Tom Gordon MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  One of the greatest privileges I have had in this place so far was sitting on the assisted dying Bill Committee. We have seen in the press today rumours that No. 10 thinks the Bill will not return before the King’s Speech and subsequently would fall. Could the Leader of the House enlighten us on what conversations he is having with his counterpart in the other place and whether the Government will ensure there is adequate time for the Bill to pass, given that the public perception and polling is in support of the Bill, and many people I speak to already think it will come into force? Given that the Prime Minister made a personal promise to Esther Rantzen, will the Leader of the House gently nudge him in the right direction?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Northern Powerhouse Rail · Hansard source

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  I completely disagree with the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Broadland and Fakenham (Jerome Mayhew) in his comments about the betrayal of the north by this Labour Government. While this plan is not by any means perfect, it is a damn sight better than what we saw from the last Government. At last week’s Transport questions, I pressed the Minister about the improvements to the York area capacity scheme and was told that it was not ruled out. I was surprised to see no mention in the statement and the documents circulated today of that York area capacity scheme, which would relieve pressure and congestion at Skelton junction. That would improve the rail network and connectivity across the north. Will the Secretary of State rule out the cancellation of the Skelton junction improvements, commit to ensuring that they are part of the scheme going forward, and tell us why they were not mentioned today?

• 14 Jan 2026 · UK-France Relations · Hansard source

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  The hon. Gentleman mentioned tourism. Does he have any thoughts about the fantastic work that organisations such as Harrogate International Partnerships do in town twinning—a lot of which was set up off the back of world war two—and about how the educational, cultural and tourism exchange that such organisations provide can deepen the France-UK relationship?

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  I welcome the statement by the Secretary of State. When she talks about a ban, one thing I am slightly concerned about, whether it is limited, short-term or long-term, is how it would be enforced. Is she confident that Ofcom could do so in response to X and what we have seen? How do we ensure that if we end up with a ban, temporary or otherwise, we do not allow people to circumvent it via the use of VPNs? What are her thoughts on that?

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  It was about ensuring that the ban is enforceable.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Rail Services: Harrogate and Knaresborough · Hansard source

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  Constituents of mine who rely on the Leeds to York via Harrogate line face regular disruption, because part of the route is single track. Given the indefinite pause of the York area capacity scheme, which means that the Harrogate to York trains still have to go on to the fast east coast main line, we will continue to see delays. Will the Government think again about this pause, which is indefinite, and what alternative plans will they set out in the meantime to address capacity constraints and improve the reliability of services for my constituents?

• 8 Jan 2026 · Rail Services: Harrogate and Knaresborough · Hansard source

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  8. What steps she is taking to help improve rail services in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency.

• 8 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I join the Leader of the House in recognising people who were awarded honours in the new year’s list, including those who live and work in Harrogate and Knaresborough such as Simon Roberts, Jane Bayliss, Professor Piers Forster, Miriam and Terence Wilcox, and Master Ali, who was awarded an MBE for services to taekwondo. I have had the pleasure of attending some taekwondo sessions, but fortunately not of participating in them, and I was a guest at one of the contests held locally last year. Martial arts and taekwondo in particular play an important role in health, wellbeing, discipline and providing an opportunity for young people. Will the Leader of the House ask the relevant Minister for further support and promotion of martial arts?

• 8 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  As a Yorkshireman, I love a bargain, so I welcome the great British rail sale, but members of the Young Liberals have told me that they cannot use their railcards when purchasing rail sale tickets. Can the Minister justify a rail sale that excludes young people, and will she look to fix it?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  The Minister talks about record demand and the pressure on court services. Is he able to outline what assessment has been made of the increase in pressure on the court system as a result of cracking down on the right to protest in legitimate cases?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Free Bus Travel: Over-60s · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Free Bus Travel: Over-60s · Hansard source

