Luke Akehurst MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 16 Dec 2025 · Vacant Commercial Properties (Temporary Use) · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to enable local authorities to allocate for temporary use by charities, community organisations and small businesses any vacant commercial properties during the period of their vacancy; to provide for certain obligations on landlords of commercial property in connection with such allocations; and for connected purposes. During the last general election, I kept my election literature very simple, making only three pledges. One of those was to improve the state of our local high streets, known in County Durham as front streets. Everywhere I go in North Durham, this is a matter of great concern for residents. Within living memory, both of the larger towns in the constituency—Stanley and Chester-le-Street—had thriving bustling front streets, with a variety of independent traders selling food, clothing and other items, larger stores, a range of pubs, banks, and entertainment venues, such as cinemas. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Chester-le-Street has a fine selection of independent retailers and cafés, such as Cafe Neena’s, Computer Centre, Chester Le Geek, GW Horners pub, In the Closet, Carsons Cafe Bar, and REfUSE community café. In recent months, we have seen excellent new additions to the front street, including Willow’s Bakehouse and Pretty Busy Blooms. However, Chester-le-Street’s front street is blighted by vacant landmark sites, including the former Barclays, Santander, HSBC and Halifax banks—which will sadly be joined by Lloyds, closing in January—and large, empty landmark pubs including the Queens Head and Red Lion. In Stanley, the situation is far worse. The former Board School site reached a stage where it had to be demolished. We have literally the burned-out remnants of Bertie’s Bar, and there are very few remaining active units among the vacant premises. It creates a depressing air of dereliction, which is a source of deep shame and disappointment to residents, who take great pride in the history of their town. It is desperately unfair on the small number of businesses, such as the lovely DH9 café, that are striving to keep the front street alive. While in both cases there is need for improvement, residents have explained to me that the relatively worse performance of Stanley is largely down to the nature of the landlords. In Chester-le-Street, the main landlord is local to the town, committed deeply to it and takes care to curate his front street holdings by making generous arrangements to help new businesses get started. In Stanley, however, the tale is different. Many of the key landlords are absentees who bought their sites speculatively and have never even visited the town to see what they purchased. When approached by potential tenants, they make wholly unreasonable rent and other demands, as they would rather maintain a high notional value for their property in the hopes of a future sale than accept a lower rent to get the premises occupied. There are a limited number of premises in Chester-le-Street in similar circumstances too. The challenges facing our front streets in Chester-le-Street and Stanley are faced by many high streets across the country. The universal nature of this issue, and its paramount importance to our constituents up and down the country, is demonstrated by the geographical spread of the Members sponsoring the Bill. From Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford to Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Truro and Falmouth and beyond, I am grateful to my hon. Friends who are backing the Bill to revitalise our high streets. We are all proud to be part of a Labour Government who are already delivering for small businesses across the UK. Labour’s plan for small businesses places the growth and productivity of smaller firms at its core. It will help make the UK the best place to start and grow a business. From creating a business growth service that helps local businesses access the advice and support that they need, to pledging to end the scourge of late payments, which drains £11 billion from our economy every year, this Labour Government are standing up for our high streets. We are expanding start-up loans, overhauling the business rates system so that 250,000 small businesses will benefit from up to 40% off their rates, and standing firmly behind the shops, cafés and entrepreneurs who keep our town centres alive. The Bill strives to add to the impressive record of our Labour Government. It aims to give local authorities the power to step in and compel absentee landlords to make empty shop units available temporarily to charities, community groups and small businesses. The aim is to address the growing number of empty shops and commercial units, each of which represents the wasted potential of a space that could be serving customers, hiring local people and bringing footfall to the town centre. The Bill will provide a lifeline to new enterprises, giving them the backing that they may need to break through and become a staple of the local community. Whether filled by a small business employing our constituents, or a charity or community organisation providing vital services for the most vulnerable, those spaces could be so much more than a vacuum. The Bill presents us with two visions of our town centres. The first is all too familiar to Members across the House: a ghost town of empty shops, lost potential and eerily quiet streets. The second is a brighter alternative: a thriving town centre, where every unit provides value to our constituents, and to which more people come to do their shopping, to treat themselves, and to spend time with loved ones. I know which of those visions our constituents put us here to deliver, and the Bill would help us get there. The state of the high street is the clearest visible indicator of the state of the economy, and it is of paramount importance to how the public see the communities that we live in. The Bill fits in with the tangible steps that the Labour Government are taking to restore pride in place in our communities; for example, the aptly named Pride in Place scheme is injecting £20 million into some of the most deprived communities in the country, including South Stanley in my constituency. We should have zero tolerance for eyesore, derelict buildings. Premises sit empty, while many organisations, charities, businesses and community groups desperately need them. If there were more people working on the high street, that would naturally bring more footfall—visitors who will use other shops and cafés. The high street naturally faces problems, due to increased internet shopping and out-of-town shopping centres, but we do not need to accept terminal decline. We need to reimagine our high streets as community hubs that people will once again be proud to visit. My constituents and those of other hon. Members deserve better. I commend the Bill to the House. Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That Luke Akehurst, Dan Aldridge, Danny Beales, Dr Allison Gardner, Leigh Ingham, Jayne Kirkham, Amanda Martin, Kevin McKenna, Mike Reader, Alistair Strathern, Dr Lauren Sullivan and Peter Swallow present the Bill. Luke Akehurst accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 16 January, and to be printed (Bill 3 51 ).

