Dan Jarvis MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I join the hon. Gentleman in paying warm tribute to the Royal Marines. I should probably confess that I have not spent all my adult life paying tribute to the Royal Marines, but I am proud to be able to do so now. On his second point, let me just say to him: there is no link.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  It would be very mean of me to say that it is a low bar, so I will not say that. The hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Richard Tice) is unfair to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor. I think it is important that she took the opportunity to be here; that was a demonstration of her commitment to this important piece of work, and I for one am very grateful for that.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the meticulous planning that these complex military operations involve. There are lots of moving parts. Risk is carried by those brave enough to undertake such operations, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. The other huge debt of gratitude that we owe is to the family members of those who step forward, of whom I know my hon. Friend is proudly one.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, not least as a fellow veteran and someone who has served on the Intelligence and Security Committee, and he speaks with authority about these matters. He has made an important point, and I have been given assurances by the Minister for Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant), that we keep these things under close review.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I have known my hon. Friend for a very long time; he proudly represents a constituency with a long track record of sending young men and women off to serve in our armed forces, and he is a great champion of them and all those who serve. He is completely right to raise the important point about international co-operation. I have spent much of the weekend talking to allies, and on Wednesday I will be heading to Brussels to co-chair the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with my German counterpart. The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth, who has joined me on the Front Bench, also works tirelessly on these matters to make sure that we collaborate closely with our international partners in order to tighten the screw on Russia.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for his question. He has slightly thrown me, because he is not in his usual place, but it is good to see him on the other side of the Government Benches. My hon. Friend is right, both about the importance of sanctions and about the importance of sanctions enforcement. It is an issue that my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, takes very seriously—he keeps sanctions under very close review, as do other colleagues across Government, including in the Department for Business and Trade. However, I am very happy to speak to my hon. Friend further about this issue.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend raises an important point. I completely understand why Members on the Conservative Benches and elsewhere want to score political points, but I think the public expect us to behave us in a grown-up fashion, particularly when it comes to the defence of our nation. That will always be my approach, and it is the approach I recommend to others.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  The sound that the hon. Member described at the beginning of her remarks is one that I am very familiar with—it is one that still, to this day, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I know she has a long-standing interest in these matters, and she raised an important point. I give her the assurance that we will work collaboratively across Government to maximise the deterrent effect on Russia and its illegal activities. Wherever we can seek to do more to prosecute those activities, we will absolutely do so.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will update the House on UK operational activity against the Russian shadow fleet. Before I begin, I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (John Healey), who led the Department through a period of growing instability with clarity of purpose and sure judgment. I thank him sincerely for all that he did as Secretary of State. He leaves office safe in the knowledge that our armed forces are better prepared and better supported than when he assumed it. This is my first appearance in the House since my appointment as Secretary of State for Defence. It is a privilege and a responsibility beyond all measure, not least because this is a moment of challenge for our nation, and it is my job to make sure that we rise to meet that moment. It has been some time since I left the armed forces, and the tactics, technology and threats have changed beyond recognition. What have remained constant, however, are the professionalism, courage and extraordinary skill of our servicemen and women. Those virtues were exemplified in full yesterday in the English channel. In the early hours of the morning, 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight, Royal Marine commandos fast-roped under the cover of darkness on to the deck of the Smyrtos, a 244-metre oil tanker, which at the time of interception was travelling at 10 knots. Within a matter of minutes, our Marines had seized control of the vessel without resistance. They worked closely in this operation with specialist officers from the National Crime Agency and were supported by aircraft from the maritime air group, including Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8, Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland and minehunter HMS Ledbury. I take this opportunity to recognise the vital contribution of the Home Office’s border security command maritime teams. This was a highly complex operation that was executed with remarkable precision. Lasting six hours, this Royal Navy-led interdiction was the first of its kind for UK forces, and was the result of careful and meticulous planning across multiple Government Departments and agencies. All military and law enforcement personnel are safely accounted for. I know that the whole House will join me in expressing the deepest respect and sincere thanks to the hundreds of people who were involved. The vessel is now secured outside of port limits at Weymouth anchorage. A 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences. All other 24 crew members remain on board and are assisting the NCA. This is a live criminal investigation, and further updates will be provided at the appropriate moment. In the days leading up to this interdiction, UK armed forces, supported by our allies, including France, to whom I am very grateful, closely tracked and monitored the vessel on the grounds that it was suspected of using a false flag. This was a vessel that was sanctioned by the UK, sailing without nationality and transporting sanctioned Russian oil. I can confirm to the House that this operation was conducted in accordance with international law, including the United Nations convention on the law of the sea, and the relevant domestic legislation. Yesterday’s operation follows