29/01/2026 | 11:12:31 Thank you. And thank you to those who've given excellent speeches so far. I represent a constituency in the north-east of England where even some of our place names have Danish roots. Our histories are intertwined, going back as far as King Canute. So I want to start by expressing both personally and on behalf of the people I represent our absolute solidarity with our neighbours across the seas, both Denmark and Greenland. We, a community of friendly European nations, stand together. We have... 28/01/2026 | 13:21:48 Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2. There is no point in extolling the virtues of "respecting" or "listening" to young people, as some have in this debate, if we will not trust them with even one morsel of power, a single vote in the ocean of votes that decides who governs us. Too much of what passes for "youth engagement" or "youth dialogue" amounts to little more than youth-washing: the co-option of young people as symbols of vulnerability, vitality, or hope, without allowing... 26/01/2026 | 17:56:21 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) I grew up believing that progress was linear: that the great institutions built after the world wars to protect human rights and uphold the international rules-based order were permanent, immovable, and destined to carry ever more countries toward freedom and democracy. I was wrong. Civilisations rise and fall. The rules-based order that has delivered unprecedented peace, freedom, and human flourishing exists only because people believe in... 01/10/2025 | 20:01:08 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) I welcome this report, not only because it recognises the need to amplify youth voices in our democracies, but because it calls on us to do so in ways that are meaningful and inclusive. Youth participation only works when all young people can take part, not just the few with confidence, resources, or connections, and when they are not only listened to but have the power to change outcomes. We sometimes talk about "the youth" perspective, as... 25/06/2025 | 11:25:06 Thank you. Sport, as we all know, has the power to promote health and fitness, to teach our children values like hard work, fairness, teamwork, humility, and has the power to bring people together, to build up friendships across divides, and to unify nations. As we saw when South Africa hosted the 1995 World Cup, or indeed the Christmas Day truce football match during the First World War, we've seen how sport can be a platform for promoting equal rights, such as Tommie SMITH and John CARLOS... 24/06/2025 | 17:24:13 Thank you. We assemble today, parliamentarians from across Europe, in an institution founded in the aftermath of world war, to defend democracy, the rule of law and respect of human rights. After decades of progress and flourishing, the clouds of war have again descended on Europe, including the most egregious of crimes, and the world has been reordered beneath our feet. Just a year ago, it was unthinkable that we would see the USA adopt a neutral position on Russian aggression against a... 10/04/2025 | 16:44:52 Thank you. It’s impossible to speak of Gaza without paying respects to those who lost their lives or were taken hostage in Hamas’ genocidal attack on Israel. I have seen the burned-out remains of a family home whose occupants were killed that day, and stood at the Nova Festival site, where beautiful young people were slaughtered, where they had gathered to dance. And I have met with the brave families of hostages, who continue to campaign for peace. I join their call to “bring them home”. The... 08/04/2025 | 20:20:45 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) We have heard examples of those on the right, who tap into people’s insecurities on immigration and lure them with fake solutions to complex challenges. This report calls for tough measures, warning against those who invoke exceptions to human rights on the pretext of “necessity”. The enormous incrase in asylum seekers in the UK under the late Conservative government is a cautionary tale to beware of easy answers. When they took office in...