Amanda Martin MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Jun 2025 · Armed Forces Day · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for that wonderful intervention and send my best wishes to Jack for his birthday. In remembering that, I would also like to remember John Jenkins—one of our very own veterans from Portsmouth. In Portsmouth, we also proudly celebrated Armed Forces Day last Saturday, honouring the service and sacrifice of our military community with events across the city. It is a day that I have attended since I was a kid, and it shows our city at its very best. On Monday, we raised the armed forces flag—a visible sign of our respect and support for those who serve and have served—but in my city the armed forces are remembered every day, not just on one day. I also want to pay tribute to the local charities, veterans’ organisations and community groups in Portsmouth, which work year round to support our armed forces communities. Their dedication and compassion make a real difference. It has been a pleasure to work with them since coming to this place on behalf of my constituents, veterans and their families, and I have been proud to host many of them in this place. Let us use this week not just to show gratitude, but to rebuild the bond between society and those who serve, and to ensure that our armed forces community is properly respected, supported and championed. Let us also use it to say thank you: to my Olly, to Kate, to Craig, to Kirstin, to Mark and to Jonty, who is currently away on the Prince of Wales—and, indeed, to all who serve and have served. Whether they are serving now, have served or are supporting from home, they all deserve nothing less than our full commitment on their return.

• 26 Jun 2025 · Armed Forces Day · Hansard source

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  I associate myself with the Minister’s opening words. It is a privilege to speak in this debate as both a member of the armed forces parliamentary scheme and the proud Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North, the home of the Royal Navy and a community with deep historic ties to our armed forces. However, for me, this debate is not just about duty—it is personal. I have a son currently serving, as well as several cousins and, indeed, a grandad who wear and wore their uniforms with pride. Like those in so many military families, I know both the pride and sacrifice that service life brings. I have proudly stood on the shoreline waving off ships as they sail out of my city and sail back in—and yes, it is emotional. I thank the Minister for joining me last month as we waved loved ones off on the Prince of Wales. I will be returning again next month. This Armed Forces Week, we honour not just those in uniform—regulars, reserves and veterans—but the families who stand behind them. Our armed forces are the backbone of our national security, and they are the very best of us. I want to make special mention of the 14th and 15th Battalions and the 16th (Reserve) Battalion, more fondly known in my city as the “Pompey Pals”, and to remember the more than 1,400 who have lost their lives, many going over the top in the battle of the Somme on 3 September 1916. A tribute to the armed forces veterans who did not survive can be found at my football club; their names also adorned our football shirts one season. After years of neglect and underfunding, I am proud that this Labour Government are turning the page. We delivered the largest pay rise in more than 20 years for our armed forces and, as we heard from the Minister, we are increasing recruitment and have committed £1.5 billion more for military accommodation, tackling years of decay and poor conditions that too many forces families have had to endure. I am proud to have brought the Minister for Veterans and People to Portsmouth to meet residents and armed forces families and to see what can be done with accommodation, and I look forward to this Government changing homes for the better. We must also look to the future and at boosting the cadet forces, which I am pleased we are looking to increase by 30% by 2030, opening doors to 42,000 more young people from every background to develop the skills, discipline and confidence that service life can bring. I want to mention the Royal Navy Cadets, Royal Marine Cadets, Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force, Air Cadets and Combined Cadet Force, as well as the teachers at City of Portsmouth college who teach the uniformed protective services BTEC levels 2 and 3, and who do a great job showing our young people that there can be a life in the military. To ensure those who have served are not forgotten, we are launching Valour, a £50 million programme creating a nationwide network of veteran support centres. I urge Portsmouth city council to sign up to and wholeheartedly embrace this programme, as we have veterans who deserve and need our support. I also look forward to putting the covenant into law and promoting this service to our armed forces and their families, many of whom do not know it exists, so that we can follow best practice across the country and deliver for our people. We proudly commemorated VE Day in Portsmouth, where it was fantastic to join the residents of Knox Road at their street party. I look forward to joining many other street parties on VJ Day in August.

