we see that vividly in how it impacts Government spending. By 2030-31, welfare spending supporting pensioners will have increased to £195 billion per year. Welfare spending supporting families with child benefit, including the changes announced yesterday, will be £14 billion per year. Welfare spending is going up disproportionately to support pensioners. That reflects the happy truth that people are living longer, but when we discuss the future of welfare in this House, let us always be mindful of the facts. I am afraid that the second theme relates to the biggest act of economic self-harm in a generation. The Brexit deal put up trade barriers with our closest and largest trading partners. We have 16,000 fewer businesses in the UK exporting to the European Union, a surge in food prices, bureaucracy at the border, and a hit to our economy of at least £100 billion. We must repair the damage. It is critical that the Government continue to drive forward the UK-EU reset, and do so at pace, with a sanitary and phytosanitary deal that could reduce food prices, and a youth mobility deal that will be good for growth and for cultural connections. UK-EU relations were on the floor thanks to the last Government. We are rebuilding the relationship, and I will continue to advocate that my colleagues in Government do that at pace, with urgency, and with increasing ambition, because it is so fundamental to all our growth prospects for the future. I commend the Chancellor on increasing the headroom on her stability rule. The markets were looking for reaffirmation that the Government are serious about meeting their targets, and they got their answer. Bond yields fell yesterday, meaning the cost of borrowing fell too. Coupled with the inflation figures last week, the case for another cut in interest rates looks stronger than ever. If the story of this Parliament is interest rates falling and lower mortgage repayments, then the story of yesterday’s Budget was one that coupled stability with fairness. Removing the two-child limit was morally and economically the right choice. I spoke a moment ago about the relatively small cost of this measure to the Exchequer in the context of welfare spending, but in practice we are talking about £17.25, a very modest amount to many people, but a sum that will be transformative to the families currently living below the poverty line. On the cost of living, the Budget set out a series of decisions that will help the day-to-day lives of ordinary people in Welwyn Hatfield and across the country: the bus cap maintained, train fares frozen for the first time in 30 years, prescription charges held steady, and a major intervention on energy bills that will see them fall universally by around £150 next year, in addition to the warm homes payment this winter, which will benefit at least 10,000 people in Welwyn Hatfield and 2.7 million across the country. The economic fundamentals are challenging. In these circumstances, it is an even more significant achievement by this Labour Government to meet the fiscal rules, to calm the gilt markets, to provide extra support on the cost of living and to drive down child poverty. This Budget is responsible and fair, and it sets a foundation on which to build in the future.

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

  More

  The right hon. Gentleman is a respected Member of the House, but I think it is really important that we reflect on the facts. Both the Chancellor and the OBR announced today that growth is up from 1% to 1.5% this year. The right hon. Gentleman talks about having a plan on planning reform—a subject I am very interested in. Why then did his party abstain and not back our planning reforms?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Energy · Hansard source

  More

  I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. I do not normally read in the Chamber—I do not think it is good form—but in this case I will. This is available on the shadow Minister’s website. He says: “I am also proud of the UK’s world-leading role in tackling climate change…with the UK being the first country to introduce legally binding long-term emissions targets under the landmark Climate Change Act in 2008.” He now wants to scrap that Act, does he not?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Energy · Hansard source

  More

  I agree entirely with my hon. Friend, and I will go on to talk more about why investment now is good for us, in both the short term and the long term. We have a genuinely sad state of affairs. There have been Conservatives who have taken the climate very seriously, from Lord Deben, with his leadership of the Climate Change Committee, to the former Prime Minister Baroness May. I am even old enough to remember Lord Cameron, then Leader of the Opposition, imploring people to vote blue to go green. I know I do not look that old. The message is clear that the Conservative party is no longer interested in that, and I will address the rest of my speech to those in this place who are still serious about reducing emissions, protecting the planet and doing what is right for the next generation.

