Joe Morris MP: speeches

Speeches

• 20 May 2026 · Defence Readiness · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making an informed and well-made speech. Does she agree that we need to look at not only how we can expand international aid to deliver for the world’s poorest, but how we can regain moral leadership? A crucial part of that, as she and my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) have said, is the BBC World Service. Those frequencies have been taken over by Russia and other anti-democratic nations. The World Service must be a key part of supporting that goal, not just in the future, but right now.

• 28 Apr 2026 · National Accident Prevention Strategy · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 28 Apr 2026 · National Accident Prevention Strategy · Hansard source

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  I apologise for my tardiness, Dr Murrison. I just want to pick up on the point about agriculture. As we are talking about national accident prevention, it is important to recognise that accidents in rural areas require a different level of promotion and public engagement. Will the Minister therefore join me in urging everyone involved in accident prevention to recognise the unique challenges that rural areas face and to take appropriate steps where possible, whether that is in road safety or in workplace safety?

• 14 Apr 2026 · Hidden Credit Liabilities: Role of the FCA · Hansard source

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  I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on securing such an important and timely debate. Catherine and Nigel Jarvis are of the type of local business owners who become the lifeblood of their communities and local economies. Creative, hard-working and passionate about the Northumberland countryside, in 2007 they looked to buy a property deep in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country. Their dream was to raise their young family there, while renting out some of the rooms as a bed and breakfast. They approached HSBC for a loan of £175,000 to put towards the family home and business proposition. It should have been straightforward. As more than 40% of the house was always intended to be used as Catherine and Nigel’s main dwelling, under FCA rules their loan request to HSBC represented a standard home on which a normal residential mortgage should have been offered. An offer should have come from the regulated mortgage side of the bank, where all consumer protections under the mortgage conduct of business rules would apply. What happened instead trapped them in a relationship with HSBC for almost 20 years that has ruined their finances, their credit ratings, their health and their relationships. It has ruined their plans for the future and their dreams as small business owners and has had an irreversible impact on the lives of their two children, who have grown up in the shadow of this trauma. Instead of a residential mortgage, the couple were explicitly told that they had to agree to a commercial loan with a derivative product—in this case, an interest rate swap—as a condition, without which the Jarvises could not have bought their home. As every member of the public should be able to, they trusted the institution implicitly and proceeded. Even when the suggestion of a derivative product came as a surprise, they believed the bank had their best interests at heart. They were sold the swap on the understanding that it was insurance, protecting them from the risks of increasing interest rates with no up-front cost. The reality was that, on the very first day of the agreement, the product they were sold created hidden profit for the bank and an undisclosed credit line for the couple, acting effectively as a second, secret mortgage on their home. They began their SME journey with extra secured debt and a risk they knew nothing about. When rates crashed in early 2009, the undisclosed “out of the money” position covered by the hidden credit line exploded that risk, damaging Catherine and Nigel’s internal credit grade and making the loan look far riskier to the bank. Eventually, they were threatened with foreclosure unless they agreed to move into the bank’s restructuring unit, even though Catherine and Nigel never missed a payment and had no knowledge of the additional risk now being used against them. Since 2007, they have poured everything they could into trying to untangle themselves from an agreement they never would have signed had its true scope been disclosed to them. That has cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds, with an untold cost to their mental and emotional wellbeing and physical health. The then FSA’s conduct of business rules, which applied in 2007, stated that, before granting any credit or loan in connection with an investment business, such as the interest rate swap, the bank was required to make and record an assessment of the couple’s financial standing based on the information disclosed; take reasonable steps to ensure that arrangements for the loan or credit, and the amount concerned, were suitable for them; and obtain Catherine and Nigel’s prior written consent to the maximum amount of the loan or credit and to the amount or basis of any interest fees to be levied in connection with it. The bank did none of those things. In making the interest rate swap a condition of the loan it offered, it hid the credit risk from the couple and made applications for those credit facilities in their personal names without their knowledge or agreement. The hidden credit line made the agreement toxic from the start. A key factor in the lack of justice for Catherine and Nigel has been the FCA’s handling of hidden credit lines as a specific factor. At the initial IRHP review scheme, the FCA told reviewers to treat the hidden credit line as an internal bank risk and ignore it in considering almost everything that Catherine and Nigel suffered—directly derailing their claim to redress. The decision was made that the Jarvises’ losses were not foreseeable to the bank. In reality, their losses were not only foreseeable but expected, due to that hidden credit line. Hidden credit line practices and the profit motivations of banks have destroyed the lives and livelihoods of not only Catherine and Nigel but thousands of families and businesses across the country. I strongly support the calls for an investigation into the specific issue of hidden credit liabilities. Without that, and without a proper inquiry into the FCA’s own conduct on the matter, Catherine and Nigel, along with thousands of others, will continue to live without remedy for the financial destruction they have endured.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Rural Broadband · Hansard source