the support that the UK has provided the US and France in the interdiction of several shadow fleet ships this year. In March, my right hon. and learned Friend the Prime Minister made clear our intention to interdict shadow fleet vessels at a time and place of our choosing. This had a clear deterrent effect, with many vessels taking longer and more costly routes to evade action taken by the UK and our allies. Let me expand on why this operation matters. We know who benefits from the shadow fleet: over 700 vessels are used to move around 40% of Russian oil. And we know who suffers from the shadow fleet: sanctioned oil is bankrolling Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps fund the missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their homes, destroy their infrastructure and break their will. This operation deals another blow to Putin. We are clear with Russia about our intentions and our basis to act. We do not seek escalation, but we will always take the necessary steps to enforce UK sanctions. The UK has sanctioned over 550 Russian shadow fleet vessels. That has had a material impact. Nearly 200 have been forced to anchor because of the action of the UK and our partners. Yesterday’s operation sends a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can, and will, act against the Russian war machine. We will use every measure available to prevent the trade in sanctioned goods that funds Putin’s illegal war. Yesterday’s operation demonstrates that the UK’s commitment to securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine is absolute. I know that President Zelensky thanked the UK following the interdiction, yet we should remember that it is us who owe the Ukrainian people. They have now resisted Putin’s full-scale invasion for more than four years and suffered under the pain of occupation for more than 12 years, and still they fight—for their security and for ours; for their values and for ours. Yesterday I spoke to the Ukrainian Defence Minister to assure him that although there has been a change in leadership in UK defence, there has been no change in our position: the UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. On Thursday I will be at the NATO headquarters to co-chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and secure the arms and ammunition that Ukraine’s forces need to fight Putin’s war machine. Let me end by saying something that I have always believed: the defence of our nation is a shared endeavour. It falls to those of us who step forward to protect the country in and out of uniform. We owe a debt of gratitude to all those people who exposed themselves to risk yesterday and to those who will do so tonight, tomorrow and in the future. I have a responsibility now to them to ensure that they get what they need, and I am determined to fulfil those duties. I commend this statement to the House.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my Yorkshire neighbour for his welcome, and for the tribute he has paid to the Royal Marines. Let me emphasise the support that he offered for the National Crime Agency. I was privileged to work very closely with it over the past two years; it does extraordinary work in the shadows, and we should be hugely grateful to it. I can give my hon. Friend the assurances that he seeks about close co-operation with our international allies. I am joined on the Front Bench by the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), who works incredibly hard to ensure that we are joined up in the best way, and working most closely with our allies. We take that very seriously, and understand the benefits of doing so.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, as I always am, for his sage counsel on these matters; he has been talking about them for very many years. He referenced the presence of the Chancellor on the Front Bench. The Chancellor is someone who cares very deeply about our national security; that is why she is here—to lend that support. The right hon. Gentleman understandably raised a very important point about the risk and threat of retaliatory action from Russia. He will know, because he and I have discussed it on many occasions, that I have spent the last two years thinking very carefully about that particular point. Of course, we take every measure and use all the tools at our disposal to guard against that, but I think he will agree that, ultimately, the activity we saw in the English channel yesterday was the right one. We have to stand together against Russia in support of Ukraine, and that is what this Government will do.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is right to highlight the importance of defence manufacturing. She has also raised a number of other important points, not least about unpacking transparency and shell companies. My ministerial colleagues on either side of me—the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade—were listening intently to the points she raised, and were providing me with assurances that a lot of activity is taking place in their Departments on standing against the kind of activity that she highlighted. [ Interruption. ] The hon. Lady is indicating that she wants somebody to write to her. We will work out which one of us will do so.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is exactly right to raise those points in the way he does. I am joined on the Front Bench by the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), who takes such matters incredibly seriously, and there is huge activity right across Government. It is also important to highlight the continued support for Ukraine, not least the UK’s largest ever drone package for Ukraine, which delivered 120,000 drones this year. So, yes, we must squeeze the Russian economy, and support our Ukrainian partners to ensure that they can stay in the fight and win it.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady raises a very important point. I have already engaged with colleagues in industry, and the Minister for Trade has said that he is very happy to meet her.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman on the Opposition Front Bench questions why. I am quite certain that he would not have done that when he was in government, and I am not going to do it, either. What I will do is pay tribute to those who serve on submarines for their outstanding service.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of international co-operation. The words I would use are “robust action”. When it comes to the war in Ukraine, the stakes are so high that we absolutely owe it to the people of not just that country but this country to take the robust action that we saw yesterday. He is right to make the point about the amount of preparation and planning that goes into these activities. It was an absolute privilege to be very closely sighted on the deployment of our troops this weekend. They performed a very difficult and complex task in an exemplary way, and I know that my hon. Friend, like all of us, is very proud of them.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the point he has raised, and for the way in which he raised it. He will understand that I am not able to talk about the availability of submarines and the activity that they undertake—

