John Grady MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 24 Mar 2026 · Middle East: Economic Update · Hansard source

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  Does my right hon. Friend agree that the essential truth is that the Government have introduced a package of measures to make the poorest families in Glasgow and across the United Kingdom better off, whereas the Conservatives propose plunging those families back into extreme poverty? They left us with ridiculous levels of debt and the weakest defence since the 1930s—their record is absolutely shameful.

• 17 Mar 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to the staff of the British embassies in Doha and across the middle east for their professional work in incredibly challenging circumstances. On a separate note, the economic crisis flowing from this war will have a disastrous effect on the poorest countries in the world, plunging people into deeper poverty and leading to an increased risk of conflict. Will my right hon. Friend explain what her Department is doing with international allies to mitigate those risks?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Youth Unemployment · Hansard source

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  Glasgow has many brilliant young people who just want to work. They have been let down by the Tories and the SNP, with school standards plummeting and the refusal to fund the Rolls-Royce welding centre. In many meetings I have with employers, they emphasise to me how little they see of the apprenticeship levy they pay in. Will my right hon. Friend outline how the package provides opportunities to young people in Glasgow?

• 12 Mar 2026 · Fire Station Closures · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate and paying tribute to the bravery of firefighters. As the Member of Parliament for Glasgow East, I wish to pay tribute to the brave firefighters in Glasgow who risked their lives to battle the fire on Union Street this past week, preventing casualties and saving Glasgow Central station. This fire is absolutely devastating for the people who made their livelihoods and fed their families by working in that building, which has now closed. Does the hon. Gentleman share my concern that, in Scotland under the SNP, 1,250 firefighter posts have been cut since 2013, and high-rise appliances—critical for tackling fires like the one in Glasgow on Sunday—have been slashed from 26 to 16? Two of those appliances were in Glasgow, but both were unavailable on Sunday, it is understood.

• 12 Mar 2026 · International Women’s Day · Hansard source

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  I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) for a profound speech. She used the phrase “our humanity is the same”, and there is a profound truth in that. We in this House must recognise that there are people who disagree with that and want to tear us apart. I have a diverse constituency, which covers many different races, faiths and differences of views, and I treasure that diversity, because I believe our humanity is the same. We in this House must be very careful to fight against those who want to shatter that, tear us apart and take us significantly back in time. Our humanity is the same as that of the women and girls mentioned by my friend, the hon. Member for North East Fife (Wendy Chamberlain), an office bearer on the APPG on Afghan women and girls. We must do much more to support women and girls in Afghanistan, and we must look afresh at things like international law to criminalise the mistreatment of women and girls to such evil degrees. The Minister rightly mentioned the fight by trade unionists for equal pay. The first socialist in my family was my great auntie Nellie, who in the ’30s led equal pay strikes in the liquorice factories in Pontefract and became friends with Barbara Castle, who was, of course, responsible for the Equal Pay Act 1970. We should all be very angry about the fact that there is still considerable structural inequality of pay, and women now are paid less than men. Our fight for equality now, which I believe is shared by us all, and which we must all share, faces new and much more dangerous threats, and we must redouble our efforts. We should not just be angry about that; we are legislators, so we must legislate and then see that legislation acted on. Otherwise, the future for women and girls—my daughter and the other children in my constituency and around the world—will become bleaker, instead of our seeing progress. I want to speak about domestic abuse. One in 4 women in the UK will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. When I work with survivors in Glasgow East, I see how housing instability in particular is a barrier to my constituents fleeing abuse. I am dismayed at the lack of support provided by the housing sector in Scotland to survivors, who do not receive trauma-informed care and are not supported into safe, settled homes; instead, I have met women who, after suffering terrifying sexual violence, are forced into social housing in awful conditions and then face months of unknown male workmen coming into their new home. The social landlords are aware that the women in question have suffered. They should not have to ask for female workpeople to come to work in their homes—it should be a matter of course. Women in my seat wait months for house transfers, meaning that their abusers know exactly where they live. A particular legal problem is when women are not included on the tenancy agreement for their rented home, which means they do not have legal rights to stay in their home and, when their relationship comes to an end, those women face eviction and homelessness. That is why the Scottish Parliament passed part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021, giving social landlords powers to transfer tenancies from abusers to survivors. Almost five years after that Act was passed, however, we are still waiting for it to be made legally enforceable by the Scottish Government. I have been pressing the Scottish Government on the issue. In January, I wrote to the press about this disgraceful delay, and the next day the Scottish Government announced they would finally bring the provisions into force. Despite the five-year delay, social landlords have had no formal guidance from the Scottish Government on how the provisions will operate in practice. They do not know how the courts or police will approach this, but it is essential for social landlords, and a poorly thought-out implementation will put survivors at further risk. I have raised these concerns with the SNP Government and am still awaiting a response. There are organisations that do fantastic work to ensure housing stability for survivors. The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance provides the infrastructure, training and monitoring necessary for social landlords to recognise and tackle domestic abuse, and it works very well in England. Just north of here, Islington council has worked very successfully with DAHA and significantly improved the outcomes for survivors of domestic abuse. In Glasgow, social landlords need help and support to make the improvements that they must make, and social landlords do recognise the importance of this. I am determined to see survivors of domestic abuse get much better help and support, so I have asked social landlords to meet with DAHA. I am pleased that Wheatley and Govanhill housing associations and the Scottish Housing Regulator have expressed an interest in learning more and are willing to meet with DAHA. In agreeing to do so, they are demonstrating their commitment to supporting survivors of domestic abuse. I encourage others to do the same. We must do much, much better in Scotland for the survivors of domestic abuse, and I am determined to continue to work hard on this. I wish to speak about one other topic. I am very proud of one of my local charities, Scottish Sports Futures, which does great work with young people in my seat. In particular, it encourages young women to speak up about their experience of violence against women and girls. That means that the young men in the charity’s programmes learn how to treat women as their equals and with respect. I cannot praise Scottish Sports Futures enough for working on this and giving those young women a voice. Several of those young women in the programmes spoke with bravery about this at the charity’s annual awards event last week. A young woman from Barrowfield, in my constituency, spoke courageously about violence against women and girls, and the issue of youth violence more generally, which has had a profound impact on girls in my constituency, particularly following the killing there two years ago of a young boy, called Kory McCrimmon—his family faced their grief, by the way, with profound dignity and courage. I am proud of all my young constituents. Politics is a matter of morals, and this is a moral issue. My moral obligation as their Member of Parliament is to do everything within my power to tackle violence against women and girls.