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  Yesterday I spoke to my constituent Luca, who has spent months campaigning for the investment that is needed to secure a reliable internet and phone connection for his community in the village of Lambley. He has been pushed from pillar to post between private companies, national agencies and local government, and meanwhile the residents of Lambley continue to live without effective internet connection. The solutions depend on funding and co-operation, which are challenging owing to the location and the lack of accountability. Will the Minister meet representatives of Coanwood parish council, Luca and me to try to find a way forward for Lambley and other rural communities?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Rural Broadband · Hansard source

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  1. What steps she is taking to help ensure reliable broadband services in hard-to-reach areas of rural constituencies.

• 18 Mar 2026 · Royal Mail: Performance · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I want to put on the record my thanks to the posties across the Hexham constituency. They traverse extremely rural areas to deliver post in some pretty challenging circumstances. It is a pleasure to represent them and their families. Unfortunately, like some of the post in my experience, most of my speech will go undelivered, but I do want to speak a little bit about the impact of Royal Mail’s management, particularly its neglect of rural communities. A constituent recently arrived at the local sorting office to collect 15 items of important undelivered mail, including a cancer test result with a postmark dated two months earlier. My constituents and I find that there is a serious lack of accountability at Royal Mail, and that includes a failure to recognise the scale of the problem in my constituency and the scale of the issues affecting the rural constituencies who rely on the postal service as a lifeline. There is much I would like to go into, but I want to focus particularly on the case of a constituent who I have been supporting. They requested for legal documents to be sent between two solicitors’ offices via recorded delivery, with proof of postage, at the beginning of December 2025. The documents never made it to the intended recipient. My constituent contacted Royal Mail customer service on numerous occasions, and spent 60 minutes on hold—they also got in contact via email, online and in person at the sorting office. All Royal Mail could say was that the documents are now considered lost. I am sure we all want to hear assurances that Royal Mail will take action to improve its service and make full use of the Government’s commitment to support that. I urge the Government to press Royal Mail to ensure that future plans explicitly consider the needs of our most rural and sparsely populated communities.

• 16 Mar 2026 · Heating Oil Support · Hansard source

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  I represent about 13,500 households that are off the grid. I welcome the recognition of the scale of the problem in these communities and getting them proper support. I urge the Minister to ensure that regulation for the heating oil sector is brought forward as quickly and effectively as possible, so that constituents are not ripped off far into the future, and to continue to monitor the situation as it progresses so that further action may be taken if required.

• 12 Mar 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last summer, I did a tour across my constituency, holding 80 surgeries in four weeks, and the No. 1 issue in west Northumberland was potholes on rural roads. We are unfortunately lumbered with Conservative-run Northumberland county council, which manages to be both incompetent and neglectful of the west of the county to an almost historic degree. I wonder if the Leader of the House will join me on a visit to one of the potholes in my constituency.

• 3 Mar 2026 · Environmental Protection and Biodiversity · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend hope, as I do, that the Minister will work with expert organisations such as Northumberland national park to determine how we can best protect ground-nesting birds such as the curlew, which is mainly resident in my constituency of Hexham?

• 24 Feb 2026 · Banking Hubs: Rural and Post-Industrial Communities · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for being exceptionally generous with her time. I want to emphasise the point on banking hubs. I have been particularly frustrated about the town of Haltwhistle in my constituency. It is a smaller town but has a huge area that looks to it, going from Slaggyford and Gilsland up to communities nearer the Scottish border. On the current criteria, it is too small to attract a banking hub by itself, but the businesses that look to it are now forced to look to Hexham or, further afield, to Newcastle, or indeed to the west of Carlisle. That risks strangling the growth of economic enterprise in the west of Northumberland, which is already, I must say, very poorly supported by Northumberland county council.

