Callum Anderson MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 16 Dec 2025 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  I am pleased to contribute to this debate, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary on bringing forward his first finance Bill. I hope it is the first of many. Given the limited time that I have, I will focus my remarks on the Government’s central mission: economic growth. The Government have rightly placed investment and reform at the heart of their strategy, and they are removing the barriers to economic growth that for too long have held back this country and the towns, villages and city that make up the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency—be it through major planning reforms, cutting regulatory costs, investing in skills and apprenticeships, or undertaking fundamental pensions reform to free up more risk capital. This pro-investment and pro-reform approach lays the foundation not only for our long-term economic growth across the UK, but for our long-term global competitiveness. This country is a great place to start a business, despite what Opposition Members have said, but scaling a business has been too difficult for too long for too many entrepreneurs, and too many firms are acquired early by private capital—often from abroad—and therefore fail to scale globally. There are a number of fantastic, innovative and high-growth companies in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency—be it Pulsar, Envisics or Carnot Engines—and I want all of them to realise their full potential in my constituency, not overseas. I believe that this Bill goes some way towards enabling that, and it is not just those companies that it will help. I have read many commendations from the Startup Coalition and the ScaleUp Institute, which have backed many of the measures that I will cover in my remarks. Clauses 13 to 16 and clause 82 back ambition, encourage investment and reward those who want to take risks. Expanding the enterprise management incentives—by raising the employee limit to 500, the gross assets limit to £120 million and the holding period to 15 years—ensures that more high-growth, innovative companies can attract and retain the world-class domestic and global talent that they need. For many, joining a fast-growing company is a leap of faith, and when that risk pays off, the people who create the success should share in the reward. I also welcome clauses 14 and 15, which follow the logic that I just set out with regard to the enterprise investment scheme and venture capital trusts. I particularly welcome the raising of the company investment limits and the lifetime caps, which will ensure that more early-stage companies can scale here in the UK, not overseas. Similarly, raising the respective gross assets limits before and after share deals sensibly reflects modern growth realities. I believe that these reforms will support life sciences, green technology and advanced manufacturing, all of which are sectors identified in the Government’s industrial strategy, which they published earlier this year. The reforms will enable earlier capital raising and faster, more efficient scaling, and make it far more likely that more companies will become national champions and companies of global consequence that are anchored here in the UK. The final clause that I particularly welcome is clause 82, on the new UK listing relief, which removes the 0.5% stamp duty reserve tax on transfers for newly listed companies. This measure has been called for by UK financial services, and also by a wide range of sectors that are included in the industrial strategy, for a significant period of time. I believe that the clause will boost liquidity, incentivise more investors of all types—be they institutional or retail—to buy British, and entice more domestic companies to follow in the footsteps of Magnum, Shawbrook and the Beauty Tech Group by listing in London. I am pleased that this Bill strengthens the UK’s ability to compete globally, to support its entrepreneurs and to make sure that the UK is the best possible place to scale a company. I will close my remarks by mentioning what I hope will be given consideration in a finance Bill in future parliamentary Sessions: the Government may wish to dedicate themselves to pro-growth and pro-enterprise tax reform. The previous Government, and indeed many Governments of different political orientations, have increased the length of the tax code, increased the number of cliff edges, complicated the tax base and, frankly, fundamentally failed to close or tackle various loopholes. As we rededicate ourselves to growth in this parliamentary Session and in future parliamentary Sessions, we would do well to ensure that simplification and fairness anchor our growth agenda.

• 15 Dec 2025 · NATO: European Security · Hansard source

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  21. What recent discussions he has had with NATO counterparts on European security.

• 15 Dec 2025 · NATO: European Security · Hansard source

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  Deterrence depends not only on military strength but on our economic resilience, from energy security to protecting our critical infrastructure and vital industries. Will the Minister provide more information on what conversations he has been having with our partners and NATO allies in Europe, to align our economic security measures with our broader defence strategy on our continent?

• 4 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T10. Through the town deal and the Bletchley investment taskforce, our town is already working hard to attract private investment. We see an opportunity to go even further by bringing in socially minded investors to back local growth. What further steps is the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister taking through the Office for the Impact Economy to connect social investors with our town so that we can realise our full potential?