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  The shadow Minister seems to be saying that he disagrees with free transport for over-60s in the devolved nations. Is it his party’s position that if it were elected in the important elections in just a few months’ time, which is increasingly unlikely, it would get rid of that free transport?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Free Bus Travel: Over-60s · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) for putting the key points across so well when he opened the debate. I thank the 226 people in my constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough who added their name to the petition. Free bus travel is already available to people aged 60 and over in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The provision also exists where local authorities have chosen to finance it, such as in Merseyside. Across the rest of England, an older person’s bus pass gives access to free bus travel for people who have reached the state pension age, but that age is set to increase in due course. Over the last decade, and certainly under the last Government, we saw a stark decline in the number of bus journeys taken, with 1 billion fewer passenger journeys in 2023 than in 2015. Bus services have been chronically underfunded. Everyone should have convenient, affordable options for getting around, whether to get to work or to the shops, to visit friends or family, to go to school or to hospital, or to access other vital services. That is particularly important to those aged 60 and over, who face greater odds of social isolation and who might have less access to private vehicles or active travel options. When I speak to people in my area, and across Yorkshire as a whole, I am particularly concerned by the loss of other services that might have offered a replacement for or an alternative to bus provision. Councillor Andrew Hollyer talked to me about how City of York council failed to replace the Dial & Ride community transport service that many people who are 60 and over could have used in the two years since it folded. I recognise that the petition is trying to increase provision for people who might experience such inequality of access. Frequent and affordable buses are important for quality of life. That is of particular concern in rural areas, where transport options are limited. Sadly, far too many parts of our country do not have a decent bus service. Under the last Conservative Government, bus services withered, isolating pensioners and breaking up friends and families. Many rural communities have been effectively cut off from the public transport that they need, and between 2015 and 2023 fares increased massively, by an average of 59%. The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to restore and expand bus services and better integrate them with other forms of public transport, so we welcome the funding and new powers introduced in the Bus Services Act, but we want the Government to go further. Earlier, the hon. Member for Dewsbury and Batley (Iqbal Mohamed) mentioned that we end up with what many describe as a postcode lottery, where different local authorities have different offers. That is a key point. Just last month, before Christmas, I held a drop-in with Whizz Kidz, and we had the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, there. He talked about Manchester’s two successful trials of removing some restrictions on certain types of bus passes, including for older persons and for disabled people. He is now looking to make those changes permanent. He said that although that is a great local decision that his powers and funding allow him to take, a national funding fix is needed. We heard the same from Bus Users UK and from Whizz Kidz: where these powers exist without the funding to go with them, there is not really a choice. I have mentioned that extensively to the Minister in debates and questions, and I am sure he is not surprised to hear me making that point again.

• 5 Jan 2026 · Free Bus Travel: Over-60s · Hansard source

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  This is an issue where party politics can be left at the door. It is about ensuring that we have better bus routes and better access across the board. I absolutely want people to get around the table and work collaboratively where possible. I have worked with several colleagues, including the hon. Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell), on access to disabled bus passes. I do not think anyone needs to be overtly partisan and tribal on this issue; it is about improving public transport, which is often a lifeline for people. Earlier, the hon. Member for East Thanet (Ms Billington) talked about her constituency and leafy Tunbridge Wells. I know my hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mike Martin) well, and his constituency is rural. Obviously, the hon. Member for East Thanet has challenges in her constituency, but this is not about dividing and conquering or pitting people against each other. We want good bus services everywhere. We do not want anyone to lose out; we want to raise the bar across the board for everyone. The Bus Services Act gained Royal Assent last year. The Liberal Democrats supported many positive measures in that Act, such as those that empower local authorities to operate bus services and implement services for socially necessary local routes. However, we want the Government to go further to fully address the needs of rural areas, tackle lack of provision and assist local authorities in the transition to net zero buses. We believe that bus services should remain affordable, and we will continue campaigning for the restoration of the £2 bus fare cap, which is vital to passengers who struggle to meet the cost of living and to deal with the effects of bus route cuts made under the Conservatives. Last year, I went on a visit with the all-party parliamentary group for diabetes and spoke to some clinicians, who said that restrictions on bus passes and a lack of free travel mean that people miss appointments, do not turn up on time or, quite often, do not show. That frustrates me, because expanding concessionary travel to people over 60 or people with disabilities might create greater savings in other services and other parts of Government. The cost of a missed hospital appointment pales in comparison to the cost of a bus fare. We need a bigger, joined-up approach to buses to fund vital services down the line through savings. What economic assessments have the Minister and the Department made of how extending the English national concessionary travel scheme might save other Departments and services money? If that has not been done, will he look into it and assure us about it? I fully support the aspiration to see free bus travel for people over 60. I think the hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe mentioned that it would cost £250 million, which does not exactly sound affordable in this current climate, but I think it is the direction of travel in which we should be heading. Expanding disabled bus passes, which cost on average only £75,000 per year per travel concession authority, would be more affordable than free bus travel for over-60s. Perhaps the Minister would like to comment on that.