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with my hon. Friend, who makes an important point. She referenced the abhorrent attacks that we have seen in recent times. She will not expect me to get into the detail of all that but what I can say is that, as I saw very clearly in my previous role, our counter-terrorism police and our operational partners in the security services are extraordinarily dedicated in their work. All of that is done in the shadows, and we should be very grateful for their efforts. I give her and the House an assurance that we take the threat that she describes incredibly seriously and will always guard against it.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am genuinely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his comments, because he has spoken with real authority on these matters for many years. I hope that he understands that at this particular moment—as we seek to ensure that the DIP does precisely what I think all of us want it to do—I am not going to delve into the specifics of precisely what might be contained in it, but that this Government are very clear that we will always back British shipbuilding.

• 15 Jun 2026 · Russian Shadow Fleet · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that point. He will understand that it would be unwise of me to give a commentary on specific activities, but I hope that yesterday’s actions demonstrate our absolute resolve to take robust action against Russia, and we will look for every opportunity to do so.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Belfast: Violent Disorder · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman made an excellent point at the beginning of his remarks about the activities we have seen not being British. I completely agree with his analysis of the situation, and I hope he acknowledges my very long-standing interest in, and affection for, his part of the United Kingdom. Lots of right hon. and hon. Members feel a huge sense of determination to support him and his colleagues in the important work they are doing. The right hon. Gentleman raised a number of other points, and he will understand that I am joined on the Front Bench by the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, who was also listening very carefully. Of course, when a situation such as the one we have seen in recent days occurs, the Department will want to look very carefully at the circumstances of that case. In general terms, some of the metrics relating to some of the right hon. Gentleman’s points are heading in the right direction, not least initial decisions on asylum being up by 71%. The Government are determined to make sure we are processing claims much more quickly and effectively than was the case previously. However, we will give further consideration to his points and should he wish to discuss them, I would be very happy to do so.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Belfast: Violent Disorder · Hansard source

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  I listened carefully to the points that the hon. Gentleman made, but there were a number of them. Let me reflect on them, and then I shall be happy to discuss them with him further.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Belfast: Violent Disorder · Hansard source

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  I entirely agree with the right hon. Gentleman, who has made his point very powerfully. To those who would consider any kind of racist activity or any further criminality or disorder, my message is very simple: break the law, and get ready to face the full consequences of the law.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Belfast: Violent Disorder · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady describes with great clarity the impact of the scenes that we have seen in Northern Ireland over the past number of hours. Let me be absolutely clear: the scenes of disorder that we witnessed in parts of Northern Ireland last night are not only damaging communities, but literally putting lives at risk. Like her, I utterly condemn the attacks on property and vehicles, and the other related violence that we have seen. There is no justification at all for that type of thuggery, and no place for it in Northern Ireland or anywhere else. The hon. Lady will agree that it is now vital that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is given the time, space and full support that it needs to continue with its investigation. The rule of law must, and will, prevail; justice must, and will, be served. Violence is never a justified response, and this disorder only causes pain and suffering for those living in the area, as the hon. Lady eloquently described. Those involved need to take a step back and consider the consequences of their actions. I strongly urge anyone who has information, no matter how small it might seem, to come forward and contact the PSNI urgently in order to assist it with its inquiries. The hon. Lady specifically asked what support is being offered. She will understand that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in Belfast today, and I know that he will be working with colleagues there to ensure that they have the support and resources they need to deal with this very troubling situation.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Belfast: Violent Disorder · Hansard source

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  I am grateful for the condemnation of the violent behaviour that we saw. It is right that we all do that and do not allow any ambiguity in the words we use in that regard. The hon. Member will understand that I do not share the particular critique that he has offered of the Government in recent times, not least because the number of foreign national offenders who have been deported is up by 36%. That is more than 10,000 people who have been deported since this Government came to office. He raises specific concerns about the common travel area. We work closely with the Irish Government to protect the integrity and security of the common travel area, while at the same time preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens. Where there is a requirement for us to do more, we will have to look at that.