• 25 Jun 2025 · Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I declare my interests as a season ticket holder at Portsmouth football club and as an elected member of the board of Pompey Supporters’ Trust. I thank my hon. Friend for introducing the Bill. I understand the need for it, but members of the public buy tickets not only for football matches but for other large events, such as other sporting or music events. Why is she seeking to change the rules only for football?

• 25 Jun 2025 · Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member for Harrow East made a really good point; there have been some developments on that issue through things such as fan zones. Fans can buy a ticket for such a zone, which is an area outside the stadium, and that allows for dispersal. It also allows fans to watch the game, particularly if they are going to Wembley. Portsmouth went a number of times and could not have all the ticket allocation, so fans could instead buy a ticket for a fan zone outside. The hon. Member is right that it is down to both club logistics and the police, but there are really good ways of letting people who do not have a ticket come and watch the game, such as in an area slightly outside the stadium.

• 24 Jun 2025 · War Memorials · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) for securing the debate. In Portsmouth North, we are proud of our naval heritage and deep connection to those who serve. Our war memorials are more than stone and metal; they are living markers of sacrifice, service and the values that we hold dear. In St Peter and St Paul church in Wymering, there is a wooden shrine with five panels listing 62 names from world war one and world war two; positioned in the churchyard corner, it has been carefully maintained and restored over decades. The Portsdown hill D-day window, in Christ church in Portsdown, is a beautiful stained glass window depicting St Michael, St George and the Normandy landings. The Nelson monument at the summit of Portsdown hill is a 37 metre granite memorial that was dedicated in 1808 to Admiral Lord Nelson and funded by naval subscription. Although not a war memorial in the modern sense, it is an early tribute to naval heroism. From the Portsdown hill memorials that honour the Royal Regiment of Artillery and those lost in both world wars to the Paulsgrove war memorials, the plaques inside St Michael’s church, and the silhouettes of soldiers on the lampposts across our city, commemorating individuals who fell during the wars—these sites connect generations. They are places where our communities come together on Remembrance Sunday and beyond to reflect, remember and recommit ourselves to peace. The sites also have an educational role. I have seen young people from local schools visit our city war memorials and begin to understand history, not as something distant but as something personal. That is why it is so important that we protect, preserve and promote such spaces. Recent attacks on war memorials are attacks on our shared history and those who gave their lives for our freedom; they are disgraceful and must be met with zero tolerance. I thank all those volunteers, whether with charities, movements or small community groups, for the work they do on the upkeep of these memorials. I urge all MPs to work with our local authorities, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, community groups and our schools to ensure that war memorials across our country, including those in Portsmouth North, are properly maintained and understood, and that they serve as civic spaces and not just historical artefacts. In remembering the past, we strengthen our shared future.

• 24 Jun 2025 · Department for Education · Hansard source

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  Children with educational needs in Portsmouth still face long waits and a shortage of school places; families are waiting, and schools are stretched. Can the Minister set out how the Department is working with local authorities to expand high-quality provision in areas such as Portsmouth, and whether the spending review includes targeted capital or revenue support for this area? If education is to drive growth, skills reform must be front and centre, and I am glad that is part of Labour’s priority. Colleges are central to this. Students and staff at Portsmouth college are eager to do more, but need the right investment. Ambition is vital, because the role of education is not just social, but economic. The spending review must be understood as part of the wider industrial strategy that Labour is delivering. Skills reform, youth hubs and the creation of Skills England are vital tools to align training with the future of our jobs, and the Department must ensure that schools, colleges and businesses are integrated into this strategy. We also need to get serious about apprenticeships—not just for school leavers, but for older learners and those changing careers. We need to talk about access, because apprenticeships must work for everybody. I have heard from constituents in their 20s and 30s and beyond who want to reskill, but cannot afford the drop in income. Although it may seem radical, I wonder whether the Minister would consider a means-tested apprenticeship loan system similar to student finance with an automated repayment tied into income above the living wage. That kind of support could transform access for working parents, carers and those who want to change their career. As a Government Member and a member of the Education Committee, I am proud of the Government’s work. The spending review lays solid foundations, but there is a long way to go. Portsmouth North is a place of talent, determination and potential. Labour’s plan is already delivering change, but if we truly want an economy built on skills and a society built on fairness, we must keep pushing forward.