• 10 Feb 2026 · Local Power Plan · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for his announcement. Community energy is incredibly powerful in rural Britain, particularly in the village of Humshaugh, where Humshaugh Net Zero set up the community-owned solar farm. I restate my invitation to the Secretary of State to join me on a visit to Humshaugh community solar farm, and thank him once again for the statement.

• 27 Jan 2026 · Digital Exploitation of Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Sir Mark Hendrick) for securing this debate. It could not be timelier, because today represents a significant day for the constituency and community that I represent. Three years ago, Holly Newton lost her life at the hands of her ex-boyfriend in Hexham. She was a much-loved daughter, granddaughter and sister, a loving friend and a talented dancer. She was just 15 years old. Her ex-boyfriend had become increasingly obsessed, coercive and controlling in the lead-up to her murder, attempting to isolate her from friends and relentlessly bombarding her. Three years ago, he used Snapchat to track her movements before fatally stabbing her. The exploitation of technology was used as one of a range of tools to abuse Holly and ultimately to end her life. Devastatingly for her family, this abhorrent act of violence against Holly and the abuse that preceded it are not recognised as domestic violence, as Holly was under the age of 16. Micala, Holly’s mother, experienced a horrifyingly similar lack of support or acknowledgment of her own experience of domestic abuse as a teenager. Without recognition for domestic abuse victims under the age of 16, the system will continue to fail children across the country. I support the family and the campaign for Holly’s law, which would change the age of recognition and the development of relationship education for all young people. It is a critical flaw that we are not legally recognising victims when we know that they exist and that perpetrators in the realm of digital exploitation and abuse are themselves increasingly under the age of 16 or 18. I thank the Minister for the time she took to meet us last week, when we discussed the next steps for the campaign and addressed potential routes to reform. Technology is being weaponised against women and girls at a speed that far outpaces our systems to safeguard and support victims, prosecute perpetrators and intervene in cases before warning signs escalate into fatalities. I want to touch briefly on a case that my office has been working on with another constituent for well over a year. Not only has she suffered the most appalling digital violation, but she has been a victim of systemic flaws when it comes to this form of abuse. She discovered that her partner had spent several years taking non-consensual intimate photographic images of her and had posted them to websites and forums online. He was arrested, but while he was in custody he refused to share the PIN to access his device. The investigating force did not have the technology required to effectively review the device, which was key to the perpetrator’s activity. It had no way to prove where the non-consensual images came from or prove their existence with any electronic footprint on the suspect’s devices. With only circumstantial evidence based on who had access to the images, and with the suspect denying the accusations against him, the police could not meet the evidential threshold required for the CPS to charge. After being released, he was free to go straight back into the community, holding the very device that could be used to further perpetrate abuse, which he did. He turned to AI nudification apps to continue to produce non-consensual imagery of the victim and cover his digital tracks in the process. Investigation resources, appropriate technologies and the boundaries of the evidential threshold have all conspired against this innocent woman whose life has been devastated by digital and domestic abuse. I urge the Minister to look proactively at a cross-departmental approach to ensuring that our commitment to tackling digital exploitation is effective and addresses the systemic gaps.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Animal Welfare Strategy for England · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I stand here as the owner of Roy the dog, who we were originally told was a black lab but turned out to be the size of a cocker spaniel—we are still not entirely sure what happened there. When I told my wife that I was going to apply for selection in Hexham, she said that if I was going to do this mad thing then we were getting a dog—thank goodness: he looked good on the leaflets. Animal welfare and the extension of the fox hunting ban to include trail hunting was one of the first things that drew me into politics, and to the Labour party. There is a lot to be welcomed in the animal welfare strategy, and I say that as someone who has spoken to many constituents who are appalled by the continuation of fox hunting and want to see it end. I want to touch upon the excellent speech, in many respects, by the right hon. Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson). Continuing to allow lower standard food into UK shops undermines our farmers and our claims to prioritising welfare. My hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Laura Kyrke-Smith) made the point that improving food labelling is essential for allowing customers to make conscious choices to know that they are supporting, not just high-welfare food standards and domestic procurement, but reducing the carbon emissions caused by food when they back British-made food. Therefore, labelling could be looked at by the Minister, to see how we can ensure that we not only prioritise animal welfare in trade deals and preserve UK standards wherever possible, but that we promote domestic food consumption, so that we do not allow fields to be carved out of the Amazon to feed the United Kingdom. We must ensure that we back our farmers wherever possible, in order to feed the United Kingdom. I will quickly mention a few other issues that the strategy could address. One of the issues that comes across my desk quite a lot is concern about vicarious liability when it comes to raptor persecution on grouse moors. I engage a lot with grouse moors in my constituency—I speak to the people involved with them—so I know that it is incredibly important to a lot of people that where raptors are being persecuted, the ultimate owner of the land is held responsible, and that we do not simply allow those lower down the food chain to take the blame. We must ensure that such persecution of raptors is made the landowner’s responsibility. The constituency of Hexham is full of animal-lovers, who are concerned about pets, livestock and growth in animal welfare standards. The strategy is an incredibly good foundational document, but I urge the Minister to consider where we can go further. I note that one of the Parliamentary Private Secretaries at the Department for Business and Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters), is here; it would be great if he could go back to colleagues in the Department and urge them to ensure that when they engage in trade negotiations, we are able to have confirmatory votes on them, so that MPs can stand up and be counted when it comes to ensuring that animal welfare standards are preserved, not just at home but abroad.

