Keir Starmer MP: speeches

Speeches

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  Opposition Members groan at the question. The Leader of the Opposition said they were coming to terms with their failures. Well, they are obviously struggling just a bit. I understand that that will be a huge loss to my hon. Friend’s constituency. Councils across the country were at the frontline of the last Government’s ruinous economic failure. We announced £4 billion in additional funding for local government, a real-terms increase in core spending power, and will continue to do so. I will ensure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting with the relevant Minister.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I am glad that the Leader of the Opposition now wants to talk about immigration. Last week, she said that she did not want to—and for good reason, because the previous Government presided over record high levels of immigration. The figures just a few weeks ago showed net migration of nearly 1 million. That is unprecedented—a one nation experiment in open borders under the last Government. She was the champion; she stood up and praised the then Tory Home Secretary for listening to her on removing caps on migration visas. She was applauding it. Now, she is furious about what she was campaigning for. We will drive down lawful migration; we will drive down illegal migration.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  May I start by saying that I am sorry to hear of the dreadful loss of the families of the hon. Member’s constituents? There have been far too many examples like that. I was pleased to see that there is now a ceasefire in Lebanon. We desperately need that now in Gaza, which is something we have been pressing for, for some time. There are intense talks going on to that end at the moment, as she knows. That ceasefire would provide the space for the hostages to be allowed out. They have been there for a very long time. It would allow desperately needed aid to go in at speed and at scale, but it also opens the potential for the pathway to the two-state solution, which I believe is the only peaceful way to resolve this ongoing conflict.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I pay tribute to Ben and Henry, and to everyone supporting their campaign. It is an important issue, and the funding arrangements will be set out in due course.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this awful situation. We can only imagine the impact it must have had on the town and on the families and friends of the victims of this tragedy, and I commend the community, which has come together in an extraordinary way in the aftermath of this awful event. I will ensure that she has a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss how the Government can support her community at this vital time.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend for that question and recognise the important roles that these buildings play at the heart of communities, particularly at a time like Christmas. A wide range of funds are available for maintenance and restoration, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s places of worship scheme. Details will be confirmed in the usual way by Departments at the spending review.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  This is an important issue for the hon. Gentleman’s constituents. The problem is that the last Government made lots and lots of promises, but never set aside the money to pay for them. That is why we picked up a £22 billion black hole. They made promises on infected blood and on Horizon, but they did not put aside the money to pay for them. We have had to inherit that and clean it up. We will get on with delivery, but we have to balance the books and stabilise the economy first.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I think everybody welcomes the £5 billion over the next two years that we put in the Budget— [ Interruption. ] Opposition Members shake their heads, but we have put in £350 million in the last week alone, compared with the £300 million underspend by the last Government. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, in an ordinary family case the threshold is £3 million, which means the vast majority of farmers will be unaffected.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  May I start by welcoming the fall of Assad? The people of Syria suffered for far too long under his brutal regime. What comes next is far from certain. We have been talking to regional and global allies to ensure that it is a political solution that protects civilians and minorities, and absolutely rejects terrorism and violence. This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  That is an important case. It has, of course, been raised by the Government a number of times, including by the Foreign Secretary as part of the trip that I was on. I myself raised human rights issues. It is a serious case, and we will continue to press for the outcome that I know he and his family desperately want.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  The hon. Member is right about the importance of national security, particularly at the moment. At the Budget we delivered a £2.9 billion increase in the Ministry of Defence budget. We are pleased to deliver the largest pay rise for our armed forces in 22 years, and we will set out the path to 2.5% in due course. That target, of course, was last met under the last Labour Government; it was not met once in the 14 years that the Conservatives were in power.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend. He is a champion of the extraordinary potential of Cornwall, particularly in our transition to clean power by 2030. Next week, we will publish our English devolution White Paper, setting out our ambitions to move power from Westminster into every part of England, including Cornwall, and I know that he and his colleagues are meeting the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss this next week.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  This week, we signed a landmark agreement with Germany. The Leader of the Opposition should welcome that, because it will make sure that we have the powers to take enforcement action across the continent, where it is needed. We have set up the Border Security Command; we have committed £75 million on top of the existing £75 million; and we are extending the powers, so that they are like counter-terrorism powers. We have returned 9,400 people who should not be here. A record flight got off. The Opposition talk about getting flights off, and have done for years, but they did not succeed. We got the flights off.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I am invited to tell the House what went wrong under the last Government—that would take us all afternoon. We are going to smash the gangs that are running this vile trade. We signed a landmark agreement with Germany this week. [ Interruption. ]

