Al Pinkerton MP: speeches

Speeches

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  No, thank you—I will make progress. We believe that European co-operation is, as I have just indicated, the answer to the small boats crisis. Even the shadow Home Secretary agrees. We all heard him say that the UK’s withdrawal from the Dublin agreement, as part of Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit deal, meant that the UK “can’t any longer rely on sending people back to the place where they first claimed asylum”. Straight from the horse’s mouth! Let us talk about the backlog. At the end of 2024, about 91,000 asylum seekers were stuck in limbo; most had been waiting over six months just for an initial decision. And while they wait, they are banned from working, banned from rebuilding their lives and forced to depend entirely on the state. That becomes a source of resentment for local communities, whose discontent can be weaponised by the darker fringes of our political spectrum.

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his comment, and I will come on to make a point about the state of the finances of UK universities. Universities are magnets for global talent and they are the envy of the world, so why are this Government so determined to undermine that? The new immigration White Paper limits international graduates to spending just 18 months in the UK after their studies. This is a short-sighted, self-defeating policy that has already caused alarm in the sector. I have heard from university vice-chancellors who are warning of financial catastrophe and a collapse in international recruitment. The Russell Group has also been clear that international students drive local economies, fund research and help make Britain a science superpower. Higher education is the No. 1 export for 26 parliamentary constituencies and among the top three in 102 of them. We jeopardise that at our peril. As if that were not enough, there is now talk of a levy on international student fees, because apparently what our universities really need in the middle of a funding crisis and a challenging international recruitment environment is a brand new tax. This feels reckless, and we strongly encourage the Government to think again and to work with the university sector to flesh out those proposals in a way that works for both the country and the university sector. The Liberal Democrats will always stand for an immigration system that is fair, firm and forward looking, one that supports the economy, reflects our values and honours Britain’s proud tradition of offering sanctuary to those in need. The Conservatives today want to shine a light on immigration, but when we look at their record, we see a decade of chaos, cruelty and catastrophic incompetence. I congratulate them on their courageous decision.

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  No, I will not. We believe in expanding safe and legal routes for refugees, including humanitarian travel permits offering vulnerable people a viable alternative to risking their life at sea.

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  I give way to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans).

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  No. We also believe that the real way to tackle the channel crisis is through stronger co-operation. That means working through Europol to dismantle trafficking networks, share intelligence, deliver joint enforcement and report progress back to Parliament every six months, as well as a statutory duty for the UK Border Security Commander to meet their Europol counterparts at least once every three months.

• 21 May 2025 · Immigration · Hansard source

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  We need safe and legal routes in order to allow people an alternative to putting their life at risk to cross the channel. That work needs to be done on a continental basis with our European partners.

• 21 May 2025 · Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  As we have just heard, since last we met in this place for Northern Ireland questions, we have had the announcement of the UK-EU SPS agreement. That comes as a great reassurance to many Northern Irish agrifood retailers, but the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry has cautioned that key trade barriers remain, particularly around broader regulatory divergence across supply chains and ongoing customs issues under the Windsor framework. In the Secretary of State’s opinion, how will the latest arrangements ease east-west trade in practice? What specific customs reform does he intend to pursue to further cut red tape and unlock the full potential of dual-market access and latent economic growth in Northern Ireland?

• 20 May 2025 · Lifetime Mortgages: Support for Older People · Hansard source

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  An increasing number of pensioners are reaching the end of their mortgages with outstanding borrowing and finding themselves unable to meet later-life lending criteria, and this is likely to become even more prevalent in years to come as house price rises continue to outstrip earnings. What discussions is the Minister having with lenders and the mortgage industry about expanding those criteria and giving hard-working pensioners who might otherwise be forced to seek council support the opportunity to remain in their own homes?

• 29 Apr 2025 · Irish Republican Alleged Incitement · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for the tone and manner in which he has answered questions. I am cognisant of the ongoing legal action that may be pursued in this case, so to generalise the point a little, how are the Government ensuring that public funding mechanisms, such as the music export growth scheme, are not inadvertently supporting entities that propagate extremist rhetoric and incitement to violence? This is not just about the money; it is about the official imprimatur that schemes like that offer to the entities involved.

• 23 Apr 2025 · Pension Funds · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate. Terry, one of my constituents, worked for a large American multinational company. As a consequence of the Pensions Act 1995, he found his pre-1997 pension contributions decoupled from inflation. Because of the nature of inflation, his savings, which he now depends on, have been gradually eaten away and he finds himself in increasing levels of destitution. Will the Minister look at the issue with the seriousness that it requires? It cannot be right that pensioners in our country are suffering as a consequence of decisions made by multinational companies that remain hugely profitable. The issue has a particular geography because so many multinational companies were located in the south-east of England.