• 9 Mar 2026 · Middle East: Economic Update · Hansard source

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  The root cause of this issue in Britain is our excessive reliance on gas. That is why consumers in Glasgow East pay much more for their energy. The Conservatives had an offshore wind auction with no bids and an onshore wind moratorium, and the SNP is against any new nuclear power stations. Does my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer agree that we must double down on nuclear and on onshore and offshore wind to attack the root cause of our energy costs?

• 3 Mar 2026 · Spring Forecast · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Chancellor’s commitment to reducing Government debt, the 95,000 children in Scotland being lifted out of poverty and the revival of Glasgow’s military shipyards, where we will build Labour boats, which, unlike SNP boats, will work and have real windows. Does the Chancellor agree that it is a disgrace that, despite more than £11 billion extra for the Scottish Government, NHS waiting lists in Scotland are at a record level and standards in schools are falling?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Middle East · Hansard source

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  I refer the House to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and the fact that I am chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Qatar. I thank the Prime Minister for his emphasis on compliance with the law. What discussions have the Government held with the Government of Qatar and other regional allies about co-operation to ensure the safety, security and support of British nationals? What joint measures have been agreed to assist British nationals in the region?

• 3 Feb 2026 · Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill · Hansard source

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  We in the Treasury Committee looked at this issue extensively, and I am unaware of any particular evidence that supports the behavioural arguments the hon. Lady is setting out. In any event, why should 95,000 bright and talented children in Scotland be punished by an utterly cruel policy? Is it not fatuous to suggest that people are having children for money, as well as insulting to people in Glasgow and across the United Kingdom?

• 3 Feb 2026 · Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Secretary of State give way?

• 2 Feb 2026 · China and Japan · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement, which faces into the world as it is. Des Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, is retiring from the other place after decades of distinguished public service as the Labour MP for Kilmarnock and the Defence Secretary and in his work on the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons. China is a significant and growing nuclear power, with more than 600 warheads, and this week the US-Russia new START treaty comes to an end. Can the Prime Minister tell me if the UK is engaging with China at the highest levels to prevent the risk of nuclear weapons and combat nuclear proliferation?