• 12 Nov 2025 · Energy · Hansard source

  More

  I recognise that improvements were made by the last Government, but if the right hon. Gentleman is listening carefully—I am sure he is—he will hear that that is the theme of my speech, and of comments from Government Members. It is so sad to see the Conservative party walk away from the Climate Acts and from being a party that takes these issues seriously. That is the sad thing, and that is what matters. Hundreds more families in my constituency are about to enjoy the same experience as Tina, meaning that they can live in warmer homes and have dramatically lower energy bills. Upgrading our homes is the right priority; it is yielding results, and will continue to do so, but it will take time to scale that up across the country. The same is true of our investment in new nuclear power, the continued growth of all forms of renewables, and mandating that from 2027, every new home must have solar panels on the roof. In parallel, the Government are right to recognise the urgency of now. Energy bills are down from their peak, but they are still significantly higher than before Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, so it is absolutely right that we have targeted plans to ease the pressure on families on lower incomes this winter through the warm home discount scheme, which will reach 2.7 million families across the country and around 11,000 families in Welwyn Hatfield. The Conservative motion reflects the sad journey of the Conservative party. At best, they are ignoring climate change; at worst, they are playing to the climate sceptics, who might be plentiful on Elon Musk’s X, but there are very few of them in this country or, I suspect, in the constituencies of Conservative Members. In contrast, this Labour Government are absolutely right to invest in warm homes, to back renewable energy and to declare that tackling climate change is, and will remain, a national priority.

• 12 Nov 2025 · Energy · Hansard source

  More

  I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss energy and climate change, although I am still reeling from the speech made by the shadow Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for East Surrey (Claire Coutinho). By my count, she talked more about mushrooms than about climate change. The debate comes just weeks after one of the most deadly storms on record caused such destruction in Jamaica. The Imperial college storm model concluded that the storm was appreciably stronger and more dangerous because of climate change. We are debating this motion in the shadow of the UN Secretary General’s comment that humanity has failed to keep global heating to below 1.5°C. With that backdrop, it is sad to see such a defeatist motion put forward by the Conservative party That said, perhaps it is apt that we are debating the subject on an Opposition day, because the Conservative motion before us opposes many of the things that the party did in government. The Conservatives set up the UK emissions trading scheme in 2021, but now they want to scrap it. They introduced the levy on the oil and gas sector, but now they want to scrap that. The Climate Change Act 2008 was a Labour achievement that had cross-party support for many years, but now, most shockingly of all, the Conservatives want to scrap it.

• 12 Nov 2025 · Energy · Hansard source

  More

  As I will go on to say, I am telling them that investing in a decarbonisation scheme and having warm homes is exactly the way that we get bills down. Just last week, I met Tina in Hatfield. Tina is a council house resident, and she benefited from the social housing decarbonisation scheme. Her home was retrofitted last year, with new insulation, triple glazing and a host of other improvements, and she is thrilled with the results. She told me, most importantly of all, that last winter, her monthly energy bill fell from £140 to £67 a month. Tina’s experience proves that we can cut emissions and cut costs. It also proves that there is not a fight between fighting climate change and providing support with the cost of living; the two can and must work together. That is precisely why our Labour Government have expanded the social housing decarbonisation scheme, and why I am proud that funding for wave 3 will see more than 600 council homes in Welwyn Hatfield brought up to energy performance certificate rating C by 2028.

• 30 Oct 2025 · Land Value Capture · Hansard source

  More

  It is an honour to serve on the Select Committee with my hon. Friend. As she knows, I am biased when it comes to the importance of new towns. I represent two fantastic new towns: Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City. What she said this afternoon about the new towns of the future and how we get the balance right was really important. Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City are communities that have stood the test of time because land value was captured and a good amount of social housing was built right at the start of those developments. It is imperative that we do the same this time around for the new generation of new towns that the Government seek to build. Does my hon. Friend agree that when we get spades in the ground in our new towns, it is crucial not only that we invest in infrastructure, but that the homes for social rent that we so desperately need are built in the first phase of development and are a core part of those communities from day one?

• 30 Oct 2025 · Infected Blood Compensation Scheme · Hansard source

  More

  In one of the first contributions I had the privilege of making in the House, I raised the case of the Blake family. Their son Stuart was infected aged six, and he died at the age of 27, back in 2006. I have been in regular contact with the family, and it was my privilege to show them around this place just a few weeks ago. I am sure the Minister and the House will understand that this has consumed their family for four decades, and they are still seeking reassurance about the urgency with which the Government are bringing forward payments, and about whether they will be made as quickly as possible. I am really encouraged by the statement. The family are eligible for the second interim payment, but I would be grateful if the Minister confirmed his personal commitment to bringing such cases to resolution as soon as possible.

• 28 Oct 2025 · Stamp Duty Land Tax · Hansard source

  More

  The shadow Chancellor talks about the huge advantages of his proposal. Is he aware that someone who owns a home worth £2 million would benefit to the tune of £150,000? This is a tax cut for millionaires. Is that what he wants?