• 4 Dec 2025 · National Resilience: Public Consultation · Hansard source

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  18. What steps he is taking to consult the public on his Department’s policies on national resilience.

• 4 Dec 2025 · National Resilience: Public Consultation · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister explain to the House the importance of exercises like Pegasus, and outline how Pegasus has supported this Government’s efforts to improve our national resilience for future pandemics?

• 26 Nov 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q10. Is the Prime Minister aware that, because of the decision by Reform’s Durham county council to scrap support introduced by Labour in 2013, a typical working family in Stanley will be £170 worse off? How would the Prime Minister contrast the values of this Labour Government with a Reform party dividing our country and hitting working people in their pockets?

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  The right hon. Gentleman mentions taxpayers in his Hertsmere communities, which I have visited and know. Does he accept that among his constituents, there will be families who receive benefits and have more than two children, and who will be positively impacted by today’s Budget? Could he at least nod in the direction of those of his constituents who will benefit from the measures that the Chancellor has set out?

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  If the right hon. Gentleman were to look at the Budget book, he would see that the graph that shows the progressiveness of this Budget shows that, in every decile, it is redistributive. He might be correct about the impact of the specific measures he has spoken about, but the overall impact of the Budget is that the poorer people are, the better off it makes them, and the richer they are, the less well-off it makes them.

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that it was not a U-turn, but that there were better economic statistics that meant that the hole the Chancellor was trying to fill was smaller? People on both sides of the House should welcome the numbers being better. I find it quite bizarre that anyone would attack the Chancellor for finding herself in a better situation. It would be worse for our economy and all of us, including our constituents, would be worse off if we had had to look down the barrel of any change to the headline rates of income tax, quite aside from our manifesto pledges.

• 24 Nov 2025 · Critical Minerals Strategy · Hansard source

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  Does the Minister agree that, in an increasingly uncertain world, ramping up our domestic critical mineral production and diversifying our supply is critical to the defence of our country?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Asylum Policy · Hansard source

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  I wholeheartedly welcome the measures which I believe will tackle a failure by the previous Government to maintain one of the most basic fundamental functions of government: control of our borders. My constituents are worried and angry about the proliferation of houses in multiple occupation to house asylum seekers in towns and villages that already have significant social and economic problems. Will the measures lead to lower demand from the Home Office for that type of housing for asylum seekers and the return of HMOs over time to use as family homes for local people who need affordable housing?

• 12 Nov 2025 · Typhoon Fighter Sovereign Capability · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I was going to make some points about the industrial case, but those have been made very well by Members with a direct constituency interest in this programme, so I will talk about the role of Typhoon in air and missile defence. I have a strong interest in that subject and spoke about it in a Westminster Hall debate last year. I do not often lose sleep over politics—I am quite a robust character—but there is one issue that keeps me awake, which is whether we are moving fast enough to defend Britain from air and missile attack. Russia poses a direct threat to us. It is real, imminent and growing every day. Typhoon forms one important component of the UK’s integrated air and missile defence, as our quick reaction alert aircraft at Coningsby and Lossiemouth. While ground-based air defence engages late, Typhoon engages early, making it a key part of multilayered defence. Typhoon pushes our defensive perimeter outward, stopping threats before they get close to British bases, troops or even civilian targets. When suspicious aircraft approach UK airspace, the first thing that goes up to see them and turn them around is Typhoon. It is our fastest and most flexible interceptor. It can also provide, albeit rather expensively, a last-ditch way of destroying cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles before they hit their target. It performed that role during the Iranian attack on Israel last year. I welcome the commitment in the SDR to upgraded Typhoons, which will form part of the next-generation RAF. Upgrades to our current Typhoon fleet could transform our air defence capability. For example, integrating conformal fuel tanks on to Typhoon could increase their combat range to allow them to reach Russian airspace from the British Isles. I welcome the MOD’s confirmation that the UK will spend £2.35 billion to deliver the new European Common Radar System Mark 2 for the Typhoon fleet. Given the potential for Typhoon upgrades to level up our air and missile defence capabilities, can the Minister elaborate on a timeline for when further upgrades will be set out, and any detail on what upgrades are being considered?

