Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
ConservativeMP for South Suffolk
“May I echo your sentiments, Mr Speaker, about Sir George Howarth, and pass on the Opposition’s condolences to his family and friends? Also, for their first oral questions, I welcome the new Ministers to the Front-Bench team. Today’s reports…”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. After months and months of delay, we finally have the defence investment plan, but it is quite simply a case of too little, too late. It is too little because there is virtu…”
“I beg to move, That this House regrets the chaos in Government which means a temporary Prime Minister will be attending the NATO summit; further regrets that at such a dangerous time globally this country is not being properly governed; cal…”
“I thank the Defence Secretary for advance sight of his statement and welcome him to his new post. He had a distinguished military career and, as Security Minister, will have had a foretaste of the operational demands of his new job. I will …”
“(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the defence investment plan.…”
“Ukraine has derogated from the ECHR. Does that put it in the same bracket as Belarus and Russia?…”
“I beg to move amendment (o), at the end of the Question to add: “but respectfully regret the absence of a Defence Readiness Bill from the Gracious Speech, and the 10 month delay to the publication of the Defence Investment Plan; call on the…”
“I beg to move, That this House regrets that the Defence Investment Plan has still not been published despite the Government promising Parliament that the plan would be published in Autumn 2025; notes that the Government’s delay has frozen p…”
“May I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and for the briefing I received from his officials this afternoon? I join him in putting on record my utter condemnation of the arson attack committed in Golders Green l…”
“I am not sure that the Secretary of State heard the question from my honourable Friend the Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst), which was incredibly simple: will the defence investment plan be published before the House …”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and for the briefing that I received from his officials this morning. May I begin by offering condolences, on behalf of the Opposition, to the families of the seven US soldi…”
“Shocking!…”
“You are the relevant Minister!…”
“(Urgent question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department’s contracts with Palantir.…”
“I associate the Opposition with the condolences expressed to the families of Lord Wallace, Lord Flight and, of course, Captain Philip Muldowney. Last June, from the Dispatch Box, the Secretary of State promised to deliver the defence invest…”
“rose—…”
“It is a privilege to open for the Opposition on Second Reading of the Armed Forces Bill, given the global circumstances in which we find ourselves, and the sense that the ability of our armed forces to stand up to renewed threats has not be…”
“What threats?…”
“I congratulate the honourable Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) on tabling this urgent question. It was a real pleasure to visit the Leonardo factory last September and witness how critical it is to employment in his constituency. Visiting the…”
“I begin by thanking the Secretary of State for giving me advance sight of his statement, and for the briefing he provided to me and other parliamentarians on today’s operation. As the Leader of the Opposition said earlier, there should alwa…”
“(Urgent Q uestion): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill on armed forces recruitment and retention.…”
“To the House.…”
“On behalf of the Opposition, I join you in expressing our total condemnation of the horrific Bondi Beach terrorist attack, Mr Speaker. We must stand united in this House against antisemitism in all its forms. May I also offer our condolence…”
“(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest developments concerning Ajax and other Army vehicles.…”
“May I begin by congratulating my constituency neighbour, my honourable Friend the Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin) on securing this important debate, together with his co-signatories, the Chair of the Defence Committe…”
“I am grateful to the Committee for its report and to the honourable Lady for her statement. Further to the question from my right honourable Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith), protections for veteran…”
“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance about a piece of so-called ministerial correspondence that I have received, which is the worst I have ever had the displeasure to receive as a Member of Parliament. I am seriou…”
“Because Putin invaded Ukraine!…”
“Will there be another statement?…”
“(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of lasers by the Russian spy ship Yantar.…”
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