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue, which is of grave concern to her constituents. The Government are totally committed to supporting the workers and their families at this uncertain time. The Industry Minister will meet the company this week to discuss plans for workers and the site, to ensure that dedicated support is in place. We will continue to do so, because I know that it is an issue of considerable concern to her constituents.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I join my hon. Friend in that, and I recognise the vital role that hospices play in providing support to people at the end of their life. I understand the challenges that they face. Most hospices receive funding by providing NHS services, and funding will be set out in the usual way.

• 11 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I was Director of Public Prosecutions for five years. Unlike anyone on the Conservatives’ Benches, for five years, I was prosecuting hundreds of thousands of criminals. That includes huge terrorist gangs and rapists. For three of those five years, I was working with the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, who commended the work that I did at the end of those five years. The Leader of the Opposition stands there and says that I have not done anything in law enforcement; I dedicated five years of my life to law enforcement, and locking up criminals, which is more than she can say. It would be easier to take the Opposition seriously if they actually got serious—not a sliver of remorse, not a hint of contrition. It is like the arsonist complaining about the people who are trying to put the fire out. All they do is come every week with more and more complaints. Just wait till they get their hands on the people who created the mess that we are clearing up. We are fixing the economy; we are ending their open borders policy; and we are taking down the waiting lists. That is what people voted for; we are delivering it.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  That is a serious issue and the Government are working closely with businesses to ensure that they are ready for the changes that the hon. Gentleman has identified. We published more guidance yesterday, as he knows, to support them further. We will be keeping a close eye on the issue to help businesses trade freely across the whole of the United Kingdom.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  We are committed to acting on the findings of the infected blood inquiry, and ensuring swift resolution and compensating in full. That is why we announced £11.8 billion to compensate those who waited far too long for justice. I will happily make sure that my hon. Friend gets a meeting with the Paymaster General to discuss the issues that he has raised.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  We are moving at pace on all relevant issues. We passed the Budget to provide the baseline for what we need, and we will continue to do so.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  The right hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the record of the last Government on the NHS: record waiting lists and record low confidence in the NHS. In addition to the economy and immigration, they had better not be talking about that for the last five years either. We will be driving that down. We have already begun that work to make sure that we get those waiting lists down, and yes, of course, that includes making sure there is better access to GPs and other measures that need to be taken. That is a central driving mission of this Government.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend. She is a superb champion for her constituents, and she is absolutely right. The previous Government left a broken asylum system. We have put a plan in place: the Border Security Command, backed by £150 million; 100 more National Crime Agency officers; and we are introducing counter-terror-style powers. My hon. Friend is right to say that our new international co-ordination includes the landmark Iraq agreement. The hard graft is already beginning to pay off, because 9,400 people who have no right to be here have been returned. That is a 30% increase on the numbers of last year. The Conservatives promised to get the flights off the ground. We have got them off the ground.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend for being a powerful voice for some of the most vulnerable in our society. Theft of a blue badge is appalling, depriving people of their independence and ability to travel with confidence. It has a real human impact every single time. That is why we are working closely with local authorities to help them tackle fraud and misuse, and I will make sure that my hon. Friend has a meeting with the relevant Minister to examine what more can be done.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I recognise the campaigning of many, including the hon. Gentleman, on local services that their constituents rely on. The Post Office is required to maintain a network of 11,500 branches and to ensure that 99% of the UK population lives within 3 miles of a post office. Decisions about individual branches are for the Post Office to take, following consultation with local communities, but I am happy to ensure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss his particular case.

• 4 Dec 2024 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the right hon. Gentleman for referencing Emily. It is important that we all remember her and the awful torture that her mother is going through, as is the case for all the other hostages. It is hard to imagine what it must be like for anybody with friends or family who are still being held hostage after all this time. Proportional representation is not our policy and we will not be making time for it. I will just gently say to the right hon. Gentleman that he did not do too badly under the system as it is.