Tom Morrison MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 18 Jun 2025 · HS2 Reset · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Lisa Smart) on capacity on the west coast main line. Stockport is the one place where it is at full capacity, and HS2 was meant to solve that; however, because of the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2, we face HS2 trains going through Stockport’s already packed lines. I welcome the response to the plan put forward by the Mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, but will the Secretary of State commit to engaging with Stockport council on those plans? We need to find a solution to this capacity issue, because it could hold my borough back for decades.

• 4 Jun 2025 · Regional Growth · Hansard source

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  I welcome the news about Metrolink coming to Stockport; it is an absolute tribute to all the residents, businesses and organisations that fought tirelessly to get that result. I thank Councillor Mark Hunter, the former leader of Stockport council and the former MP for Cheadle, who made it his life’s work to get this result. The Minister will know that we expect a train station in Cheadle very soon, which will be adapted for the Metrolink. Can he confirm that when Metrolink comes to Stockport, it will come through Cheadle as well?

• 22 May 2025 · Lower League Football Clubs: Funding · Hansard source

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  Last week, I met Nick from Cheadle and Gatley football club, a fantastic organisation that works to help youth football, in particular, in the area. The club is struggling, particularly with energy prices, which are impacting a huge amount of grassroots football across the country. What more can the Government do to get the Premier League and the larger clubs to support lower-league and grassroots clubs, in particular with energy prices?

• 22 May 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  On new year’s day, hundreds of homes and businesses across my constituency were flooded, and this followed similar floods in 2016 and 2019. Since then, residents have been desperately fighting to get a commitment from the Government and the Environment Agency to ensure that it never happens again, but the process is not transparent and clear. Can we have a debate on how communities can engage organisations such as the Environment Agency to help secure their areas from flooding, so that this never happens again?

• 20 May 2025 · Government Travel Advice: Laos · Hansard source

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  I want to raise awareness of this issue today in the name of Kirsty, who tragically died in Bali as a result of methanol poisoning. I also pay credit to her family, who live in my Cheadle constituency—some members of her family are here—and tirelessly campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Methanol poisoning is not just a problem in Laos but in many countries across the world. Does the hon. Member agree that more needs to be done, including having a curriculum fit for the 21st century and a greater public awareness campaign that involves travel agents, NHS providers, schools, colleges and universities to inform and educate people on the very real dangers of methanol being used in countries across the world?

• 14 May 2025 · Gaza: UK Assessment · Hansard source

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  One in five people in Gaza are facing starvation, 90% of people are now displaced, over 50,000 people are dead, and Gaza is the most dangerous place on earth for humanitarian workers. This has to end. The Government keep on condemning Netanyahu, but he does not listen. The time for words has to stop—we need action. Will the Minister take this opportunity to commit to sanctioning extremist members of the Israeli Cabinet, suspending all arms trade with the Israeli Government and recognising a Palestinian state?

• 14 May 2025 · UK-US Trade Agreement: Digital Services Regulation · Hansard source

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  6. What steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequate regulation of digital services, in the context of the UK-US trade agreement.

• 14 May 2025 · UK-US Trade Agreement: Digital Services Regulation · Hansard source

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  Many of my constituents have contacted me with concerns around social media and public health. Nearly 40% of children report that social media has a negative impact on their mental health and, with glaring holes in the Online Safety Act 2023, dangerous smaller websites remain unregulated. Can the Secretary of State confirm that protections for children will not be up for negotiation in any deal with the United States?

