Pam Cox MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Feb 2026 · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Hansard source

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  Like many colleagues, I believe we need a migration system that is robust and fair. It must be robust because, like any sovereign state, the UK needs to be able to exert control over its borders. However, it also needs to be fair, because we are a state that defends and cherishes a rights-based order. I wanted to speak in today’s debate because I have concerns about the unfairness of some of the proposed changes to the current settlement system. I do not dispute the fact that some changes are necessary. For example, I strongly agree that we need a complete overhaul of the way in which we issue visas to those coming to the UK to work in the health and social care sector, as many colleagues have already alluded to. Unison’s proposal for a sector-wide visa system to replace the current one in which individual employers issue individual visas is a very good one, and I am pleased to welcome Unison members from Colchester to the Public Gallery this afternoon. That change would do a great deal to safeguard the rights of all those who work in that vital sector. However, other proposed changes to settlement routes give me and others cause for concern. The extension to the settlement qualifying period and the raising of income thresholds will impact much more heavily on the vital public sector workers who we have heard about today—workers on whom we all rely—than on others. I encourage the Minister to consider extending the exemptions to the proposals, and I also add my voice to the argument that these changes should not apply retrospectively. The Justice Committee, on which I sit, recently had a productive exchange with the Justice Secretary on the matter of exemptions. He assured us that those who have come to the UK to work as prison officers will be exempt from the proposed income thresholds. I understand that parliamentary colleagues who previously worked in the allied health professions—in physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy and social work—have also made a similar case for income threshold exemptions in those vital sectors, so I encourage a very close look at that. As well as being robust and fair, our migration system needs to be in step with other aspects of Government policy. It needs to offer migrant workers and their families the kinds of protections that we seek to offer to citizens across the country through our Employment Rights Act 2025, child poverty strategy, violence against women and girls strategy, gender equality strategy and homelessness strategy. If I may, I will write to the Minister separately to set out my concerns about what I see as a poor alignment of the current proposal with those elements of our mission as a Government.

• 26 Jan 2026 · Armed Forces Bill · Hansard source

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  Like so many Members who have spoken in this debate—and I have heard every contribution—I wish to pay tribute to those who serve, to veterans, and to their family members. Those who serve do an extraordinary job, and they do so at our direction and on our behalf. It is therefore our moral duty, which we are reaffirming tonight, to ensure that we give them everything they need to do that job safely and to the best of their remarkable ability. That includes everything from equipment, to training to housing. We have heard a lot about housing in this debate, but I am going to say one more thing. I am delighted that the Government are bringing forward the biggest overhaul of military housing in a generation, and I look forward to working on that with various teams in my Colchester constituency and the garrison there. The work of our armed forces is extraordinary for another, very singular reason, which is that it requires the laying down of life. The Parachute Regiment is based in Colchester, with links to other garrisons across the country. During the Afghan conflict, 37 members of the Parachute Regiment gave their lives, and many more were injured. Their selfless sacrifice deserves the upmost respect from us in this country, and from all our allies, including the United States. I close by commending the Bill to the House, and by commending an outstanding Front Bench Defence team, who brought the Bill forward and are doing so much to lead our country in this way.

• 20 Jan 2026 · Sentencing Bill · Hansard source

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  I welcome the amendments that deal with IPP sentences. This is a matter of concern to many Members on both sides of the House. Can the Minister assure us that following the changes to IPP licence termination, these sentences will continue to provide for community rehabilitation, while protecting communities from harm? Will the Minister also commit to continuing to work to resolve the remaining challenges relating to such sentences?

• 12 Jan 2026 · Higher Education: Government Support · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. I share his concern about the impact of the closure in Southend, which is a community that I know very well. Does he agree that the community in Colchester will also be hard hit by the situation, with a number of redundancies in and around that campus too?