• 24 Jun 2025 · Department for Education · Hansard source

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  In Portsmouth North, we know that education does not just open doors, but transforms lives. I welcome this Government’s commitment to rebuilding the foundations of the education system. Before entering this House, I was a teacher, and I have seen at first hand the power that education has to transform individual lives and whole communities, and how Government policy can impact it negatively or positively. In Portsmouth, sadly, that power has often been held back by under-investment, postcode inequality and a lack of opportunity for those outside the traditional academic path. I am proud that more than 6,500 children in Portsmouth will benefit from Labour’s expansion of free school meals and that teacher pay is rising—by 5.5% last year and 4% this year—recognising the dedication of staff across our schools. Combined with rising attendance and the return of 3 million more school days, that shows that Labour’s plan is working. It makes me cross when those on the Opposition Benches talk about trade union baron pay rises, when it is actually our teachers, doctors and armed forces who got those long-awaited pay rises, which were denied by the previous Government. It is time those on the Opposition Benches were honest about that. [ Interruption. ]

• 24 Jun 2025 · Department for Education · Hansard source

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  A rise in the number of independent schools.

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Modern Industrial Strategy · Hansard source

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  I warmly welcome the comprehensive and business-friendly UK modern industrial strategy; it is an investment in Britain, British people and British businesses. As home to the world-class and innovative defence cluster, Portsmouth has strength in maritime, space, drones, autonomous systems and assets such as QinetiQ, Airbus, His Majesty’s Royal Navy base, Griffon Marine, Portsmouth Aviation and Solent freeport. I could continue the list with many more brilliant businesses in my city, but time does not allow. Will my right hon. Friend say how “Invest 2035” can work alongside future devolution and local government reorganisation to help unlock growth, investment, skills and jobs for Portsmouth businesses and residents?

• 23 Jun 2025 · UK Military Base Protection · Hansard source

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  First, on Armed Forces Day, I want to thank all who serve and have served, including my own son, and recognise the huge contribution made by our armed forces, alongside all service families in Portsmouth, the very proud home of the Royal Navy. Secondly, I would like to say a huge “Thank you” for Armed Forces Day on Saturday, and for being able to take part in the flag raising in my city to show my gratitude and respect to all those serving. Given the fast-changing landscape alongside the recent disrespectful incident at RAF Brize Norton, with so many armed forces personnel based in Portsmouth and personnel from Portsmouth based around the globe, can the Minister confirm whether wider action is being taken to review and strengthen security across all our military bases, in both the UK and abroad, and what force protection measures are in place to keep our personnel and their families safe here, abroad and in my city?