• 12 May 2025 · Income Tax: Personal Allowance · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart. One in five people in the UK is now living in poverty. That is around 14 million people. Those are people in our communities: we see them at the school gates, we go to church with them and we meet them every day in our constituencies. Those people are struggling to navigate ever-increasing energy bills, rising food prices and other costs, while their wages do not keep up with inflation. Last year, I was door-knocking in Gatley village, which sits in my constituency. It was one of those incredibly cold nights—the kind of cold that really bites through people’s fingertips. I came to one house where the lights were off. I was not expecting an answer, but a woman answered the door layered up in two dressing gowns, and with two small boys behind her. We talked briefly about the issues she was facing: rising energy prices, increases in her mortgage and the struggle to keep her boys fed and warm. However, what really stood out to me was the look in her eye, because it was the same look that my mum had when I was growing up. When I was about 13, my mum, brother and I faced homelessness after our landlord hiked up the rent. My mum did everything to protect my brother and me from what was happening, and it is only now that I realise what she went through. She missed meals so her boys could eat. She would sometimes sit in the dark alone when the electricity meter ran out of credit and we had gone to bed. That was the day-to-day life that we were living. Many years later, seeing those two boys standing behind their mother in a freezing cold house reminded me how important it is to keep standing up for those people who are struggling day by day. I thank Mr Frost for bringing this issue to the House. I believe that raising the personal income allowance could ease the burden that many people are facing, although it has to be when the finances allow. However, whether the Government listen to the signatories of the petition or not, more must be done to help those who are struggling. The Conservatives effectively raised taxes by freezing the income thresholds for several years. Families and pensioners should not have to pay to clear up the economic mess left by the previous Government. This Government must find ways to lower the tax burden, so that more people are not dragged into poverty and so that more families can live in dignity and security. According to Resolve Poverty, which was formerly known as Greater Manchester Poverty Action, nearly 20% of children in Cheadle live in poverty, while across Stockport the figure is over 30%. Make no mistake—the figure should be 0% everywhere. Raising the personal allowance would help, but if the Government refuse to do that, at the very least they must better support low-income earners who are struggling to afford the basics. One way that the Government could act is by scrapping the unfair child benefit cap, which is one of the biggest drivers of rising child poverty. Many charities from across the UK, including Child Poverty Action, Citizens Advice and Save the Children, are advocating for the cap to be scrapped. As Dan Paskins, executive director of Save the Children, has said: “good intentions are not enough. Children growing up in poverty need action and no child poverty strategy will be credible unless the two-child limit is scrapped”. I finish by reminding the Minister of the story that I shared earlier: that mother, with two young boys standing behind her, doing everything she could to ensure that they were being looked after. No one wants to struggle. No one wants to choose between heating and eating, but it is still happening. In the sixth richest country in the world, that is not acceptable. The Government must do more to help those who are in work but still struggling, and more to provide support for those children being dragged into poverty.

• 12 May 2025 · Winter Fuel Payment: Means-testing · Hansard source

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  Stockport council was one of the first local authorities to roll out the warm spaces programme that was used by third sector groups to support people in need during the winter months. Will the Government commit themselves to helping authorities roll such programmes out earlier, in the face of the winter fuel cuts and rising energy prices?

• 6 May 2025 · Parking Regulation · Hansard source

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  Trust in parking companies is so low that more and more motorists are moving to on-street parking, including in Heald Green, where nuisance parking outside high-footfall businesses has caused much concern among local residents. Does my hon. Friend agree that more needs to be done to encourage holistic parking strategies, to ensure that motorists and residents get a fairer deal?

• 6 May 2025 · Counter Terrorism Policing: Arrests · Hansard source

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  I was alarmed to hear that one of the incidents took place in my constituency of Cheadle. It is chilling to think that a regime with such a shocking record of international aggression could have connections into our neighbourhoods. It just so happens that I met the Jewish community in Cheadle this weekend to talk through their issues and concerns. At the meeting, I heard how fearful they are of the threat of violence and terrorism from the Iranian regime, so will the Minister commit to providing a timeline for producing the report on the IRGC and for when we will finally proscribe that organisation?

