Bayo Alaba MP: speeches

Speeches

• 24 Jun 2026 · Farming: Financial Sustainability · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith) for securing this debate, which I know resonates deeply with many farming families living and working in my constituency. Farming is more than a job: it is a lifestyle, a history and an identity that has defined rural communities for the entirety of this country’s history. Last week in my constituency, I spent time with members of my local NFU—a quiet and shy bunch. We spoke about the challenges they face, the concerns they have and the support they need from Government. They told me about pressures from rising fertiliser costs, driven in part by the conflict in Iran, and about how so-called equivalent standards are giving favourability to imported foods over home-grown produce. I have also heard from local farmers who say that outdated and underfunded rural infrastructure is preventing them from scaling up and delivering growth. It is clear from those conversations that food production must be a priority in planning for growth and in ensuring that the UK is resilient in the face of global instability. That also means creating a level playing field that does not restrict farmers with complex regulation, and that supports them with predictable funding streams. The financial sustainability of the farming sector depends on forward-thinking and informed planning. I am grateful this key sector is the focus of today’s debate, and I hope meaningful conversations continue.

• 20 May 2026 · Defence Readiness · Hansard source

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  I apologise, but I will not give way, because I am conscious that other Members want to speak. All too often, we hear from SMEs in the defence sector that access to funding is limited, slow-moving and difficult to secure. All too often, we see innovative British companies sell up or even relocate overseas. Take Ballistic Dynamics for example, an SME that is passionate about boosting the UK’s defence capability, but whose founders report facing structural barriers such as a lack of consistent funding opportunities and frustratingly opaque tender processes. In these troubling times, when our adversaries are increasingly bold in their challenges to our stability, home-grown industries will be a key component of what some are calling our pre-war phase or, in some cases, our grey zone. That pre-war phase must include the full utilisation of our highly trained and highly disciplined reserve forces who are too often undervalued in defence planning. I am glad to see the Government’s efforts to improve the recruitment process for reservists, and I would encourage even greater investment in the facilities, institutions and training that support them. I also appreciate the focus on the reserve forces more generally, but it has to be noted that the very limited reference to the active reserve forces in the SDR is causing concern among some sections of the armed forces community. The strategic reserves as a concept is seductive, but it relies on many optimistic assumptions to be realistically relied on as part of any defence plan, whereas the active reserves exist now. Preparing the United Kingdom for the potential of future conflict is a monumental task and it will require collaboration throughout Parliament. I urge Members across the House to work together to protect the security of the country, its citizens and our shared values.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (Carry-over) · Hansard source

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  This debate is deeply personal for me, because, in addition to being the Member for Southend East and Rochford, I am a proud former paratrooper. For me and countless others with military backgrounds like my own, the legacy of the troubles is not a distant memory but something that our community continues to carry the weight of. Back in November, I brought members of the Parachute Regimental Association, together with officials from the Northern Ireland Office and the Ministry of Defence. I had one simple aim: to ensure that veterans had a voice and their concerns about the Bill were heard clearly and directly. I thank those officials for their attendance and engagement. Let me be clear: the legislation passed by the Conservative Government must be updated. This is not myth or fallacy; indeed, even some Conservative Members have acknowledged that the current legislation is inadequate. It troubles me when colleagues from this House head over to Parliament Square, as they did this afternoon, not to engage with former colleagues or members of their local military associations, but to “virtue signal”, as my teenage daughter would put it. Our duty as parliamentarians is to lead, make difficult decisions and speak with honesty and sincerity. It is not to spew negative and dangerous rhetoric, as some across this Chamber seem intent on doing. They parade around with lapel badges larger than some solar panels and bearing the slogan, “Proud of my country, ashamed of this government.” That does not help or resolve this issue, and it is certainly not why the public voted us into this special place. It is dangerous and unproductive noise. However, I must be equally clear that, as it stands, the Bill leaves many questions unanswered and needs additional work. We cannot afford to rush it. Although justice must be delivered, we must also take the time to ensure that the legislation delivers the protections that our veterans need and deserve. Those who served in Northern Ireland followed orders and put their lives on the line to defend our country, and they cannot be an afterthought in this process. So I say to the Government that we should take the time to get this right, to continue our engagement, to listen to those who serve and the families who lost loved ones, and to ensure that before the Bill moves to its next stage veterans can have full confidence that it will deliver what is intended without creating serious unintended consequences that cannot be later undone. In conclusion, I say that, to every member of our armed forces community who has served and those who continue to serve, we owe a debt that cannot be repaid. And to those watching from the Gallery today, I say thank you: thank you for standing up for the memory of those we have lost and for standing together to protect those who are yet to serve.

