2022 March

Happy World Book Day 2022 to everyone celebrating today, a wonderful opportunity to recognise the value of reading.

On Tuesday 1 March 2022 I attended an event in Parliament to support World Book Day on its 25th Anniversary. I am delighted that the Early Day Motion I tabled marking this achievement and welcoming this year’s campaign has been signed by 36 Members. The EDM states:

I spoke in a debate in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 3 March 2022 on funding for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. The WFD is funded by the Foreign Office to work with parliaments, parties, electoral bodies and civil society in countries around the world, with the aim of supporting the development of inclusive and accountable democratic institutions. My full speech is below. “It is a pleasure to serve with you as Chair, Dr Huq. I start by paying tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham) for securing this debate, and thanking him for all the work that he has done for the wonderful Westminster Foundation for Democracy as chair.

If there was ever a time when an organisation was needed that crosses Parliaments, parties, electoral bodies and civil societies around the world—a non-departmental body working and empowering everyone—it is now. This debate is crucial because it reaffirms our commitment to democracy around the world. We have heard that every major index of democracy has pointed to a reversal in the spread of democracy—that is worrying—although there is an increase in political participation, which may be something to do with the work of WFD, hopefully, for more accountability.

I have supported the presentation of the ‘Firearms and Hate Crime’ Bill to Parliament by Luke Pollard MP . The Bill received its First Reading on Wednesday 2 March 2022. The Bill has been presented in response to the fatal shooting of four adults and one child in Plymouth on 12 August 2021. The motion to bring in the Bill was: “That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the keeping of pump action firearms in homes, with exemptions for professional pest controllers and farmers; to make provision about medical requirements for holders of firearms certificates; to make provision about the disclosure of mental health concerns relating to holders of firearms certificates; to extend offences of stirring up hatred to cover hatred on the basis of sex or gender; to make motivation by misogyny an aggravating factor in sentencing for violent crimes; and for connected purposes”

On Wednesday 2 March 2022 Prime Minister’s Questions was attended by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr Vadym Prystaiko. Before the session began, I joined a standing ovation for Mr Prystaiko from all Members of Parliament. Applause is rare in the House, and signified the solidarity between the United Kingdom and Ukraine at this desperate time for the Ukrainian people. Donations to the Conservative Party by Ms Lubov Chernukhin were raised with the Prime Minister. Ms Chernukhin is married to a former minister in Vladimir Putin’s government. Figures released by the Electoral Commission show that she donated over £80,000 from October to December 2021. The Prime Minister was called on to donate this money to Ukrainian humanitarian causes. 

The National Insurance Contributions Bill amends National Insurance legislation in relation to employers taking on employees in one of the Government’s new ‘Freeports’, employers hiring armed forces veterans during their first year after leaving the forces, and self-employed people who have received covid-19 Test and Trace Support Payments. It also allows for changes to the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes regime. On Tuesday 1 March 2022 the Bill returned to the House of Commons to consider the amendments made by the Lords. The Government motions were to disagree with the Lords Amendment in question. As such, an ‘Aye’ vote is to remove the amendment, and a ‘No’ vote is to retain the amendment.