• 30 Apr 2025 · Safety of Humanitarian Workers: Conflict Zones · Hansard source

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  I thank Members for their contributions today and, in particular, I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for raising the point about women and educators being targeted in Sudan and Afghanistan. It was a really important point, as was the point about the community groups in our communities that work hard for humanitarian workers abroad. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) that we need more protections for workers abroad because those protections are being eroded, and it seems that the world’s Governments are turning a blind eye. I agree with the hon. Member for Dewsbury and Batley (Iqbal Mohamed) that we need concrete actions and, perhaps, red lines that the Government could put forward. Finally, I thank my hon. Friends the Members for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) and for Esher and Walton (Monica Harding). I completely agree that the foreign aid cuts have been a shameful retreat from Labour’s legacy on foreign aid. The shadow Minister was absolutely right to highlight how misinformation causes even more danger for our aid workers. Finally, I thank the Minister not just for his remarks today, but for his service as a humanitarian worker. It is really appreciated and I have much respect for him. I refer to my earlier comments: I think the Government need to step up. I truly believe that the Government have more influence and power than they perhaps give themselves credit for. From hearing the speeches made today and elsewhere in this House, I think more and more Members agree. I urge the Government to do more, to consider the suggestions highlighted today, and perhaps to bring out those red lines for what we are going to do when international humanitarian law is broken. It vital that we act now; we have no time to wait. We must act now. Question put and agreed to. Resolved , That this House has considered the safety of humanitarian workers in conflict zones.

• 30 Apr 2025 · Safety of Humanitarian Workers: Conflict Zones · Hansard source

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  My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I will speak later about an element of political will that we can partake in to make sure that we crack down on these abuses. When this debate was secured, I was inundated with responses from organisations and workers who wanted to share their stories and have their voices heard. Although those stories are deeply personal, they all contain the same theme. People all felt that they had been forgotten. As I said at the beginning, these workers are running into danger to save lives. They are often local responders, people who live in the communities impacted, and are often volunteers. It is incumbent on this House and the Government to do all we can to ensure that those volunteers are safe, protected and supported. Most of the organisations and workers who contacted me mentioned political will. It is clear that the Government need to do more to provide clear, consistent leadership on the world stage. Without that, they risk undermining the UK’s commitment to international law.

• 30 Apr 2025 · Safety of Humanitarian Workers: Conflict Zones · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. All breaches of international humanitarian law need to be properly investigated and those responsible prosecuted. In April 2025, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs emphasised that there is no shortage of robust legal frameworks to ensure that humanitarian workers are protected, but “what is lacking is the political will to comply.” Many of us have sat in the Chamber and heard the Government roll out the same line time and again when asked to apply pressure on state and non-state actors to comply with international law. The UK Government should not underestimate their power to influence global change; now is the time to step up and be a leader. I therefore urge the Government to push for greater accountability when violations occur and prosecute those who attack aid workers as breaches of international law. I urge them to work with the UN to ensure that better and more responsive humanitarian notification systems are in place so that they work as protective measures, not just accountability measures. We should train partners to improve security procedures and responsibilities under international humanitarian law, and provide mental health support for workers who have served in conflict zones. I also urge the Government to introduce a presumption of denial for arms exports to Governments listed as human rights concerns in the human rights report from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Finally, the Government must reverse their decision to cut international aid. The world faces the biggest humanitarian crisis since 1945. Not only is cutting the aid budget counterproductive, but it damages our country’s standing in the world. It is clear from the stories many of us have heard that charities and NGOs that are managing vital work in some of the most dangerous situations need more resources to protect their staff and volunteers. The Government must reconsider that dreadful decision. Thank you so much for the opportunity to open this debate, Ms Lewell. I wanted to use my platform to give a voice to people and organisations that, for many reasons, cannot speak for themselves. We have experienced the most dangerous year ever for humanitarian workers and there is no sign that the situation will improve. It is therefore vital that the Government act now.