• 23 Jun 2025 · Pride Month · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to speak in celebration of Pride Month and to have listened to all hon. Members. I want to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals and organisations in Portsmouth North who work tirelessly to support our LGBT+ community and who worked hard to ensure that we had a UK Pride this year. I thank the dedicated team at Pompey Pride, whose vibrant events and year-round advocacy promote inclusivity and visibility; the incredible support provided by the Portsmouth LGBT+ community forum; TransLucent, which my hon. Friend the Member for Southend West and Leigh (David Burton-Sampson) has already praised; the YOU Trust, which offers specialist help to LGBT people facing homelessness or domestic abuse; and the fantastic Fight with Pride, a military charity leading a great campaign. Our city should stand proud of our LGBT community, as I stand in this place a proud ally of them. Schools and institutions such as the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth college proudly continue to foster inclusivity, and local businesses, trade unions and the city council are demonstrating leadership by championing equality in the workplace. Pride is not just a celebration but a commitment to dignity, respect and human rights, which in a sometimes hostile world we must continue to push for all. I am proud of the actions of this Government and other Governments, both historically and currently. I am proud of the changes to bring about the equal age of consent, the repeal of section 28, the Civil Partnership Act 2004, the commitment to banning conversion therapy and strengthening hate crime protections, and the commitment to implementing Lord Etherton’s report. I thank the Minister and the shadow Minister for their combined and positive words in speaking up on behalf of our trans community, who are at this moment feeling very fragile and facing a very difficult world. I commend and want to thank all in Portsmouth North who through their actions are seeking to make our city of Portsmouth more open, compassionate, equal and a beautiful place for all to live. When we think about Pride and the need to still have Pride in 2025 in the UK, we must remember that love should not be a limitation but our greatest freedom, because in embracing who we are, we help the world become more authentic and more compassionate. In a world where this is not always possible, we must all continue to stand together, speak up and speak out until we are all truly free to love who we want.

• 19 Jun 2025 · UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy · Hansard source

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  I welcome the statement. Does the Minister agree that our investment plans are a world away from the chronic under-investment of the previous Government, with their lack of investment in public services, housing, people and an ambition for Britain. That included the previous Government decimating shipbuilding in my city, snatching it away and not replacing the economy and jobs, leaving a hole for 14 years. How will this Government’s plans deliver for Portsmouth? Will he meet me to see how we can finally open up place- based investment for Portsmouth and wider Hampshire?

• 19 Jun 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  I have raised concerns about the rise in the number of houses in multiple occupation in Portsmouth before. This week, the council confirmed that it would take 12 years to house all families currently on the four-bedroom home waiting list without adding a single new family, because we are not building enough homes. Meanwhile, family homes are being converted into HMOs to fill the gap—homes in Balfour road, Chichester road, Cardiff road and three on Laburnum—yet residents cannot get up-to-date information because the public HMO list has not been updated for 15 months due to technical difficulties. Can the Leader of the House advise me how I can get the council to publish that list, and will she make time for a debate on the national rise of HMOs?

• 19 Jun 2025 · Water Safety Education · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton Itchen (Darren Paffey) and I praise Nessa for her tireless campaigning. As a former teacher who taught swimming in my NQT—newly qualified teacher—year, as a mum of three young men who are all confident swimmers, and as the MP for Portsmouth’s coastal community where water is a part of daily life, I know just how vital water safety education is. Every child should not only learn how to swim, but understand how to stay safe around water. As has been said today, warn and inform. That is why I welcome Labour’s continued commitment to the PE and sport premium, with £320 million for 2025-26, which schools can use for teacher training and to top-up swimming lessons. Labour’s new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will mean that all state-funded schools, including academies, will be required to deliver the national curriculum, which will include swimming and water safety. In addition, the interim report from Labour’s curriculum assessment review recognises the urgent need to rebalance priorities, especially in PE for our older pupils. However, if we are to teach children to swim, we need to ensure we have access to facilities—affordable facilities—in which to have lessons. I am pleased that Hilsea Lido is having a revamp for local use, but we need to help schools work with local facilities, be they private or council, to ensure that pools and transport are a real option and are really affordable. I also want to echo the praise for, and the promotion of, the Royal Life Saving Society for the work it is doing to help to educate us. Its resources are brilliant and there is no need to reinvent the wheel. I have seen the great work of my local National Independent Lifeboat Association. Alongside Portsmouth RNLI lifeboat and lifeguards, Portsmouth Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards and our local police and fire services, they all go the extra mile. Raising awareness helps inform and warn, but it needs to be put into practice to save lives. As my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham and Beckton (James Asser) noted, I also remember the childhood public service broadcasts some 40 years ago. They do work, and it would be a great and positive use of our online media platforms. In Portsmouth North, where children live near the sea, ponds, shorelines and marshes, these reforms to water safety education and swimming are not optional, but essential. I fully support the Government’s steps to ensure that every child leaves school with essential lifesaving water skills. I fully support the extra calls from my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton Itchen. I pledge to work with him and others on behalf of our constituents to make a national strategy for water safety a reality for our kids and for all our communities.