• 20 Jan 2026 · Water (Special Measures) Act 2025: Enforcement · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, as always, Dr Allin-Khan. I join colleagues in congratulating the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Tom Gordon) on securing such an important debate on a crucial topic, which concerns people across the country. I am grateful to take the opportunity to speak today about the River Tyne, which holds great sentimental value to me, as I know it does to so many people who call both Northumberland and the wider north-east home, and have been raised in the area surrounding it. I, along with many of my constituents, have deeply fond memories of exploring and enjoying the astonishing diversity of nature that the River Tyne has to offer. It is a natural landmark, central to community life, to local economies and to the identity of the region, along with some of Northumberland’s other great rivers. With that in mind, I will take a moment to highlight the incredible work of the Tyne Rivers Trust and the Wylam Clean Tyne organisation, both of which are dedicated to improving the wellbeing of the region’s rivers and communities—from Alston up to Kielder and beyond—through education, practical conservation and environmental activism. The protection and development of the Tyne’s waters establish it as one of the best salmon rivers in England. It houses a diverse range of animals and plant life, and it is worth millions to our local economy. Importantly, it also acts as a third space for local communities looking to access the positive effects on wellbeing associated with spending time in and around nature. It is a devastating fact that the previous Government allowed our river to be flooded with an unregulated torrent of sewage. They were a Government who saw environmental protection as an inconvenience, not a responsibility. They underfunded regulators, scaled back monitoring and weakened the enforcement of environmental standards. They allowed water companies’ profits to soar, bosses to accept hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses, and household bills to increase. They left my constituents with a River Tyne that is unsafe and in decline, not because of natural change but because of political failure and political choices. I strongly welcome the measures in the Water (Special Measures) Act, which reflects our mission to clean up our rivers and bring accountability to water companies. I agree that, in order to bring about the necessary long-standing reform, it is fundamental that the plans are effectively enforced, and that funding and resources back regulators so that they can apply the new legislation consistently and effectively. I would like to hear from the Minister how rural communities, including those in my constituency, can be supported by the Act specifically. Northumbrian Water must be held accountable, having made over 3,000 sewage dumps into the Tyne in 2024 alone. It must be held responsible for what must be significant investment in the infrastructure of overflows and the rebuilding of public trust. I also want to emphasise, as often as I can, the importance of working in partnership with communities across my constituency, particularly rural communities. The expertise of the organisations that I mentioned will be crucial to the conversation that Northumbrian Water and local government could have if they are serious about understanding and tackling the problem. They, alongside farmers and land managers, are vital stewards of our environment. Supporting sustainable land use, reducing run-off and improving soil and water management must be done collaboratively, with practical support, funding, clear guidance and long-term certainty. This Government understand that environmental recovery and economic growth go hand in hand. Clean rivers do not just enrich our environment; they support tourism, angling and farming, and they build a sense of local pride. Protecting the Tyne is not a barrier to prosperity; it is part of building a greener, fairer and more resilient future. I will touch on the impact of the clean river on young people. Tyne Green in the town of Hexham or the banks along Wylam and Prudhoe are all venues for young people to get to know the river and enjoy it. There have been some fantastic initiatives on river safety pioneered by my friend and comrade, Angie Scott, who is a Northumberland county councillor for Prudhoe. As we try to clean up our waterways, it is important to ensure that young people maintain not just access to them but an understanding of them. I should be grateful if the Minister would speak about that.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Science and Discovery Centres · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. It is a shame that my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah) has departed, because I remember spending much of my time as a child in the Centre for Life, and to hear it was 25 years since it opened has made me realise that I have aged quite a bit in the meantime. I want to speak primarily about the Kielder Observatory, and I am delighted to see so many scientists observing our proceedings; but first I want to take a brief moment, as the hon. Member for Aberdeen North (Kirsty Blackman) did, to reflect on the worrying attacks on scientists, on the truth and on the concept of science itself that are taking place not just in this country but globally. I take note that no Reform MPs have come to discuss the importance of the sciences to our national life; I think that tells its own story quite powerfully. Kielder’s dark skies observatory is a world-leading facility. It marks the rural west of Northumberland as a real gem, not just for the amazing landscapes it offers and the fantastic contribution it makes to our national life through our hospitality and our tourism, but also for our ability to understand space and the stars and to see them. There is a moment of tranquility that you get when you go into Kielder forest and into the communities around it, and you see how special it is to be able to look up and see the darkness and the stars within it. I will not repeat the points that my more eloquent, better qualified colleagues have made about the importance of investment in the sciences, but I know the Minister is an incredibly capable and dynamic individual, and I hope that he will cut through the siloing that Whitehall sometimes brings and take responsibility for SDCs and ensure that Kielder receives some of the attention that it needs in order to continue its function. It provides an incredible function in opening up space to schoolchildren. It has reached about 10,000 pupils and engaged about 50 schools, while also getting 15,000 visitors. Those who have come to rural Northumberland know that it is not the easiest place to get around, often involving long drives. People who visit my constituency often get to the Tyne valley and then realise there is another significant drive up the smaller roads from the A69 to get to Kielder forest. I want to touch on the work that Kielder does with the tourism sector, which is a major employer in my constituency. It is not simply promoting the sciences; it is also promoting local establishments like the Twice Brewed inn and the Battlesteads hotel. If I can depart from the subject of the debate slightly, the tourism industry in Otterburn is also well supported by visitors to Kielder; I would like to thank the staff at Le Petit Château there for hosting my wedding reception on new year’s eve, which remains one of the greatest days of my life. I also want to speak about the importance of the wider science sector in the north-east. I am privileged to represent many scientists studying and working at both Newcastle and Northumbria universities, making incredible contributions not just to academia but to industry. When I meet them, a lot of it goes well above my head. I emphasise that I got a 2:1 in history, and therefore I can read the history of the subject without necessarily understanding the particulars of it. In my remaining time, I would like to echo a plea not only for those silos to be cut through, but for the infrastructure around the SDCs to be considered. I often joust with my local Conservative council, as Members would expect, but unfortunately, rural west Northumberland does not have world-leading infrastructure—it deserves it, but it does not have it. I would like the Minister to go away and make the case that access to these centres is incredibly important, and although it is not his Department’s responsibility, it is essential that the roads leading to these centres are properly repaired and that opportunities to access them are properly promoted. He is more than welcome to visit Kielder with me at any point, to sample some of the local hospitality that I praised and see the dark skies for himself.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Horse and Rider Road Safety · Hansard source

