Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Many of my constituents have got in touch with concerns about nature protections with regard to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. While I support some of the principles, aims and ambitions of the Bill, key areas of this Bill leave me with concerns. I firmly believe that protecting the natural environment is important across the […]
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Constituents continue to email me with serious concerns about the conflict in Gaza. I remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian conditions facing civilians in Gaza. The scale of displacement, the lack of access to essential supplies, and the strain on medical facilities are deeply troubling. Innocent people, including large numbers of children, are facing immense […]
Crime and Policing Bill
Many people have got in touch to express their views on certain amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill regarding the issue of abortion. I have made my views clear on this for many years. I am not “anti abortion” as I believe that there are circumstances when it is right to assist a woman terminate […]
Jimmy Lai imprisonment in Hong Kong
Sir John Whittingdale MP meets Sebastian Lai to discuss his father, Jimmy Lai’s, imprisonment in Hong Kong
PIP Changes
Many people have got in touch about the Government’s changes to disability benefits. I am firmly of the belief that the Government has a duty to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are able to live with the dignity they deserve. Our welfare system should encourage and support people into work, while providing a […]
Data Bill: Recording Data on Sex and Gender
Many of my constituents have contacted me about recording data on sex and gender. Last year, the previous Government commissioned Professor Alice Sullivan to conduct an independent review of the accuracy of public data on biological sex and gender. Professor Sullivan was tasked with identifying obstacles to accurate data collection and research on sex and […]
Assisted Dying
I continue to receive a huge amount of correspondence on the Assisted Dying Bill currently before Parliament. This is a profoundly sensitive and deeply personal issue. I want to begin by acknowledging that many people support this bill out of compassion — often informed by painful personal experiences of watching loved ones suffer. I have […]
Supreme Court Ruling on the definition of a woman
Many of my constituents have got in touch to share their heartfelt concerns regarding the recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers (UKSC 16). I fully recognise the impact that decisions like this can have on the daily lives of transgender, non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming […]
Wealth Taxes
A number of people have contacted me about wealth taxes. The UK does not have a comprehensive, single wealth tax, but it does have several taxes on assets and wealth. Notably, the Wealth Tax Commission, which has no connection or link to the Government, found in 2020 that, if considering Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duty, and Stamp Duty Land Tax, […]
Solar Radiation Modification (SRM)
A number of people have contacted me about solar radiation modification (SRM). Proposed SRM technologies would reflect some of the Sun’s energy that reaches Earth back into space. This could include adding aerosol particles into the atmosphere to reflect the Sun’s rays or spraying sea water to increase the reflectivity of clouds over the ocean. It is important to […]