• 30 Apr 2025 · Safety of Humanitarian Workers: Conflict Zones · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the safety of humanitarian workers in conflict zones. It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank those who have attended the debate and the Minister for his presence, which is greatly appreciated. Today, we face more conflicts across the world than at any point since world war two. Some 343 million people face hunger and starvation, while one in six children—473 million—live in conflict zones or are displaced, which is the most in recorded history. Despite the dangers, there are an estimated half a million workers in these areas attempting to support those who desperately need it. Rather than running away from the danger, they are running towards it, in an attempt to provide aid, shelter and support to people in need. We should be celebrating them, but instead, we are letting them down. Last year, 2024, was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with at least 325 aid workers killed. The majority of those were killed in Gaza. However, the crisis spans across multiple conflict zones, with recorded attacks on aid workers in areas such as Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia. Despite being protected under international humanitarian law, these workers are under daily threat from conflict violence such as shelling and shootings. They often face violent intimidation, and there have been several incidents of kidnapping and the use of sexual violence against them. While this happens, the agencies and organisations impacted cannot speak, whether that is due to fear of reprisals or worry that their funding will be cut and access blocked. Many of the people I spoke to while preparing for this debate did so under the condition of anonymity. They need a voice, and today I hope the House can provide one. Members will be aware of the awful killing of 15 paramedics and rescue workers on 23 March in Rafah. The bodies of the workers were found buried in shallow graves a week later next to their vehicles, which had been crushed. While the Israeli military were quick to claim that they had fired on “suspicious vehicles” driving in the dark without emergency lights or headlights on, video footage released of the attack showed that those claims were false, and that not only were the emergency lights on and flashing, but the drivers left the vehicles as the gunfire started. The Israeli military have since investigated the incident and conceded that there was an “operational misunderstanding” and “a breach of orders during a combat setting”, which led to the killings. However, there has still been no independent investigation into the incident. People will not have missed the significance of the fact that the attack on Red Crescent workers came almost a year to the day after the World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack in April 2024, which took the lives of seven aid workers, three of them British citizens. In that tragic incident, the convoy’s route had been co-ordinated in advance, but the co-ordinates were misidentified. The humanitarian notification system is used to alert parties in conflict zones to the location of aid and humanitarian workers and their facilities, in order to protect workers in conflict zones. One agency told me how the system used in Gaza is completely inadequate and often ignored. They said: “At this point we are using the HNS as an accountability measure, not a protective one”. Another worker who supported a charity working in the refugee camps around the occupied territories of Palestine described to me how the camps he worked in were managed, with no armed support or protection. There had been times when he and the team he was with were completely outnumbered by people clambering for help and support—they were desperate, so naturally things became fevered and chaotic. He said: “The safest I felt was when I was in the hotel two hours away, surrounded by metal detectors and armed guards. But during the day I was in the camps, with no support or guards in sight—we were completely alone and forgotten”. A further aid worker told me: “When you congregate groups of people your chance of being targeted increases massively. We do our best to limit numbers but every single one of our beneficiaries and us…are placed inadvertently at risk whenever we work.” The picture these workers paint tells a similar story time and again: that humanitarian workers are often alone and unsupported, with no way to defend themselves. Now known as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, Sudan’s war has seen over 12 million people displaced and over 30 million people needing humanitarian aid. However, more than 387 aid workers have been killed in Sudan over the past five years, with a large proportion of them being national workers. In the last year, 18 workers have been kidnapped. There is mounting evidence that those attacks were deliberately targeted, including aerial bombardments, attacks on refugee camps and violent incidents against local responders. Islamic Relief, which has offices in the area, has had to relocate several times. One person told me that “each move was a desperate escape from advancing militias, looters and gunmen. Roads were lined with armed checkpoints, towns were besieged, our office in Sennar even became a target.” Because of that, many aid agencies are now pausing or suspending their operations in Sudan, leading to a worsening of the humanitarian crisis. I could go on with examples, each worse and more harrowing than the last.