• 8 Jan 2026 · Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Gentleman accept that one of the key purposes of a consumption room is to reduce harm to people who would, in any event, consume the substances in question? In Glasgow, we have had significant problems with needle-borne viruses, infections and illness, so it is only morally right to help these people, as they struggle with their addictions, to consume in a safe way. Otherwise, people lose their loved ones, their mothers and fathers, and their sons and daughters. It is a question of compassion.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow West (Patricia Ferguson) on securing this important debate, and all the members of the Scottish Affairs Committee, for producing an excellent, conscientious and very serious report. Our starting point in these discussions must always be that people suffering from addiction must be treated with compassion. It is our moral obligation to help people who are suffering and to help to remove barriers to support for individuals and communities who are affected by addiction. I see the effect of addiction daily in my seat, including in the Calton, where the safe consumption room is located. I see the huge blight that addiction can cause for individuals, families and communities, especially in Glasgow, which sadly has the highest overdose rate in Scotland. We have a moral obligation to support our communities through the devastating impacts of addiction. Amazing work is being done in my seat to support people with addiction. I see that in the brilliant work of charities such as Back on the Road in Bridgeton, which is close to the facility and recently had its 25th birthday. I see that, too, in the courageous constituents I meet regularly who have recovered from their addictions. The Committee heard from Dr Shorter, from Queen’s University Belfast, that addiction can often be exacerbated and caused by poverty, deprivation and trauma. This is fundamentally unjust, and it is our duty to ensure that all individuals, families and communities in our constituencies are supported to prevent and recover from addiction. Fighting poverty is an essential task of all levels of government, and we must ensure that nobody, no matter where they are from, is caught in addiction and unable to escape. We must recognise that tackling addiction needs wraparound support and a holistic approach to tackling poverty, meaning that we need a serious focus on new housing, better transport, improved education and access to jobs. All these things help to create communities that are fruitful with opportunities, which will help people to recover from addiction and to build positive futures. We must also support children and people who have suffered trauma and consequently suffered with addiction. The Committee heard evidence on this from Dr Shorter. There is a clear link between how we treated children in Scotland historically—which is the subject of the Scottish child abuse inquiry—and outcomes in terms of addiction. I regret to say it, but it is a disgrace that the SNP has cut essential psychiatric and psychological services in Glasgow. Those services are essential to support those with addictions who need treatment for psychiatric and psychological conditions, and to help them in their recovery. All the wider wraparound factors need to be considered alongside safe consumption, to ensure that support for recovery is wraparound and holistic and that individuals, their families and communities can recover and move towards brighter and more fruitful futures. We owe it to people with drug addiction, and their families, whom we must treat with compassion and try our best to support, to explore new ways of helping with addiction and reducing harm, so I fully support the trial, which is taking place on a sound evidence base. It must of course be evaluated robustly—there is nothing controversial about that. There is serious talk about expanding the trial to include an inhalation facility. This reflects changing patterns in drug misuse, specifically towards smoking. The timing, so soon after the facility has opened, has come as a surprise to the community, and I can see their point. I am uncomfortable about the proposal—it is a significant change—but I have an open mind. We have to examine every possible way of reducing harm to people who use drugs. Naturally, the proposal must be supported by strong evidence, and the decision-makers need to think about the decision very carefully. It is essential to listen to and speak to people who have addictions. That is a point that Dr Shorter made to the Committee. Harm reduction will happen only if the people who need the facility trust the facility and the staff in it. It is fair to say that people with addiction are not always treated fairly and justly by the state, and that seriously damages their trust in it. It is also essential that there is serious listening to the community in the Calton. My constituents are utterly despondent at the increase in used needles and other evidence of drug misuse in the community. I ask anyone: how would it feel to take your four-year-old granddaughter for a walk along a street where there were used needles? My constituents’ legitimate concerns are dismissed as being wrong, dismissed on the basis that issues are long standing, and dismissed as misinformation. None of that is any excuse. I deplore the condescending approach by the SNP council and Government towards the people I am so privileged to represent. The position is simple: the issues need to be tackled. Part 4 of the Scottish Affairs Committee report addresses this fairly and correctly states that “the concerns of the local community need to be taken seriously.” I agree. There needs to be a significant improvement in cleaning up the Calton, in encouraging more people to use the facility, and in active listening to my community. The SNP has now run Scotland for almost 19 years, yet the drugs crisis has got worse, with terrible rates of drug deaths, which are, shockingly, the highest in Europe. As we head into an election year in Scotland, I hope they will take some responsibility for this situation.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Gentleman give way on that point?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  I wonder whether the right hon. Gentleman might clarify one point on the Opposition’s position. In Scotland, there has never been a right for the accused to elect to have a jury trial. The prosecution decides whether a case will go to jury trial. Is the Opposition’s position that such a reform in England should be opposed?