• 19 Jun 2025 · Warm Home Discount · Hansard source

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  Many families in Portsmouth North continue to face pressure from energy bills and the cost of living, so I congratulate my hon. Friend and the Government on supporting those on the lowest incomes this winter, particularly through the change in the warm home discount, the £150 credit, the warm homes plan and the additional funds that we have given to the household support fund, helping people like Portsmouth North resident Amee, who I met yesterday and who lost out under the last Government’s unnecessary, unreliable and unfair criteria. Will the Minister join me in urging that—alongside our Government—energy providers and councils, including Portsmouth city council, do more to promote and advertise what residents must do to access these vital supports to raise their living standards, so that families who are entitled to it get the help that they need?

• 18 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 18 Jun 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for acknowledging how tool theft affects people’s lives. Does she agree that this is not just about police on our streets and arrests, but about sentencing, and will she work with me, across Departments, to ensure that the aggravated circumstances powers that the courts already have reflect the real cost of such crime?

• 17 Jun 2025 · Football Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Tenth sitting) · Hansard source

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  I agree with my hon. Friend that we should explore what is happening in Europe. Alcohol is sold in lower rates, and only in certain areas of the stadium and only at certain games. I, for one, would be willing to welcome alcohol, but there would have to be a really good review, involving the police, that looks at what is done elsewhere. As a Portsmouth fan, let me say that there is absolutely no way that it should be served at a Portsmouth versus Southampton game.

• 17 Jun 2025 · Football Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Ninth sitting) · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, be that as a season ticket holder at Portsmouth football club or, as of this morning, a newly re-elected member of the Pompey Supporters Trust board. In the Bill under the previous Government, as we have heard, parachute payments were ruled out. I welcome, along with many fans, the change brought by the Minister to allow the regulator to look at those payments. Because of that, I know that Labour has strengthened the backstop, and, importantly, now puts it within the scope of the Bill. The change comes in part 6, where the critical issue of financial distribution is discussed. That is a key element of the Bill for my football club, Portsmouth, and other English Football League clubs, as it is impossible for club sustainability to be achieved unless there is a change to how money is distributed across the game. However, like other Committee members, I have one area of concern that I would like to seek clarification on, and it is linked to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield South East’s amendment 141. The Bill proposes a two-year period during which parachute payments cannot be reduced at all following a distribution order taking effect. Clubs such as Portsmouth believe that that should be halved to 12 months; a two-year window, as we have already heard, could result in the issue of parachute payments not even being addressed during this term of Parliament. Can my hon. Friend the Minister give details of this timeframe, and of the possibility of the IFR having the ability to determine for itself the right approach to payments to regulated clubs, rather than having a set timeframe? Could she also comment on the role that reports such as the state of the game report may play in financial regulation?

• 16 Jun 2025 · Iran-Israel Conflict · Hansard source

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  I thank the Foreign Secretary for his statement and for the Government’s calm leadership on these ever-changing and seriously concerning matters. Given our close maritime connections, can he update the House on his discussions with our Gulf allies and partners?