• 12 Jan 2026 · Higher Education: Government Support · Hansard source

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  Would my hon. Friend agree that it is a desperate situation when so many of our universities are heading into deficit? According to the Office for Students, we are talking about a very large number—about 40% to 50%. Does he agree that we really need action to put our universities back on a secure financial footing?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  The Government are tackling patient waiting lists through NHS modernisation and reform. Does the Prime Minister agree that we need to tackle victim waiting lists by reforming our courts and criminal justice system?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  I wonder what the hon. Member thinks about the history of jury trials, which shows that the right to trial by jury has not been an inalienable ancient right, but has been flexed over time.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Member give way?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Jury Trials · Hansard source

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  Trial by jury is a cornerstone of our justice system. Being held to account in court by our fellow citizens is one of the embodiments of the principle of justice by the people, for the people. Like all aspects of our justice system, jury trial has a history, and has changed over time in response to changing social needs. I think a better understanding of how and why it has changed would help us to understand—if not agree with—the present-day proposals to amend it for our times, so I will focus my remarks in support of amendment (a) on that history. When juries were first introduced, one of their roles was to determine the facts of the case before them. In other words, they had an investigative function—a function that was later removed from them and given to other bodies. Juries went on to be used in both civil and criminal cases for centuries—until they were not; a major reform in the 19th century removed juries from the adjudication of civil cases. A key driver of that reform was the pressing need to process a vastly increased flow of civil disputes created by a more complex commercial economy. Today, our civil justice system is renowned around the world for its robustness and fairness. The composition and role of the jury in criminal cases has also undergone major changes over time. Who was called to serve on juries in the mid-19th century? Men of property, who gave verdicts in trials on a wide range of alleged offences. If we jump forward to the early 20th century, we see some major changes to that arrangement: by then, the range of people who could be called for jury service had widened to include women and working people, but the range of offences deemed to require a jury trial had greatly narrowed—a result of the Summary Jurisdiction Act 1879, which was passed in this place to respond to the need for enhanced public access to justice by greatly expanding the remit of summary courts and magistrates. The magistracy is, of course, another embodiment of justice by the people, for the people. I could say more, but this very potted history shows that juries have played a vital but shifting part in our justice system and have never operated in isolation from the other moving parts of the justice ecosystem. Their remit has narrowed at different points over time as the remits of other judicial bodies have expanded and flexed. For me, the Government’s proposals for court reform are rooted in an undisputed drive to modernise our justice system. Those proposals retain jury trials—the right to jury trial is not being removed—but they also encompass a much wider range of suggested and very necessary changes to our justice system in order to uphold public access to justice.

• 17 Dec 2025 · Local Government Finance · Hansard source

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  I am always proud to be in this Chamber, but I am particularly proud to be here today as the Government bang a final nail in the coffin of Conservative austerity. I really welcome what I hope will be significant additional investment in my constituency of Colchester, because that investment will do so much to improve local services for local residents. Can the Minister give us a timeline for that funding—that is, when will we get the cash?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T7. Colchester is home to many serving personnel, veterans and their families. Will the Minister set out how our new veterans strategy and Valour will better support those who have served in our armed forces in my area and beyond? Also, would a member of the ministerial team love to visit Colchester in the year that we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the airborne forces being based there?

• 11 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The UK’s universities play a vital role in our communities and our economy, but many of them, including the one where I worked for many years, face severe financial challenges, resulting in course closures and redundancies. Would the Leader of the House allow a debate on the subject in Government time, so that we can address this really urgent issue?

• 11 Dec 2025 · US National Security Strategy · Hansard source

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  On European security, I give my strong support to the position taken by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary in relation to the recent Ukraine peace proposals. Does the Minister agree that there can be no deal affecting Ukraine without Ukraine, and that any deal that rewards Putin’s aggression cannot proceed?

• 4 Dec 2025 · Local Elections · Hansard source

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  I am glad to hear that local council elections will go ahead in 2026, and I welcome the significant investment into the six priority new mayoral areas. I also welcome the fact that Greater Essex—my part of the world—will have the opportunity to complete much-needed local government reform before we elect our inaugural Mayor of Essex. Can the Minister confirm when that new investment will land with councils, which were so badly underfunded by the previous Government?

• 2 Dec 2025 · Angiolini Inquiry · Hansard source

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  I welcome the work of the Angiolini inquiry into the appalling murder of Sarah Everard. I also welcome the Minister’s update on the Government’s strategy to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade. She knows that representatives from four Select Committees met recently to help to do our bit to advance that work, and she can be assured of our support with it. Can she indicate what kind of implementation and engagement will follow the publication of the strategy?