• 8 Apr 2025 · Blair Mayne: Posthumous Victoria Cross · Hansard source

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  I begin by simply acknowledging the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for tabling an early-day motion and securing today’s important debate. The hon. Gentleman has supported so many new starters in this House since we joined Parliament, so it is a pleasure to support him in his advocacy of this important cause today. As we have heard from Members across the House, with his courage and bravery, Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne stands alongside the greatest soldiers of our reckoning, past or present, and the heroism that he demonstrated during the second world war is rightly celebrated. However, I want to take a moment to shine a light on a lesser-known but remarkable chapter of his life: the work he did with the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. This chapter reflects his unwavering dedication to service and duty, but it also holds a special resonance for me personally. As a recovering academic with a strong interest in the UK’s overseas territories, an observer of the 2013 Falklands referendum, and a former Shackleton scholar, I have had the privilege of visiting the Falkland Islands on numerous occasions, most recently in 2023. During those visits, I have seen for myself the pristine wilderness and unparalleled beauty of the island’s wildlife, but above all the unwavering strength of the people who call the Falklands home. In the aftermath of the second world war, one might have expected Robert Blair Mayne, having given so much in battles and skirmishes, to have sought the comfort of home, family and a well-earned rest, but that was not the direction he chose. Instead of stepping away from public service, he delayed his return to civilian life and joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, a precursor to what is now the British Antarctic Survey. The organisation, which began life as a naval operation in 1943 under the codename Operation Tabarin, had an important strategic purpose. While its official mission had been to monitor enemy shipping, its true goal was to counter Argentine and Chilean territorial claims in the Antarctic and assert British sovereignty by establishing manned bases in the region. When the war ended, the operation transitioned into the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. In late 1945, three former SAS members, including Lieutenant Colonel Blair Mayne, joined the expedition. Led by Naval Surgeon Commander Bingham, with Mayne appointed second in command, this was no ceremonial visit to the southern hemisphere. Blair Mayne fully embraced the challenges of the mission: he was active on board the ship, on the ground and on the ice, participating in the full scope of the expedition, leading dog teams, surveying wildlife and camping in some of the harshest, most isolated conditions imaginable. Mayne’s journals and photographs offer a rare glimpse into the lives and work of British explorers, surveyors and scientists in the southern hemisphere and Antarctica during the immediate post-war period, revealing not only the isolation of the vast icy landscapes, but the camaraderie he shared with his comrades—a recurrence of the same camaraderie he demonstrated during his active service in Europe and north Africa. It was only a recurring back injury, one sustained during his wartime service, that forced Mayne’s early return to the Falklands for medical treatment. Nothing could be done to ease the condition or the pain from which he suffered. From Port Stanley, Mayne was transported back to England and thence to Northern Ireland in the spring of 1946. The injury that cut short his Antarctic service would trouble him for the rest of his life. Still in his 30s and resettled in Northern Ireland, Mayne, a former British and Irish Lion, was said to live with such profound and chronic pain that he was unable even to spectate rugby matches from the terraces at Ravenhill. For 80 years, Mayne’s supporters have remained acutely aware of the injustice that denied the Victoria Cross to this extraordinary man and undisputed national hero. Blair Mayne’s legacy is not only of valour in battle, but of unparalleled leadership, courage and sacrifice under the severest of conditions. Colonel David Stirling, who himself knew something of courage and leadership, noted of Mayne that “he had a marvellous battle nostril. He could really sense precisely what he had to do in a situation. It wasn’t sheer courage, it was sheer technique.” Today’s debate is not about rewriting history; it concerns the righting of a historic wrong—one that was evident at the time of its making in 1945 and one that has become only clearer with the passage of time and the application of a clear-eyed historical lens. On the 80th anniversary of Mayne’s recommendation for the Victoria Cross and in the 70th anniversary year of Mayne’s untimely death in 1955, there could be no better or more appropriate moment for His Majesty’s Government to take up the cause and finally award Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair Mayne the Victoria Cross—a recognition earned in 1945, which is now 80 years overdue, but we hope not for much longer.

• 8 Apr 2025 · EU Tariffs: United States and Northern Ireland Economy · Hansard source

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  As the Financial Times reported at the weekend—and as I think the Secretary of State has just confirmed—in the event of EU retaliatory tariffs, goods imported from the United States into Northern Ireland will by default be effectively forced down the red lane. That, of course, means additional customs checks, time and red tape and, in the event of their imposition, EU tariff rates for goods coming into Northern Ireland, irrespective of their ultimate destination. That risks a scenario where Northern Ireland importers are penalised more than almost any other businesses in either the UK or the EU, first at the border and then in administering the reclamation of those costs. Let us be clear: this chaotic situation is entirely the consequence of Donald Trump’s destructive trade war. What are the Government doing to ensure that President Trump and the US Administration are alert to the deeply destabilising effects of their tariffs policy on the Good Friday agreement and the prospect of peace in Northern Ireland? What active steps are the Government taking to mitigate the potential disruption to Northern Ireland businesses that are now unwittingly caught up in Donald Trump’s trade war?