• 11 Nov 2025 · Human Rights Laws · Hansard source

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  Because of our proud history and our commitment to the rule of law, the UK is a global leader in legal services, with our courts garnering respect across the world. What does the Lord Chancellor think would be the impact on our reputation should we begin ripping up our international agreements and our commitments to the very rule of law that we as a nation helped to shape?

• 4 Nov 2025 · Welfare Spending · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 4 Nov 2025 · Welfare Spending · Hansard source

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  It is beyond belief that Conservative Members have chosen today to shine a spotlight on the subject of welfare, when their record on it is one of failure, chaos and incompetence. Under the previous Conservative Government, welfare spending ballooned out of control. The final Office for Budget Responsibility forecast on their watch projected that annual welfare spending would increase by close to £100 billion by 2028-29. That is enough to fund the entire NHS for a year, but instead, the money was spent patching up the consequences of Conservative failure. The Conservatives now want to run from their record. The Leader of the Opposition has even called for a “totally different approach” to welfare from the one that she supported when in government. So who did she appoint as her shadow Chancellor? The right hon. Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride)—the very Member who, as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, oversaw the overspending. When the Conservatives say that they have changed, I say: look at their Front Bench—the architects of failure are still drawing up plans. And what a failure it was. On the shadow Chancellor’s watch, more than 800,000 people left the labour market. What does it say about a Government when hundreds of thousands of people give up on looking for work? Those people had lost hope. That is not just money lost in tax revenue—it is a parent who can no longer work because they are on an NHS waiting list; it is a young person with mental health challenges, left behind by cuts to mental health services.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Welfare Spending · Hansard source

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  Obviously, the pandemic was a factor, but the right hon. Gentleman cannot blame every Government policy failure on external factors. All Governments must deal with external factors. Unpaid carers are having to leave their jobs because the Conservatives never fixed social care. Behind every one of those 800,000 people who are outside the labour market is a tragic story of wasted opportunity and a Conservative Government who looked the other way. That abject failure hits constituencies like mine the hardest; North Durham has more economically inactive people than the national average. Let us contrast that with the record of this Labour Government in our first year in office. Economic inactivity has fallen and employment is up: 730,000 more people are in work, and 360,000 fewer working-age people have been out of work and not looking for work since we entered office. That is 360,000 stories of lives moving forward, new parents able to get back to the workplace, people off NHS waiting lists thanks to our record investment, and young people accessing training. Behind every one of those stories is a Labour Government who refused to accept wasted opportunity. There is still so much left to do to fix the mess that we inherited from the Leader of the Opposition, the shadow Chancellor and the rest of the Conservative party, but I am proud to support a Labour Government who want to help people into work, so that they can get on with their lives.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Welfare Spending · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 29 Oct 2025 · Civil Justice Council Review of Litigation Funding · Hansard source

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  I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way at such an early stage in his speech. I want to highlight another positive example of the use of litigation funding. It was essential in helping 52 former franchisees of Vodafone—essentially, small business owners, including one in Chester-le-Street in my constituency—to bring a claim against the company, which they would have struggled to bring without funding. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that this example demonstrates that litigation funding can play a crucial role in enabling access to justice for those who would otherwise be denied it?

• 28 Oct 2025 · Hong Kong: Human Rights Violations · Hansard source

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  Two pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong have disbanded recently, activist Joshua Wong was rearrested and faces further charges under the national security law, and Jimmy Lai remains in prison. Does the Minister agree that the national security law continues to be used to erode the rights and freedoms of Hongkongers, and can she confirm that the UK continues to strongly oppose it?