• 11 Jun 2025 · Theft of Tools of Trade · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for all his work. Yes, I agree, but we should not prioritise just one thing; all levers need to be pulled. As well as making those instruments, we also need to ensure that we are pushing the element that I am describing. Even when tools are marked they are still stolen, so the Government need to use all possible levers to protect our tradespeople.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Theft of Tools of Trade · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. To me, the issue is tools of trade. We have also been in talks with the beauty industry, because many of its members have had a van driven into their front window and had everything stolen in exactly the same way. Although the theft itself may not cost more than £10,000, having to deal with the window, the loss of work, the damage and the effect on the mental health of employees very much adds to it. The tools of all trades are really important. The first element that I am asking for is an increase from harm category 2 to harm category 3. The second element is standardisation of the sentencing guidelines language to reflect the total financial losses—plural—instead of just the value of the stolen goods. That includes the van damage, missed contracts and lost earnings, all of which are currently invisible in the sentencing process. Taken together, those reforms would increase the chances that offenders will face more serious consequences that are truly in line with the crime that has been committed and the damage that it has caused. I make it very clear that this is not just about building more prisons. With prison places, I know that we were left in a desperate hole after the last Government left; I also know that our Government have committed to building more prison places. This is about building more accountability and, importantly, having fewer victims. I would be supportive of my Bill resulting in strong and meaningful community sentences, with compulsory unpaid work, electronic tagging, alcohol and sport abstinence tags, restrictions on travel, and other community solutions. Those punishments are tough and visible. Crucially, they are rehabilitative. It has been proved that they lead to fewer victims, which is what we need to ensure. They keep offenders out of the revolving door of repeated crime, and they challenge the root causes of reoffending. Many of these thieves are not masterminds. They are opportunists. They rely on the belief that they will never be caught, or that if they are, they will never be punished. In the case of tool theft, many simply are not. We must break that cycle and restore a basic sense of justice for working people. We must ensure that the true extent of this crime is recognised by the courts. It is time for us to listen to the people who make this country work: the plumber up at dawn, the roofer out in the cold all year, the carpenter working late, the welder braving the sparks and the painter steady on his or her ladder. They deserve to be able to work without constantly looking over their shoulder in fear of having their livelihood taken away. Reforming the sentencing guidelines to tackle the theft of trade tools is essential to valuing our tradies properly and recognising their contributions to our small business economy and to society as a whole. I urge hon. Members on both sides of the House to join my campaign. It is time we sent a clear message that tool theft will not be tolerated. We need to stand up for our tradespeople and make sure that the justice system does, too.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Theft of Tools of Trade · Hansard source

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  Absolutely. My dad was a policeman, so I will always want to thank the hard-working police. We have been working with the NFU on some of the areas that my hon. Friend mentions.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Theft of Tools of Trade · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree. As the hon. Gentleman notes, it is not just about the money. The real damage cannot always be calculated in pounds and pence or in immediate loss. More than 40% of victims report reputational harm; one in 10 said that the damage to their business standing was significant. Tragically, more than 80% report a decline in their mental health. Let us not forget that the construction industry already has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the UK. Tool theft is happening in every part of our community. It happens to people who are the very backbone of the British economy—our electricians, our plumbers, our carpenters, our gas engineers—and too often it is without consequence.

• 11 Jun 2025 · Theft of Tools of Trade · Hansard source

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  I completely agree. Under 14 years of Conservative rule, the cuts to policing and criminal justice were shocking. We have to ensure that we put more police on the streets and work to enact the Bill. Between 2010 and 2024, charges for theft and burglary plummeted. In 2015, police in England and Wales solved about 9.4% of all theft. In under eight years, that figure had dropped to 4.6%. For burglary, the figures are even worse: only about 3.5% of domestic burglaries have resulted in a charge being recorded in the past year. In practice, that means that for the vast majority of these crimes, nobody is held to account. We are living with the consequences of 14 years of cuts to policing and to our criminal justice system. Since 2010, police numbers have been slashed, police community support officers have been gutted and community policing has been dismantled. As a result, court backlogs have ballooned. Theft, from tool crime to shoplifting, is now often met with a shrug. In fact, some retail chief executives and tradespeople report that shoplifters and thieves now openly brag that no one will even bother turning up. Why would our trades- people feel any differently? As many hon. Members will know, I have been campaigning on the issue for more than six months. I introduced a ten-minute rule Bill, the Theft of Tools of Trade (Sentencing) Bill. We are still running petitions, and we have had conversations with Ministers and many meetings and conversations with victims and with people across the sector.