• 2 Apr 2025 · Universities: Funding and Employment · Hansard source

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  As an academic in recovery, currently working as a visiting professor at Royal Holloway, University of London on Monday mornings before Parliament sits, what the hon. Lady is saying resonates with me very powerfully. Today, Royal Holloway announced a voluntary severance scheme. I remember that moment in 2016, after the Brexit referendum, when our international student numbers fell off a cliff. Britain cannot claim to be a genuine world leader in many things, but in our university sector we absolutely can. We have the second largest number of Nobel prizes of any country. Does the hon. Lady agree that, to paraphrase Joni Mitchell, we won’t know what we’ve lost until it’s gone?

• 2 Apr 2025 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Hansard source

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  In all inhabited British overseas territories, British sovereignty flows, in my opinion, from the self-determination of the islanders and residents, and that is exactly the same with the British Indian Ocean Territory. Even though the population is displaced, British sovereignty flows from Chagossians and their right to self-determination. I ask the Minister again what efforts he has made to engage with the widest possible constituency of Chagossians, and whether he will give them a veto over this deal if it is not acceptable to them.

• 2 Apr 2025 · Autumn Budget 2024 · Hansard source

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  Yesterday, Belfast Chamber, which represents 600 businesses, warned that many Northern Irish businesses are being forced to freeze growth plans, halt recruitment and, in some cases, cut jobs to absorb rising costs as a consequence of the rising employer national insurance contributions due to take effect in just four days. What assessment has the Northern Ireland Office made of the impact of those tax rises on small and medium-sized enterprises, and what practical discussions is the Secretary of State having with the Northern Ireland Executive to support SMEs, which are the future of Northern Ireland’s growth?

• 1 Apr 2025 · Royal British Legion · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes a powerful case for more closely co-ordinating the different organisations and establishing connections with the Government. Everybody would benefit as a consequence. The RBL’s work extends far beyond the bespoke care and support that it provides to wounded servicemen and women. As we have heard, its advocacy work supports an extraordinary number of military families and ensures that their needs—from access to GP services to supporting children with special educational needs—are properly met. The RBL has a proud history and legacy spanning 104 years, and it is as relevant today as it was in 1921. With the tragic spectre of war and conflict on the horizon again, I hope it has a long and prosperous future.

• 1 Apr 2025 · Royal British Legion · Hansard source

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  It is a privilege to speak under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I congratulate the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) on securing this important debate. In my constituency, the local Royal British Legion branches of Camberley, Chobham, Normandy, Pirbright and Windlesham have long played a critical role in supporting our community, which has a deep-rooted historical connection to our armed forces. I have personally had the privilege of visiting local RBL branches and taking part in some wonderful events they have organised, including remembrance services, members’ receptions and poppy appeal concerts. I pay particular tribute to some of the people who make all that work possible: Rhona and Michael McCauliffe, Mike Sheard, Tim Beck, Pat Tedder, Patrick Mathé, and Peter Welford are just a handful of the dedicated individuals across the branches in my constituency who have made a remarkable difference to people’s lives. The Royal British Legion’s legacy is defined not just by events and by charity efforts but by the lives it transforms. One of my constituents, whom I will refer to as Tim—that is not his real name—served multiple tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as undertaking numerous overseas training exercises with the British Army. Much of his service was spent in Germany, where he supported personnel and their families. Like so many who served, Tim’s challenges did not end when he left the military. He was physically injured during his service in Iraq and was later diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Thanks to the Royal British Legion, Tim did not have to face those physical or mental challenges alone. Through the personnel recovery centre in Sennelager in Germany and the Battle Back Centre in Shropshire, both sponsored by the Royal British Legion, Tim was given the support he needed to start rebuilding his life. Today Tim is a key member of the recently reestablished Camberley branch of the Royal British Legion, paying forward the help that he once received. He is one of many millions whose lives have been changed and saved by the RBL.

• 31 Mar 2025 · Myanmar Earthquake · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her statement today. This is so much more than a humanitarian crisis. It is a double disaster: a humanitarian crisis on the back of civil war and further military attacks on the domestic population of Myanmar. Given the United States’ withdrawal of USAID and the withdrawal of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, what is being done to support the BBC World Service’s Burmese service in an environment where information will be absolutely vital to the maintenance of services and the saving of lives?

• 31 Mar 2025 · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Hansard source

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  I associate myself with the comments made about the British Council and the BBC World Service. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting 77th Brigade, the anti-Russian-disinformation brigade based at Newbury. Has an assessment been made of the rise of Russian misinformation and disinformation in the Republika Srpska theatre in recent months? We heard during that meeting that Russia is increasingly using misinformation and disinformation across Ukraine, eastern Europe, and indeed the Balkans.

