2022 December

I was delighted to meet 15 students on the 14 December 2022 who were studying at the Ukraine Blind School in Kharkiv before it was bombed by the Russian Army. The students had earlier been to Buckingham Palace and were visiting Parliament with the Headteacher of their school and the Mayor of Kharkiv. The Polish Blind School heard of their plight and then drove to Ukraine to pick up 59 students and take them back to Poland where they have been staying for the past 9 months and continuing their studies.  The Thomas Pocklington Trust supported their visit to the UK. The event was hosted by Marsha De Cordova MP. 

On Sunday 18 December, I appeared on BBC West Midlands Sunday Politics. The other guest was Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam. 

I joined colleagues from across both houses to sign a letter urging Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to condemn the sentencing of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, and to call for his release. A British citizen, Mr Lai has been sentenced for a total of 5 years and 9 months imprisonment. The charges relate to his running of the pro-democracy media organisation Apple Daily. Mr Lai faces further charges which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and sedition charges. His sentencing is appears to be politically motivated and an attempt to undermine the important work Mr Lai has undertaken to uphold democracy in Hong Kong.

On the 14 December 2022 I voted against a Ten Minute Rule Motion which was bought by a Conservative MP. The motion would have given time for a Bill which allows the Government to ignore some decisions and judgments of the international courts. Fortunately, the Bill was voted down with only 69 voting in favour and 188 voting against.