Substitute
Deputy
Labour
House of Commons
GB - SW1A OAA - London
United Kingdom
Working language: English
Declarations of interests:
2026
, 2025
, 2024
Declarations of interest regarding election observations (if applicable)
25/06/2026 | 10:49:27 Thank you. I wanted to address some comments in response to what we heard from our colleague from Belgium, but I see he's no longer here. But I was shocked by the way that he demonised migrants in a way that I've not heard in this continent for 80 years. I thought we defeated that ideology. My country has a warm tradition of welcoming migrants. They serve in our armed forces, they treat us in our National Health Service, they build our buildings, they set up shops. My own wife is a migrant to... 24/06/2026 | 17:53:03 "Sorry" [spoken in French]. I'd like to commend the rapporteurs for this strong and important report. The most important conclusion, I think, is paragraph 5, that the conditions for holding genuinely democratic elections do not exist in Georgia. That is an extraordinary finding, reflecting the gravity of the situation facing opposition politicians, independent media and civil society. Earlier this month, I met with Georgian opposition leaders, as I often do, to hear again their lived... 24/04/2026 | 10:10:57 Thank you. And I wish to address the same topic. In the village of Witton Park, which is on the banks of the River Wear, where I represent, there's a statue to four brothers, George, James, Thomas and Roland Bradford, who fought in the First World War. Only one of them returned home, while two won the Victoria Cross. Just a few decades later, the Durham Light Infantry, in which the Bradfords had served, fought in almost every major campaign of the Second World War, including Dunkirk. These... 22/04/2026 | 11:40:38 Thank you. Can I also thank the Minister for Spain for an excellent speech earlier that I think really showed the progress that can be made in 50 years. I thank my friend Ms Zita GURMAI for these two excellent reports. I know that she's engaged so well in putting them together. Violence against women and girls is a stain on all of our societies. It is a legislative and a justice challenge when we see that, for example, in the UK, fewer than 2% of reported rapes ever make it to a conviction... 21/04/2026 | 17:58:45 –Thank you. I welcome this report and the recommendations it makes around education, political leadership, and combating hate speech to protect people’s freedom of religion or belief across Europe. Earlier, on the other side, Sir Christopher CHOPE argued against curbing hate speech in the name of free speech, saying "people shouldn’t be wimps." I disagree. People are free to criticise, blaspheme, and mock religious beliefs and practices. That is not hate speech. Hate speech is when language...
25/06/2026 | Doc. 16453 | Motion for a resolution Towards a European strategy on arbitrary detention and hostage‑taking of European and dual‑national citizens 22/04/2026 | Doc. 16390 | Motion for a resolution Addressing the issue of drug facilitated sexual violence and the online platforms used by perpetrators
25/06/2026 | Doc. 16412, vote on the draft text for resolution Access of migrants and refugees to healthcare 24/06/2026 | Doc. 16420, vote on the draft text for resolution The functioning of democratic institutions in Georgia 22/04/2026 | Doc. 16370, vote on the draft text for resolution Paving the way for a culture of consent 22/04/2026 | Doc. 16372, vote on the draft text for resolution Promoting the Istanbul Convention and improving its implementation: building on lessons learnt 21/04/2026 | Doc. 16363, vote on the draft text for recommendation Violence and hate speech against politicians: a threat to democracy