• 3 Dec 2025 · Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor · Hansard source

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  I have drawn the short straw here. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner) on securing this debate. I felt compelled to join the debate this afternoon because I wanted to underscore the point, which has been made by others, that if we want to make the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor a success, we cannot ignore the roles of the towns and cities that lie between them. My hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes North (Chris Curtis) articulately explained the vitality of the MK economy. All I will add to what he said is that I am particularly proud that Pulsar, Envisics and Starship Technologies call Bletchley home. I particularly welcome East West Rail, as Bletchley and Winslow will host East West Rail stations. I cannot wait for passenger services to start, hopefully as soon as possible. I intend to use the Bletchley investment taskforce that I set up in the spring to catalyse more investment, businesses, jobs and apprenticeships in our town, so that we can realise the full promise of the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor. I have little time remaining, but as the only Buckinghamshire MP able to participate in the debate, I want to shed light on Silverstone’s contribution to the east-west corridor, as articulated by my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge. My constituency is home to a high-performance technology cluster in Silverstone Park, which already has 60 advanced companies, including Mercedes, Aston Martin and Andretti. If we can get the proposed Silverstone incubator village over the line, we can further demonstrate the region’s expertise in net zero propulsion, aerodynamics, meteorology and lightweight materials. I echo the comments made by my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes North about the importance of coherent, strategic and joined-up leadership across the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor. I know that hon. Members from across the Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes region would value more conversations about that.

• 1 Dec 2025 · Office for Budget Responsibility Forecasts · Hansard source

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  I thank the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his statement. The integrity of fiscal forecasting depends not only on technical expertise, but on the public’s confidence in the people who deliver it. Clearly, that confidence has been shaken in the past few days. Can he outline what governance changes he and the Department are thinking about enacting so that those overseeing the fiscal process meet the highest standards of conduct and scrutiny? Does he have confidence in the head of the OBR delivering them?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  I was pleased to see that the forthcoming curriculum reforms acknowledge the importance of financial capability for young people, but there is the immediate challenge of the scant financial education that exists now, which must be addressed. Can the Minister update the House on how the Department is working with civil society and the financial sector to ensure that young people are getting quality financial education now?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to contribute to this third day of the Budget debate, and a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson), and I associate myself with the speeches of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas). In the short time available, I wish to cover a few areas, the first of which is the fiscal stance of the Government in relation to the cost of living. Overall, I believe that the set of measures announced by the Chancellor last week will indeed cut the cost of living, tackle NHS waiting lists, and reduce the deficit and the debt, which is much needed. Having worked in financial services before entering this place, I have observed debates on fiscal probity and prudence with great interest, but I would like to remind Members—certainly those on the Government side of the House, but also those across the House—that fiscal responsibility or fiscal prudence is not just an end in itself; it is a means to an end. It delivers economic and financial stability, and ultimately lowers inflation. I welcome the fact that measures in the Budget will reduce inflation more than expected. By increasing the headroom, we are enabling the central bank to, in time, reduce interest rates at a faster rate, which will not only support mortgage holders but support businesses to expand their operations. In the long run, it will also help to reduce our national debt. Given that over a third of our national debt is held by overseas investors, it is incredibly important that we respect their wishes and be fiscally responsible. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero gave a tour de force on the various measures we are taking to reduce the cost of living, certainly with regard to energy bills and rail fares. My constituents in Buckingham and Bletchley will benefit from frozen fares, whether they travel from Bletchley or Milton Keynes to London Euston or to elsewhere in the country. When I was out knocking on doors with my right hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Emma Reynolds) on Saturday, people on the doorstep particularly welcome the frozen prescription charges, as well as the broader investment in the NHS. In Milton Keynes we have seen lots of investment over the past few years, enabled thanks to the fiscal responsibility of this Labour Government, such as the £500 million investment in the new hospital in Milton Keynes. Just last week the Milton Keynes University hospital confirmed the construction of two new operating theatres, beginning early next year, all thanks to a Labour Government. The final area I wish to cover is the pro-growth measures the Government are pursuing, some of which were announced last week. My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow West gave a very compelling argument for the need to increase the capabilities of our co-operatives and mutuals, which are an excellent feature of our economy. I want to highlight the role of UK listings relief, the expansion of the enterprise management incentives eligibility criteria, and the extension of the enterprise investment scheme and venture capital trusts. It is incredibly important, in the globally competitive economy in which the UK is operating, that Britain is the best place to start, scale and ultimately list a business, and I welcome the measures provided in the Budget. In conclusion, the Budget very much contributes to the financial prosperity of our economy, but we will need to go further, in the coming years and in the forthcoming parliamentary Session, on regulation, pro-growth tax reform and more inward investment—the Chancellor was in Wales today to bang the drum for more investment in the UK. As the Prime Minister said in his speech this morning, in the long run we also need to control benefit expenditure. The previous Government oversaw a ballooning of welfare and benefit expenditure. On the Labour Benches we believe in the virtue of work, but we must not use the failings of the previous Government to shirk the responsibilities of the future.

• 27 Nov 2025 · Youth Services: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  2. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on funding for youth services in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

• 27 Nov 2025 · Youth Services: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  Bletchley youth centre has been a trusted hub for our town for over 60 years, supporting 400 young people in the town every week by providing affordable activities and outreach to prevent antisocial behaviour, but that service has been stretched due to years of underfunding by the previous Government. There is hope, however, with the new Labour Government and their youth strategy. Will the Minister set out what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Bletchley youth centre and others like it receive the support that they need to help our young people?