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  The highway code needs proper signage to remind drivers of their obligations. Does the Minister agree that it is important the council maintains signage properly, warning users of where there are likely to be horses—such as in Heddon in my constituency, where unfortunately the county council is dragging its feet on getting appropriate signage in place?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief · Hansard source

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  May I put on record my thanks to farmers such as Nick, Mac, Debbie, James and Graham in the Northumberland branch of the NFU in my constituency? I was in contact with them regularly, and they welcomed the Minister to my constituency to hear at first hand about the potential impact of the policy had it not been changed. I urge him to impress on colleagues the importance of buying British wherever possible. The best way to improve farming profitability is to ensure that much of the public sector food procurement is done with British farms and to ensure that farmland is not lost. To replace potential food-producing land, more food-producing land does not need to be cut out of forests elsewhere in the world.

• 16 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  At the beginning of December, a sapling from the Sycamore Gap tree was planted by Micala Trussler and her family to commemorate what would have been her daughter’s 18th birthday. Since Holly Newton’s tragic murder, Micala has campaigned tirelessly to reduce the age limit at which someone can legally be classified as a domestic abuse victim. Will the Secretary of State join me in recognising Micala’s tireless campaigning, and meet Micala and me in the new year to discuss age classification for victims of domestic abuse?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Women Veterans · Hansard source

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  I first thank everyone at Albemarle barracks for hosting me recently and showing me the facility. The Royal British Legion women’s network offers valuable support for the armed forces community, and it is vital that all members and relatives of that community can access it. In rural areas like in my constituency where access to that support is often harder to reach, it is more important that the Government do all they can to support veterans who may be further from the centre. What is the Government doing to ensure that veterans, including female veterans, in rural areas can receive the support they need? May I invite the Minister to join me to visit Prudhoe veterans breakfast club at some point in 2026?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Women Veterans · Hansard source

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  23. What steps he is taking to improve support for women veterans.

• 2 Dec 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source

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  5. What steps her Department is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

