The gas crisis and soaring bills

Report on Downing Street parties during lockdown

The atmosphere at Westminster has been febrile over the past two weeks, waiting for the report by the senior civil servant Sue Gray into the parties that went on at Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. My most recent column in Metro set out why I think he should resign over the issue.

This is the speech I gave in the debate.

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Building Safety Bill debate today.   

A happy new year to everyone. I hope many of you enjoyed a break and time with family and loved ones over Christmas and New Year, and managed to avoid catching Covid.  Sadly, I did not and have been unable to be in Parliament for the first two weeks as I self-isolated at home.

Covid, the Omicron variant and vaccine rollout

“I welcome the fact that Ministers have finally woken up to the fact that it was deeply unfair to expect leaseholders to pay tens of thousands of pounds because of the failings caused by weak regulation, often outsourced enforcement and a race to the bottom in building safety practices.  

CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER 2021

Only a year ago, I was writing in my Christmas newsletter that 2020 had been the most extraordinary year for all of us.  I never imagined then that as 2021 draws to a close, we would be entering yet another phase of the Covid pandemic with the new Omicron variant, more necessary measures to keep people safe and the prospect of more heartache. But I know that the compassion and sense of community that people have shown over the past two years will pull us through the challenges that Covid continues to throw at us.

With warnings from scientists and public health experts about the serious threat Omicron poses to public health, and to an NHS which is already “beyond full stretch”, we need much stronger measures to try to control its spread.  

A new Covid variant

UN climate summit, COP26 

This was the most important international summit held in the UK and our best chance of averting climate catastrophe.  To say the final agreement fell short would be an under-statement – it showed nothing like the ambition or urgency required in the face of an escalating crisis.  We urgently need to bring an end to the fossil fuel era, limit global heating and build a better future for all of us. But we won’t do it with the kind of incremental steps taken in Glasgow and each delay makes the task ahead much more difficult.   

The Budget