• 25 Nov 2025 · Pension Investment in UK Equities · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer, and to keep the Minister company on the Government side. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Salisbury (John Glen) on securing this debate and on a highly compelling speech and argument. The question of whether we can create the right incentive framework for domestic pension funds to invest more in the UK is a strong one—not only in UK equities but across all asset classes, including gilts and infrastructure. It goes to the heart of the Government’s growth mission. It is imperative for strengthening our national economy and for unlocking the regional potential of our economies, including in my own constituency of Buckingham and Bletchley, which lies in the engine room of the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor. Backing British businesses of all types and sizes across the UK with British capital is fundamental to jobs, greater levels of innovation and, in the long run, higher household incomes. However, it is also important for our economic sovereignty. As hon. Members have explained, if we are unwilling to invest in our own economy, we risk increasing our reliance on international capital, which may not necessarily prioritise the UK’s long-term national interest. I welcome the work that the Minister has advanced through the Pension Schemes Bill. It is a good Bill. Creating larger pension funds that are able to invest at scale will deliver stronger returns for millions of savers, including those in my constituency. The scale of the challenge with regard to domestic pension investment in our economy is stark. The right hon. Member for Salisbury was clear in setting out the data from the new financial think-tank. The right hon. Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse) and the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Richard Tice) explained the steady decline of domestic pension investment over the last two, three or four decades. Data that I would cite for international comparisons lies in the Capital Markets Industry Taskforce, of which I know the London Stock Exchange Group is a leading member, and which I cited on Second Reading of the Pension Schemes Bill, but it is worth repeating now. Canadian pension funds are hugely overweight in their own domestic economy relative to their share of the global markets by about two and a half times. The figure for France is a factor of nine; Italy 10; Australia 27; and South Korea is an astonishing 30 times overweight. By contrast, in the United Kingdom we are underweight by about 40%. That was the data from about a year ago. This is not a marginal trend; it identifies a structural weakness in our global competitiveness, our industrial capability and our long-term national economic resilience. As has been said, it is not just about our pension funds. Since the pandemic, UK households have accumulated greater levels of cash savings—depending on the financial institution, that is £600 billion, £700 billion and so on. It is positive that UK households have bigger cash buffers, but having excess cash not only potentially damages the ability to grow long-term wealth and secure financial security in the long run, but it deprives the many innovative scale-ups that we have in the UK from the investment that they need to grow, create jobs and deliver tax receipts for the Exchequer. If we want a stronger, more secure economy, we have to mobilise all sources of domestic capital—that includes pension funds, retail savings and also our public institutions like the British Business Bank—to meet what I think are three principal goals. The first is to strengthen the integrity and vitality of UK public equity markets—I do have an interest, having worked for the London Stock Exchange Group before I entered Parliament—which was rightly cited as a priority in the Government’s financial services growth and competitiveness strategy earlier this year. Listed companies are already employing 4 million people across the UK. When domestic capital supports the domestic economy, firms can raise further growth capital, which we saw to its benefit during the pandemic. It can also create further jobs. A vibrant public market can also attract, in turn, a wider pool of investors, domestic or international, and create a virtuous cycle of demand, valuation and innovation. Secondly, I have already referred to national economic resilience. When domestic firms depend primarily on foreign investors, as we have seen in the case of Arm—I was at LSEG at the time—they are more likely to list overseas and more likely to relocate there. Their leadership teams shift supply chains and take their tax receipts and intellectual property with it. We need to mobilise our own domestic capital, which secures our long-term economic sovereignty. Thirdly, lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is about ensuring that our exciting innovators, of which there are many in my own constituency, are able to thrive and reach their full potential here. They all require patient capital, which was outlined in the industrial strategy. If Britain wants to lead in those industries, we must mobilise all our pension savings to give our unicorns the opportunity to compete globally. I will stop there because I am very aware of my six minutes.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Buckinghamshire Council: Funding · Hansard source

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  Multi-year funding settlements can help councils such as Buckinghamshire to prepare for the future and ensure the continuity of local services, but that approach was not necessarily applied by the last Conservative Government. In the north Buckinghamshire towns and villages that I represent, there is particular pressure on the economic and social infrastructure that meets rural requirements. Will the Minister set out in a bit more detail how the fair funding review will take all that into account so that residents in my community have the services they need?