• 20 Oct 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T10. Sacriston academy, a primary school in my constituency, has ceilings held up by scaffolding joists. The classrooms, built in 1910, are unusable due to water penetration through the ceilings and walls. Can the Minister say when the funding might be available to repair the school, after 14 years of Tory neglect?

• 9 Sept 2025 · Infrastructure Strategy: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  Can the Chancellor outline the impact on economic growth in the north-east of England she expects from the record-breaking £1.85 billion spending package awarded earlier this year for transport infrastructure in the region?

• 9 Sept 2025 · Infrastructure Strategy: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  16. What steps she has taken to increase economic growth through the 10-year infrastructure strategy.

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

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  I welcome the leadership displayed by the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary and our commitment to the historic 5% pledge. What steps will NATO take to further strengthen our response to growing Russian aggression?

• 4 Sept 2025 · Early Education and Childcare · Hansard source

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  I am looking forward to visiting Bloemfontein primary school in my constituency, where a new school-based nursery is about to open. Can the Minister outline what the measures announced today will mean for hard-working parents in North Durham who are trying to juggle work and family life?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity · Hansard source

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  I welcome the shadow Home Secretary’s concern about crimes linked to the asylum system—that is a concern held across the House. Why does the Minister think the Conservatives and Reform voted against the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which allows the tagging of asylum seekers who pose a threat to public safety?

• 21 Jul 2025 · Independent Water Commission · Hansard source

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  It is a shame that no one is here from the Reform party to explain its proposals for the water companies; its Members might have managed to be more eloquent than their leader was on TV yesterday. Reform’s unfunded spending commitment would send mortgages through the roof and take money away from the NHS, schools, police and our armed forces. Will the Secretary of State tell us how much he thinks Reform’s proposals would cost, and comment on whether he thinks Reform has a clue about this policy area as its Members cannot even be bothered to be in the Chamber?

• 16 Jul 2025 · RAF E-7 Wedgetail Programme · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (John Cooper) on securing this debate and on his well-informed speech. There were some fantastic world war two metaphors and terminology in it, which I will not be able to emulate. I welcome the chance to debate the RAF’s E-7 Wedgetail programme, as it is such an important capability—and not just for the RAF, because it will serve all our armed forces when it comes into service. This is not about three aircraft—or, preferably, five; it is about a force multiplier that will have a huge impact on the ability of all our other military capabilities, across air, land and sea, to dominate the modern battlespace. Wedgetail scans the battlefield using advanced radar and sensors. I am a bit perturbed by the idea that the venerable Hawkeye could somehow step into that; whatever the capabilities of the airframe, it has an older radar and does not have the kind of space inside it for command and control facilities that Wedgetail does. Wedgetail processes vast amounts of information to allow commanders to make informed and speedy decisions about where to deploy their assets. As the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway said, it is a proven technology that has been successfully used in combat in the middle east by Australia. The only production line for Wedgetail globally is here in the UK, at Meriden, between Birmingham and Coventry. The number of jobs involved is not huge—it is 190 across the UK, perhaps rising above 300 next year—but they are highly skilled. There is also export potential, whether or not the US sticks with its order, as NATO has selected the E-7 to replace its shared E-3 Sentry fleet. As many as 100 jobs could be created at RAF Lossiemouth for the sustainment contract. Everyone in this room—because we are all people who take a slightly geeky interest in this program—is aware that Wedgetail has been hit by a series of strange, unexpected problems, from the impact of covid to a hurricane hitting the site where the radar is produced. Most significantly, the 10-year gap between the order for the previous batch of Wedgetails by South Korea and their construction meant that some parts were no longer in production and had to be recreated from scratch. The production schedule was therefore wildly over-optimistic. It is commendable, given its fixed-fee contract, that Boeing, the prime contractor, has stuck with the programme even though it is making a loss on it because it is not the off-the-shelf product that the contract envisaged. That commitment has been recognised by Andy Start, the interim national armaments director, who told the Public Accounts Committee in April that Boeing “has leaned in with serious amounts of resource and stuck with that programme to make sure it is delivered.” Sadly, some of the issues with the programme were self-inflicted by the previous Conservative Government. I am reluctant to be too partisan, because one of the better things about debating defence policy is that there tends to be quite a bit of bipartisan consensus, but the belief in 2019 that the previous Government could rush through the original contract process in just nine months, when it would normally take two or three years, was naive to say the least, and meant that many assumptions made during the planning of the programme were incorrect.