• 2 Dec 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source

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  I thank the Foreign Secretary for her response. I am very concerned about recent reports that over 1,000 tents that were consigned were prevented from entering Gaza. Can she assure me that we are doing whatever we can to get this aid from the UK—tents to provide shelter as winter approaches—through the border to those who need it the most?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Iconic Trees and Nature Education · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision for a register of iconic trees; to make provision about the designation and protection of trees on that register; to require the Secretary of State to review the provision of nature education in England; and for connected purposes. It should hardly be surprising that, as the Member of Parliament for Hexham, I am often called the hon. Member for the Sycamore Gap. The summer of 1991 saw many landmarks: it was the summer I was born, “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” was released, and Bryan Adams introduced the Sycamore Gap to a transatlantic audience. It is a profound honour to represent a constituency whose identity is forever marked by the legacy of the Sycamore Gap: a reminder of our rich heritage, the strength of our community and our enduring hope. Planted in the late-1800s by the previous landowner John Clayton, that sycamore tree stood in an idyllic dip along Hadrian’s wall. It was not just visually iconic; it became a cultural symbol, popularised by numerous paintings, photographs and private moments, and that infamous 1991 film. As the film’s director, Kevin Reynolds, captured, the Sycamore Gap was “one of the most quintessentially idyllic spots in the world…I found it so special and I wanted to share with people how special it was.” He is most certainly right. That iconic tree touched the lives of so many, and not only in the north-east but right across the world. It was a picturesque destination for hikes, stargazing and family walks, and it was popular for sentimental moments, such as marriage proposals or the scattering of a loved one’s ashes. It provided an opportunity to connect with over 1,900 years of north-east heritage, with its situation along Hadrian’s wall. There really is, and was, no place quite like it. The legacy of the Sycamore Gap hardly needs recounting. Hon. Members across the House will agree that the Sycamore Gap tree was not just a landmark; it was a majestic symbol of resilience, of north-east identity and of belonging. It is difficult to put into words the events that took place on the evening of 27 September 2023. The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree sent shockwaves that not only went through the north-east but reverberated right across the world. For many, it felt like an attack, with a beloved landmark taken from us overnight and a piece of our shared identity toppled. Communities throughout my constituency and beyond mourn not just a tree, but the memories, the heritage and the sense of place that it embodied. It illustrated the true fragility of the natural and cultural treasures that we so often take for granted. In one night, a devastating and barbaric act of vandalism toppled a landmark that has symbolised north-east heritage for centuries. But if there is one thing to note about the north-east’s spirit, it is its resilience. Communities across Northumberland and the north-east—a region that is so often overlooked—have banded together in solidarity, facing hardship head-on and standing stronger as a result. While grieving for a landmark lost, that resilience has translated into lessons learned. I pay tribute to the outstanding work of the Northumberland national park and the National Trust, which have been working tirelessly alongside Historic England and the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership to ensure that a fitting legacy for both nature and people can flourish following that terrible act of vandalism. At The Sill—the national landscape discovery centre—the largest section of the felled tree is now on public display. I had the pleasure of visiting it during the unveiling of the exhibition, recognising the lasting connection that the display will offer for future generations. Just this week, saplings taken from the original Sycamore Gap tree are ready to be planted as part of the National Trust’s “tree of hope” initiative. Each sapling will carry a message of hope and resilience, with 49 saplings—each representing a foot in the height of the tree at the time of its felling—being distributed right across the country. Last week, a sapling was planted in the grounds of Hexham hospital, offering a symbol for those visiting loved ones. A sapling will soon be planted to commemorate the tragic murder of Holly Newton in my constituency and to recognise the phenomenal