Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence)
Liberal DemocratMP for Lewes
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Liberal Democrats will support these regulations. They are welcome. But of course, they are somewhat overdue. For years, we've argued that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps should face much tougher a…”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The picture in Iran remains volatile. We've seen renewed military strikes, threats against ships in international waters and rhetoric that keeps ratcheting upwards put together. That's a kind of mix that tip…”
“4. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle violence against women and girls.…”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I must start by thanking and congratulating my colleague, the honourable member for Tunbridge Wells, for securing this extremely valuable debate today. Now, much has been said about rearmament and defenc…”
“As our brave Ukrainian allies have halted the advance of the Russian army, Putin has resorted to expanding his air campaign against Kyiv and other Ukrainian civilian targets. His growing barbarism is matched only by his desperation. The UK …”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, albeit 14 months late and one Defence Secretary later. The Liberal Democrats welcome investment in the technologies reshaping warfare in Ukraine and beyond. Our armed forces…”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and I join others in welcoming him to his new role. May I start by associating myself with colleagues’ remarks in thanking our Royal Marines? Through their bravery and skill…”
“With the defence investment plan now nine months overdue, I hear almost daily from small and medium-sized defence enterprises that face a funding precipice. Many are warning that without certainty from Government, they will be unable to inv…”
“Villagers in Rodmell in my constituency have been without water or had low water pressure for weeks—including during the recent heatwave—with little or no communication from South East Water. Just up the road in Ringmer, residents are reall…”
“There is much in the Bill that deserves support. It renews the statutory basis for our armed forces, extends the armed forces covenant duty, introduces a defence housing service and reforms certain aspects of the service justice system. Tho…”
“Last night, I returned from a week in Ukraine. I visited villages in Kherson, just tens of kilometres from the frontline, and saw the total devastation wrought by Russian forces. Every morning, we woke to reports that hundreds of drones had…”
“If His Majesty’s most Gracious Speech was meant to show that this Government have grasped the scale of the danger facing Britain, it fell a long way short. We live in a more dangerous world than at any point since the end of the cold war. V…”
“rose—…”
“1. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating 1950s-born women impacted by the maladministration of state pension age changes.…”
“It seems like every day a fresh revelation about the parlous state of our military spending comes to light. After yesterday’s intervention from Lord Robertson, there are reports today that the Chancellor is unwilling to put any more than an…”
“Earlier this year, the head of the armed forces, Sir Richard Knighton, issued a stark warning. In describing the current state of our military, Sir Richard said that the UK is “not as ready as we need to be for the kind of full-scale confli…”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. We are four weeks on from the start of President Trump’s illegal assault on Iran, and still there is no plan and no end in sight. It is not Trump or his partner in this ill-…”
“Liberal Democrats share concerns about the whereabouts of the defence investment plan, and urge the Government to come forward with its publication. Last year’s strategic defence review also promised a defence readiness Bill, which would gi…”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and echo his praise for the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces in putting their lives on the line for us all. The Liberal Democrats continue to have grave conce…”
“I thank the Backbench Business Committee for selecting this topic and the Chair of the Defence Committee for securing this debate. The UK spent £62.2 billion on defence this year. The Government plan to raise that to £73.5 billion by 2028-2…”
“Although I fear that this Bill may be remembered as a Bill of missed opportunities, I want to start with the substantial positives that I see in it. For decades, the Liberal Democrats have fought—sometimes alone, sometimes against the odds—…”
“Four years ago yesterday, Vladimir Putin launched his deadly full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Four years on, we face a solemn reminder of the death and destruction that has ensued. An estimated 1.8 million soldiers have been killed or wounde…”
“I congratulate my honourable Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) on securing this really important debate. One of the issues that appears most often in my constituency mailbag is digital connectivity, as it affects thousan…”
“We have been watching developments in Iran with anger and disgust. By some accounts, as many as 30,000 Iranians may now have been killed during the regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protest, leaving relatives to sift through piles of bo…”
“We all know that we must urgently increase defence spending, but we are not hearing many ways to get it moving right away without harming British security in other ways. Slashing international development aid or investment in renewable ener…”
“Our British armed forces represent the very best of us—courage, selflessness, and an unwavering commitment to protect our freedoms and our way of life—and they deserve nothing less than our unwavering commitment in return. The Liberal Democ…”
“I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am an unpaid director of the Newhaven Fishing community interest company. As such, I see at first hand what is happening to our local fishing industry, and I r…”
“I welcome the time for this debate on Ukraine today, as we meet at a key moment. American peace proposals welcomed by the Kremlin suggested demilitarised zones and buffer areas. Those phrases sound technical, but their consequences could be…”
“I thank my honourable Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) for securing this important urgent question on behalf of his constituents. The UK has retired Puma early, leaving a medium-lift helicopter capability gap. At the very moment ou…”
“We all hope for peace in Ukraine. Years of brutal conflict, caused and perpetuated by Russia, have taken a terrible toll. There is therefore much to welcome in the announcement that the United Kingdom and France are prepared, alongside part…”
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