• 20 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  East West Rail promises to be hugely transformative for Bletchley, positioning the town as a key economic hub, not only between London and Birmingham but between Oxford and Cambridge. With a new eastern entrance at Bletchley station, we can unlock the jobs and investment that will not only revitalise the town centre, but deliver a modern gateway for visitors to Bletchley Park. We have local backing; we just need some local funding. Will the Secretary of State meet me and key strategic partners to discuss how we can realise that opportunity?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Returning to rural crime, I pay tribute to the work that the Thames Valley police rural crime taskforce is doing for rural communities and farmers in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Can the Minister set out more detail of how the national rural crime strategy will complement the work already being done by local forces? Will that strategy be complemented by a long-term funding model?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Flood Resilience: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  1. What steps she is taking to improve flood resilience in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Flood Resilience: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her response. Last winter’s floods exposed how years of under-investment by the previous Conservative Government had left Buckingham’s flood defences inadequate, which impacted many businesses and residents in our town. I have had the pleasure of working with the Flood Action 4 Buckingham group and others to ensure that local voices are heard and to identify ways we can act together to ensure we are resilient in the future. Can the Minister advise me and my constituents on how we can access our fair share of future flood resilience funding so that we are not in this position again?

• 4 Nov 2025 · Regional Economic Growth: Pension Funds · Hansard source

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  The establishment of the Sterling 20 sends a strong signal that this country is serious about mobilising more of its own domestic capital into productive domestic assets. As the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor’s anchor, my Buckingham and Bletchley constituency is primed to offer high-quality investment opportunities. Can the Minister set out more detail about how he is working with local authorities, such as the Labour-run Milton Keynes city council, to ensure that we provide that pipeline, and will he meet me to discuss how we can take it further?

• 22 Oct 2025 · Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund · Hansard source

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  Not the Opposition Benches.

• 13 Oct 2025 · New Social Housing: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  The on-time, on-budget delivery of 183 new council homes for local families on the Lakes estate in Bletchley is a good demonstration of what Labour can achieve in local government. Is my right hon. Friend willing to visit Bletchley over the coming weeks and months to discuss how further investment from the social and affordable homes programme could help ambitious, pro-housebuilding councils like Milton Keynes to go even further for local people?

• 13 Oct 2025 · New Social Housing: Buckingham and Bletchley · Hansard source

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  12. What steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to build social housing in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

• 9 Sept 2025 · Government Debt Interest Payments · Hansard source

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  The trust of financial markets depends not just on the policy of the Government today, but on whether we keep that trust tomorrow. The Opposition squandered that trust when they were in government by trying to push through tax cuts that they could not afford—that the UK could not afford. Does the Chancellor agree that Labour, too, has to resist the temptation to duck the tough choices on spending, which would not only risk economic stability but hold back growth?

• 8 Sept 2025 · NATO Defence Spending Target · Hansard source

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  Britain’s commitment to the 5% NATO target clearly sends a strong signal of our resolve, but that pledge must command public confidence that the money will be spent wisely. Can the Secretary of State provide more detail on how he is working with the Treasury, the Cabinet Office and others to ensure that every additional pound of public investment in defence delivers value for money for the taxpayer?

• 8 Sept 2025 · Defence Industrial Strategy · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome this industrial strategy, which—as my hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) said—demonstrates how closely aligned a strong domestic defence sector is with our economic security and sovereignty. Can the Minister add a bit more detail about what assessment his Department has made of the potential further export opportunities arising from this industrial strategy, which will strengthen not only UK economic growth but our economic and defence relationships with our allies?

• 2 Sept 2025 · Pension Schemes Bill (First sitting) · Hansard source

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  Q I have a short question about scale tests. Both organisations have reflected a concern that the drive to consolidating may be undermining smaller schemes. How can we ensure that there are sufficient reassurances in the Bill that support better transition pathway rules? Zoe Alexander: I am pleased to talk on this point. We are supportive of consolidation and we absolutely see the benefits of scale, but we are concerned that there are a very small number of very high value schemes in the market that are already adversely affected by the presence of the scale provisions in the Bill. EBCs are not sending business their way because they are under £25 billion or cannot necessarily show those that they are on a path to that number. It is really critical that the transition pathway is in place as early as it possibly can be, and also that EBCs are encouraged to understand the way that the market dynamics will work here. What we do not want is for really high-value schemes that are delivering great investment returns, that are really innovative and that may be investing very heavily in the UK to fail simply because of the scale test. We want those schemes to provide and to grow, in the interests of members. Rob Yuille: I agree with that, but I would like to make a wider, related point about the route to 2030 and the importance of getting the sequencing right for—

• 17 Jul 2025 · Capital and Export Finance: SMEs · Hansard source

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  Innovative high-growth companies, such as Envisics in Bletchley, are developing and exporting world-leading technology-driven products but face difficulties securing the domestic capital needed to scale up. Too often, overseas investors and, sometimes, Governments, offer both finance and other incentives for them to relocate. Will the Minister set out in more detail how his Department is working across Whitehall to ensure that domestic financial institutions, including Government-backed entities, are helping companies like Envisics to firmly anchor their innovations here in the UK?