• 28 Apr 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for making that point, which is absolutely key. We have a history in this country of poor owners taking our clubs for granted, and it is the fans who pay. There are things in the Bill that I would like us to consider further. I would like to see more detail and focus on how football governance can support the wider football pyramid outside the football leagues. I mentioned Cheadle Town Stingers at the beginning of my comments. Cheadle Town is a wonderful example of a community-run football club that champions excellence, not only on the field but off it. The club sits in the heart of Cheadle and plays an active role in its community, providing support for local food banks and coaching for local schools. It is also, in my view, an exemplar of how both the men’s and women’s game should be championed in this country. There is a true “one club” mentality in Cheadle Town, where the successes of both teams are worked for and celebrated equally, exactly as they should be. This is a true community club, and everything that the Football Governance Bill needs to protect. The campaign organisation Fair Game puts it best: “Addressing the deeply flawed financial flow in the game could see extra money flooding into the towns and cities that have lower league football clubs.” We all know that the Premier League receives the lion’s share of the market revenue. In 2023, just 25 clubs received a massive 92% of the revenues across the English game, while the other 67 clubs in the football leagues received just 8%. This disparity is completely eye-watering, but it does not even begin to take into account the clubs further below. These are the clubs that are at real risk. They have to fundraise and save to make sure they can put the floodlights on. Many non-league clubs are now struggling with the rise in energy prices, which have quadrupled in the last few years, while others have had to sparingly cut the grass on their pitches to save further costs. Facilities are also a key issue. Across Cheadle, there are just three full-sized 3G pitches, which are shared between 40 different teams, while of the 18 grass pitches in Stockport, five have no changing facilities at all, which has a disproportionate impact on women’s teams and disability teams. The issues in our game are not just impacting the premier and football leagues; they are having a massive and sometimes fatal impact on our grassroots game. Although the Football Governance Bill starts to mitigate these issues, it does very little to encourage clubs, particularly the larger premier league clubs, to support the very lower tiers of the football pyramid. I would like to see that changed as the Bill progresses and more thought given to how our grassroots game can be supported. Football is about community and often represents what is best about community spirit, so supporting the game at its very base needs to be more of a priority. This Bill is a step forward for football in this country and should be welcomed, but there is more to do. I hope the Government will take that on board and introduce a regulator that not only protects this wonderful game but promotes it at the community, grassroots level. Finally, if I may crave your indulgence for 10 more seconds, Madam Deputy Speaker, allow me to channel that seven-year-old who was obsessed with the likes of John Barnes, Jan Mølby and Ian Rush, and say this: Arne Slot, Big Virg and Mo, thanks for bringing home No. 20.

• 28 Apr 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I want to start by congratulating Cheadle Town Stingers, which yesterday confirmed its second place in the women’s national league division one north, just missing out on promotion by goal difference in what was their first season in the national league. I hope the House will share my congratulations to manager Dylan Wimbury and the whole team for this fantastic campaign. I have every confidence that the team will go one better next season. Football has been a key part of my life since I can remember. When I was a youngster of about seven, I remember scoffing down my Sunday lunch so I could rush in front of the TV and watch my heroes, John Barnes and Ian Rush, put every team they played to the sword. I was a seven-year-old glory hunter, transfixed by the way Liverpool would seem effortlessly to breeze past teams. The iconic red kit became my uniform whenever I played in the park with my friends. I can still remember my first game. I remember the long walk up what seemed like an endless mountain of steps to then come in full view of that bright green carpet, surrounded by a sea of scarves, banners and flags, and the players. My heroes were warming up on the pitch. I can still remember how it made me feel. It felt like falling in love for the very first time, because football has that power. It can bring people together in a way that only a few cultural spectacles can. Whether it is a few hundred people watching a non-league club in Greater Manchester or 90,000 people watching the FA cup final in Wembley, for 90 minutes football encourages us to dream together.

• 28 Apr 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  That is absolutely fantastic work. Football creates togetherness and is incredibly important for our communities. That is why the Football Governance Bill is so important. For too many years, we have seen our game threatened by a variety of actors, be it poor owners, the creation of super leagues or the ever-increasing prices of matchday, which mean that only a smaller and smaller group of people can experience the game. The aims of the Bill to fix that are highly commendable, and I fully support them.

• 28 Apr 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T4. The Secretary of State may be aware of the tragic death of Genevieve Meehan, who died in a nursery in Cheadle. She was just nine months old. Despite claims that the nursery was safe, Gigi’s death was entirely preventable. Gigi’s parents, John and Katie, are now campaigning for changes in the law around nursery safety. Will the Secretary of State meet me, Gigi’s parents and the Lullaby Trust to talk through this campaign and commit to helping to ensure that this tragic story is never repeated?