• 28 Oct 2025 · Stamp Duty Land Tax · Hansard source

  More

  Let me start by saying that I welcome a debate on how we incentivise home ownership. I am a Labour MP who wants more of my constituents in Welwyn Hatfield to have a secure home of their own and to build a life in our community, and people’s ability to buy a home should not be so dependent on their access to the bank of mum and dad. The Conservatives’ proposition that we are discussing today is that the abolition of stamp duty is the answer. Before we assess that claim, let us look at how we got here. Home ownership went backwards over the 14 years of the last Conservative Government. There are 600,000 fewer homeowners in the UK than there would have been if home ownership rates had remained at the levels they were at in 2010—that is more than the population of Liverpool. Twenty years ago, 50% of people aged 25 to 34 owned their own home; by 2022, the figure had fallen to fewer than four in 10. Members from across the House will recognise that that is a record of failure. I think they will also agree that there is no panacea that will increase the level of home ownership, and that it requires a range of policy solutions. That being said, there is one fundamental truth that we need to recognise: if we do not build more homes, we will not have more homeowners. The last Government dropped mandatory housing targets, and I have lost count of how many Conservative MPs have used departmental questions, statements and even today’s debate to say, “I like the idea of homes in the right place, but it doesn’t happen to be in my constituency.” I have to say that the Liberal Democrats have been just as guilty of that as the Conservative party. Where the Conservatives failed, the Labour Government are acting. We are delivering the return of housing targets for every local authority, ambitious planning reform and a record £39 billion for the affordable homes programme. Do we have further to go? Yes, absolutely, but new housing starts in the first quarter of 2025 were up by 17% on the same period in 2024, when the Conservatives were still in power. Let us look more closely at the proposition that abolishing stamp duty is the answer. First of all, who benefits most? If someone’s home is worth £1.5 million, they will save £93,750 under this proposal. As I said earlier, if someone’s home is worth £2 million, they will save £150,000—that was cheered by the Conservative party, which is telling—whereas if they buy a home that is worth less than £300,000, this proposal will save them no money at all. That is the threshold at which stamp duty cuts in at the moment, and 40% of first-time buyers buy homes that are worth less than £300,000. As my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Dr Sandher) said, the Conservatives’ proposition is to ask ordinary taxpayers either to accept deep cuts in social security, or to pay more taxes to subsidise a tax cut for millionaires. Liz Truss would be proud. We have no Reform colleagues in the Chamber today, but I suspect that they would be pleased as well. Of course, their leader famously said at the time of the mini-Budget that it was the best Budget since 1986. If we seriously want more homeowners, the real answer lies in building more homes of all tenures; in offering mortgage guarantees to help those who earn enough but cannot raise the deposit to get on the ladder; in continuing to support low-cost home ownership models, such as shared ownership; in planning reform; and in embracing a new generation of new towns. In the first 14 months of being in office, this Government have done more to make progress on identifying sites for the next generation of new towns than the Conservative party did in 14 years. If our objective is to give millionaires a tax cut, abolishing stamp duty in one sweep is a good way to implement that policy. But if we are serious about helping people on to the housing ladder, we should reject the Conservatives’ motion today, reject their failed approach over the last 14 years, and support a package of reforms to get Britain building again.

• 16 Oct 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  I have recently hosted a series of meetings on the SEND system with parents and teachers. One moment was most striking: when I asked a roomful of parents how many of them knew or suspected that their child had additional needs before the age of five, every single hand went up. Will the Leader of the House consider giving time to a debate dedicated to the importance of early intervention in the SEND system so that we identify problems and support parents and children as early as we possibly can?