work of Holly’s mother, Micala Trussler, and her charity Holly’s Hope. I take the opportunity once again to put on record my thanks and admiration for her dedication and campaigning to secure a change in the law, which I fully support. As the closest school to the Sycamore Gap, Henshaw Church of England primary school will plant a sapling on its grounds, as will Northumberland national park in the new year. I look forward to visiting those sites throughout my constituency to pay tribute not just to the tree, but to the people and charities inspiring such hope and resilience. The legacy of the Sycamore Gap will not just be reserved for Northumberland and the north-east, however. Saplings are being planted in constituencies right across the country. A sapling is being planted in Staffordshire to commemorate the Minnie Pit mining disaster, in Berkshire to honour Greenham common, and in Leeds to recognise the Rob Burrow centre for motor neurone disease at Seacroft hospital. The Sycamore Gap tree’s legacy will prevail and so, too, will the lessons of environmental protection triumph. One of the defendants expressed his delusional disbelief, claiming that it was “just a tree”, but the tree was, and is, so much more than that. Trees are not “just trees”. Our planet is intrinsically dependent on them. They are vital to sustaining our planet, cleaning our air and supporting our biodiversity and ecosystems. They are homes to nature, wildlife, birds and insects. Without them, our planet would falter. There is also a reason that trees appear so often in our culture and literature: for their symbolic significance. In Greek mythology, the tale of King Erysichthon claimed that the felling of a tree represented a moral failure. In the final book of “The Chronicles of Narnia”, the destruction of trees in Lantern Waste alludes to the end of the world. Without trees, our heritage would flatline, our ecosystems would fail and our history would be forgotten. I am therefore calling for a register of iconic trees, from the Ankerwycke yew in Berkshire associated with the sealing of Magna Carta and the Major oak in Sherwood Forest, legendary home of Robin Hood, to the Fortingall yew in Perthshire and the Crowhurst yew in the churchyard of St George’s church—the list goes on. Such trees can and should be classified as iconic for holding widely recognised cultural, historical, ecological and symbolic significance. Alongside a register of iconic trees, a curriculum review can and should incorporate the value of understanding the legacy of trees and the role they play in local communities, and allow nature to be an educator for future generations. Teachers and schools have a unique role to play in facilitating children’s connections with nature so that they too can understand how to protect our local heritage and engage in climate protection. Tony Gates, chief executive officer of the Northumberland National Park Authority, has said: “The felling of the Sycamore Gap tree has shown just how much nature and landscape mean to people and to their very wellbeing… We are determined to honour the spirit of Sycamore Gap through opportunities to connect with the tree, and to create a legacy for both people and nature.” This Bill would not be possible without the outstanding work of Northumberland national park, the National Trust, and local organisations and individuals right across the Hexham constituency. I thank every single person for their dedicated commitment to honouring the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree, and I hope that any Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers on the Front Bench will note the contribution of the Northumberland national park and look favourably on a rethinking of the national parks funding formula. Though the Sycamore Gap tree has fallen, its legacy stands unshaken. It is our solemn responsibility to honour that legacy, to recognise the hope, endurance and unity that it inspired and to safeguard the iconic trees that shape our national landscape and ensure that they are cherished, protected and never consigned to memory alone. Question put and agreed to . Ordered, That Joe Morris, Michael Wheeler, James Naish, Laurence Turner, Leigh Ingham, David Smith, Dave Robertson, Markus Campbell-Savours, Feryal Clark and Sir Alec Shelbrooke present the Bill. Joe Morris accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 16 January 2026, and to be printed (Bill 339).

• 25 Nov 2025 · COP30 · Hansard source

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  I commend the Secretary of State for his ongoing commitment to fighting the scourge of climate change in the face of rising denialism. I was really pleased to hear him leave the door open to future contributions to the TFFF. Will he spell out the circumstances in which they might come to reassure me and my constituents, who are deeply concerned that that did not come forward at this COP?