• 24 Mar 2025 · US Cyber-operations against Russia · Hansard source

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  As part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme, together with colleagues, I recently visited the 77th Brigade and learned more about the amazing work the men and women of the brigade are doing to tackle Russian disinformation in eastern Europe and elsewhere. The trip came just a few days after the United States President announced his decision to cease American offensive cyber-operations against Russia over disinformation altogether, which has led to growing concerns that willing countries do not have the capacity or ability to tackle that particular threat. Will the Minister tell us what assessment has been made of the capabilities that we have in the United Kingdom to tackle that threat, and does he agree that it places greater pressure on the 77th Brigade and other agencies?

• 24 Mar 2025 · US Cyber-operations against Russia · Hansard source

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  11. If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the pause in offensive cyber-operations against Russia by the US on security in Europe.

• 17 Mar 2025 · Women’s Changed State Pension Age: Compensation · Hansard source

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  My constituent, Carol, worked as a learning assistant throughout her adult life and was planning for a happy retirement—until she found out, with just a few months to spare, that she had another five years to work. That caused significant mental health challenges for her, and ultimately a stroke, which she attributes to the stress she endured during that difficult time. Does my hon. Friend agree that 1950s-born women experienced dreadful workplace injustices throughout their careers, such as lower pay, which she just referred to, and that this Government have a unique opportunity to undo one of the injustices they face in their retirement?

• 12 Mar 2025 · Housing Development Planning: Water Companies · Hansard source

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  I slightly regret asking my hon Friend to give way at this particular moment, because she has just mentioned 17,000 hours of sewage. As a result of a recent freedom of information request related to my constituency, Thames Water had to reveal to me that it has released sewage into Surrey Heath’s rivers for 543 hours since the general election on 4 July. That is a slightly more modest number than the 17,000 hours my hon Friend’s constituents have faced, but it is none the less hugely significant, given that we have only four sewage outlets in the whole of my constituency. Does my hon. Friend agree that if we want new housing built—which we do—then water companies, which we are often very hard on, need to be treated as strategic partners in development, and forced through tougher regulation to deliver the rapidly growing communities we want for all of our residents?

• 3 Mar 2025 · Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to speak with you in the Chair, Mrs Lewell-Buck. My Surrey Heath constituency is home to many outstanding state schools and academies and to six small, extraordinary, highly performing independent schools: Hall Grove, Lyndhurst, Coworth Flexlands, Woodcote House, Knowl Hill and Fernways school. It is quite possible that no hon. Members have heard of those schools. They are not necessarily the big names, but they provide extraordinary education to an extremely loyal following. They provide not only excellent education but essential support, catering to a wide range of educational and pastoral needs. For children with special educational needs and disabilities, they offer tailored learning environments with small classes, dedicated learning assistants and specialist therapies that parents would otherwise have to battle to access through Surrey’s appalling state system—very often unsuccessfully. Beyond academic provisions, the schools foster a nurturing environment that prioritises wellbeing. That is particularly crucial for children from military families, who rely on their schools for stability and continuity of education amid the turbulence of frequent relocations and parental deployments overseas. For those children, the stability offered by the independent sector—particularly independent boarding schools—helps to ease the disruption of constant change, providing a reliable support system that nurtures mental health and lifts academic achievement. By offering structure, stability and familiarity, the schools play a crucial role in helping military children to thrive. Back in October, I stood in this Chamber to highlight the damaging impact that VAT rises would have on independent schools, and particularly on service families. I am pleased to say that the Government subsequently committed to increasing funding for the continuity of education allowance to offset rising private school fees. That adjustment is undoubtedly welcome, but does not adequately cover the full cost of the VAT increase. As the RAF Families Federation has pointed out, military families who receive continuity of education allowance for private schooling are required to provide and contribute a minimum of 10% towards tuition fees. With rising school fees that by necessity reflect inflationary pressures, business rates, national insurance increases and the new VAT imposition, that 10% minimum contribution is growing significantly in real terms for hard-working, committed service families. As a country, we ask our military families to make extraordinary sacrifices on our behalf. With the rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, it looks as though we will need to lean on those families even more in the future. Arguably, nowhere is that more apparent than in my constituency of Surrey Heath. The presence of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Army Training Centre Pirbright means that my constituency plays a vital role in supporting and accommodating service families. The six independent schools in Surrey Heath, and many others beyond, are essential pillars of support for those families, whose lives are often marked by uncertainty in the service of the state. I ask the Minister to look again at the continuity of education allowance and to ensure that it keeps up with rising school fees, while making sure that service families are not financially penalised for their continued commitment to the defence of the United Kingdom.

• 3 Mar 2025 · Building Safety Documentation · Hansard source

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  19. If she will take steps to support residents impacted by market disruption due to incorrect building safety documentation.