• 16 Sept 2025 · International Day of Democracy · Hansard source

  More

  It is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Rachel Blake) not just on securing the debate, but on a powerful speech, and especially on her tribute to how our Parliament is evolving. It is vital to recognise that we have agency in this place and that there is cause for hope. Not only is it customary to open a speech in that way, but it speaks to something that is core to our democracy: that civility matters. We make progress as a society and as a country through considered debate and by contesting ideas. We value the opinions of those on all sides of the political divide. The process of building consensus is invariably a strength and not a weakness. People who represent different political views or parties can be, and often are, our friends. I consider everyone who serves in the House of Commons to be a colleague. Many will be my political opponents, but they will never be my enemies. That may seem self-evident in a mature democracy such as the United Kingdom, but we live in a time when democracy needs renewal and reaffirmation. We can take nothing for granted, and the comments of Elon Musk on Saturday demonstrate why. At a rally that was purportedly about the uniting the kingdom, Musk told the crowd that “violence is coming to you” and that Parliament should be dissolved, on the basis that he did not like the result of the last election very much. Since 1929, we have run fully democratic elections in our country, with universal suffrage for men and women. Our democracy has endured and grown stronger through the horrors of war with the Nazis, global financial crises and a pandemic. We are not going to be cowed by a foreign billionaire who does not live in this country and cannot even pretend to understand it. We must not overstate the political abilities of this man. A couple of days ago, Musk announced that his AI tool, Grok, would once again be sent for reprogramming because it inconveniently shared facts that contradicted its master’s argument. If he cannot win an argument with his own AI tool, he is not going to win an argument with the British people. We should have confidence in our democracy but never be complacent about its future. We live in a world of mass information, where private companies that design social media algorithms hold more power to shape political debate than the editors of newspapers or the producers of broadcast news. The debate online has coarsened, which is precisely why our conduct in Parliament matters more than ever: we have to set an example. At times, it may feel quaint that we refer to each other in this place as hon. Members, but there is honour in debate, disagreement and democracy. There is no doubt that we live in fragile times. Putin has brought war to Europe, and I am speaking on the morning that the United Nations commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel’s leadership has committed four of the five acts of genocide defined under the 1948 genocide convention. The times we live in make it all the more important to look back at how democracy became a beacon of hope after we emerged from the second world war, the darkest chapter in our history. The response then to suffering was not to turn inward, to stigmatise or to attack others—it was the opposite. Signed by 50 nations in June 1945, the UN charter’s purpose was to reaffirm “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women”. It went on to say that all signatories must “practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours”. This country was at the vanguard of defending democracy even in our darkest hour. If a previous generation could succeed in championing democracy then, we can and must do it now.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

  More

  I do agree. I have spoken to constituents on two-year fixed-rate mortgages who were being hammered two years ago by Liz Truss and are now paying hundreds of pounds less per month because we are getting a grip on the economy. Sixty-two per cent of firms plan to increase headcount over the next 12 months, and confidence in retailers surveyed rose by 13 points to 57%, also marking a five-month high. This is all welcome news, but I am far from complacent. Of course there are real challenges for some hospitality firms. I turn now to how the Government are seeking to address them and why it matters to my constituents. A fitting place to start is the people who work in the sector. The average age is 35. Our shops, restaurants, pubs, cafés and cinemas are powered by younger people. When I bought my last suit at the Galleria in Hatfield, I received much-needed sartorial advice from an employee younger than me. [ Interruption. ] I will go back again for my next suit! When I pop into a Simmons branch for a coffee, it is invariably a younger person who serves me—as it is when I head in for a pint in one of the fantastic pubs in our two towns or the villages. People working in hospitality are just as deserving of rights and protections in the workplace as anyone else. That is why it is so important that the Employment Rights Bill brings forward day one protections at work. It introduces protection from unfair dismissal, bans exploitative zero-hours contracts and strengthens statutory sick pay. Earlier this year, the Labour Government increased the national living wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour—an increase comfortably above inflation that was welcomed by millions of workers, though seemingly not by the Conservative party. The Conservatives’ motion seems to cast doubt on the role of the Low Pay Commission, and sadly they have refused to welcome the pay rise we gave to the country last year. If any of them wants to say thank us for the minimum wage rise, I will happily give way. On business rates, the Conservatives left the Treasury with no funded commitment to continue with the retail, hospitality and leisure relief, as the Minister set out powerfully in his opening remarks. It is right that this Government stepped in to make the 40% reduction in rates permanent, giving confidence and security to business owners. I hope we can go even further in future. I know how much civic pride people have in their town centres. Although we will not return to the high streets of the 1990s, there is real demand in towns for variety: shops, places to eat, entertainment and events. A mixture of permanence, such as our iconic John Lewis store in Welwyn Garden City, and the events that the business improvement district puts on in our town every year, such as the world food festival, which draws thousands of local people and tourists from across the world. This is a Government who have listened to business, strengthened the rights of workers and given millions of lower earners a pay rise. Sentiment is improving and confidence is rising. Let us not talk down our hospitality sector; let us champion it and seize the opportunities that are in front of us.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

  More

  I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk about our hospitality sector and how we value and reward the people working in it, the rising confidence that business is reporting and the evolving nature of our high streets. High streets and hospitality are changing, but sadly what has not changed is a Conservative party in opposition that wants to talk the country down. The reality, as reported by 1,200 businesses in the Lloyds business survey, is very different from the picture that the Conservatives want to paint. The survey, which is in its 15th year, last week reported that the overall business confidence index, which combines firms’ trading expectations and economic optimism, rose for a fourth consecutive month in August, reaching its highest level since late 2015. Let me set that out plainly: business confidence under this Labour Chancellor is higher than it was at any point under any of the last six Conservative Chancellors who occupied No. 11 Downing Street.