• 11 Mar 2026 · Rough Sleeping: Families with Children · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) for securing the debate. I also thank my friend and colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme (Lee Pitcher) for his impassioned sharing of his very deep personal experiences. Also, he does not look a day over 60. The fact that children are sleeping rough on the streets of the United Kingdom should appal every Member of Parliament. I certainly find it deeply distressing. The impact of any form of homelessness, including rough sleeping, on young people’s futures is huge, and the number of those impacted is steadily increasing. As we speak, around 176,000 children are believed to be homeless and living in temporary accommodation—the highest amount since records began. That figure is nearly equivalent to the total number of children living in Leeds. In the first six months of 2025 alone, the homelessness charity Crisis saw more than 100 pregnant women and families with children use its services after being turned away from the support offered by their local councils—councils that are also struggling to cope with the rising pressures of the housing crisis that we are working hard to fix. This Government, with their comprehensive national plan to end homelessness and their ambition to build 1.5 million homes, have been clear that there is no excuse for children to be sleeping rough on our streets. On that note, I was pleased to see that the Minister had written to councils to reiterate their duty of care to prevent children from sleeping rough. It is important to recognise the vital role that the third sector plays when it comes to safeguarding young people against the impacts of homelessness and rough sleeping. In Southend, for example, we are fortunate to have HARP, a dedicated homelessness charity that works around the clock to safeguard our city’s most vulnerable residents. I have had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa Hemmings on a number of occasions. With her dedicated team at HARP, she works tirelessly, with passion and empathy, to ensure that even in the most challenging of environments and moments, our residents have somewhere to turn. Since becoming the MP for Southend East and Rochford, I have been grateful for the chance to visit HARP on several occasions, and have been consistently moved by its invaluable work. This debate is a crucial one, and I strongly hope that it will refocus efforts to ensure that no child has to endure a night without a home.

• 26 Jan 2026 · Animal Rescue Centres · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Alec. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) for securing this debate on a very important issue to many of my residents. The discovery of dozens of deceased dogs at the South Essex rehoming facility last year brought the consequences of the lack of regulation for animal rescue centres into sharp focus. That case is progressing through the courts, and I know that many constituents have closely followed developments, including my daughter, who is probably monitoring my attendance here. I used to be the most important male in her life, but I have been replaced by Caesar, a five-year-old ragdoll cat. Anyway, I digress. While most rehoming and rescue centres operate to high standards, I share the concerns of residents who feel that without regulation, both animals and their owners face unnecessary risks. In the UK, we have robust animal welfare laws that regulate services including pet boarding and breeding, yet oversight of rehoming centres remains a blind spot. As it stands, anyone in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can set themselves up as a rehoming organisation without any licensing or inspection requirements. The decision to hand over a pet to a rehoming centre is an incredibly hard one to make, and those who take that decision deserve to have full confidence in the quality of care that they are promised. I welcome the Government’s work on an integrated approach to improving animal welfare, including tackling puppy smuggling and puppy farming. I hope they will pay adequate attention to the regulation of rehoming and rescue centres. The thousands of signatures that this petition has collected, including 647 from Southend East and Rochford alone, demonstrate the scale of concern. I am grateful that the issue is getting the attention it deserves.

• 23 Oct 2025 · Civil Service: Opportunities outside London · Hansard source

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  11. What steps he is taking to increase opportunities to work in the civil service for people who live outside London.

• 23 Oct 2025 · Civil Service: Opportunities outside London · Hansard source

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  The Government’s plan to relocate civil service jobs outside London will bring high-quality jobs across the United Kingdom and ensure that policy is delivered closer to the communities it serves. However, none of the areas identified for that relocation is in the east of England, and notably, none is in Essex. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that these opportunities exist in every region, including my constituency of Southend East and Rochford, and will the Minister meet me to discuss the opportunities that are available?