• 2 Dec 2025 · Criminal Court Reform · Hansard source

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  The governance of jury trials has changed considerably over time—dramatically so in the 19th century, and again in the 1970s. In both cases, that was to improve public access to justice. Does the Lord Chancellor agree that if our traditions are to endure, including our legal traditions, they need to adapt?

• 1 Dec 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  In the east of England, we welcome the Government and private sector investment in Sizewell C, and a clean energy supply chain that will stretch from Suffolk through to Essex. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Budget offers tax incentives to start-ups and scale-ups in that sector, which will help that supply chain to flourish and bring energy bills down even further?

• 24 Nov 2025 · Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations · Hansard source

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  In October this year, I was pleased, along with other parliamentarians, to meet a senior member of UNRWA as part of our work with the British group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. He told us how vital it was that UNRWA’s programme of aid be fully restored, given the conditions that my hon. Friend and others have described. Would she agree that it is vital to restore the programme in full?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Support for Victims of Crime · Hansard source

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  Victims in the criminal justice system deserve to be kept fully informed of developments in their case. Can the Solicitor General set out how she is working with the Crown Prosecution Service to improve those communications for victims? I note again the very valuable work in this space of Baroness Newlove, the former Victims’ Commissioner.

• 13 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Today I am hosting pupils from Colchester academy in Greenstead in my constituency. They and their families want a clean River Colne. Will the Secretary of State set out what the Government are doing to hold Anglian Water to account, and whether she is seeing an improvement in its performance?

• 13 Nov 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

• 11 Nov 2025 · BBC Leadership · Hansard source

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  In the early 2000s, I lived in Hanoi alongside my husband who was reporting on Vietnam for the BBC, and I saw for myself how he and the BBC worked very hard for truth. He then spent a year in Myanmar, working alongside extraordinarily brave local journalists who sought to expand public broadcasting under a military dictatorship. Does the Secretary of State agree that the BBC’s trusted journalism is one of our strongest defences against disinformation, both at home and abroad?

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to pay tribute in this debate to the men and women of our armed forces, past and present, whose courage and service secured our freedoms. In Colchester, we gathered for our traditional Remembrance Sunday service at the war memorial, against the backdrop of our castle and the remains of our Roman temple—a reminder that Colchester has been a garrison city for nearly two millennia. As ever, it was a deeply moving occasion. Soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade and their families were joined by civic representatives, veterans, cadets, youth organisations, the city orchestra and residents from across the community. The bond between our city and the armed forces is historic and enduring. It is also a global history. Colchester cemetery is home to over 300 Commonwealth war graves, lovingly tended by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and its local volunteers, and I thank the commission for giving me a poignant tour of the site in September. I want to take a moment to recognise the Gurkha and Nepalese community in Colchester. Their contribution to our armed forces is legendary, and their presence in our city enriches us all. As we commemorate 80 years since the end of the second world war, we should remind ourselves of the bravery of over 250,000 Gurkha soldiers who fought for the British empire during that time. Their regiments continue to serve in the city today. We are proud to call them neighbours and friends. The Minister will be aware of the continued campaign by Gurkha veterans on pension rights, and I urge the Ministry of Defence to look again at that issue in good faith. As we reflect on the historic sacrifices made, it is right that we also look forward. Our armed forces covenant renews our commitment to those who serve today. Just last week, the Government announced a £9 billion defence housing strategy—the largest upgrade to armed forces housing in over half a century. That plan will rebuild or modernise over 40,000 military homes, ensuring that service families have the safe, comfortable and dignified accommodation they deserve. Nearly 1,000 local Army homes in my area will be brought back into public ownership as a result of that scheme, and I would love to invite the Minister for the Armed Forces to come and see that for himself when his diary allows. Remembrance is not just about looking back, as so many have said today. It is about reaffirming our present and future commitment to peace, security and community in extremely challenging times. It is also about underlining our unwavering support for our armed forces and our veterans.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Video Games: Consumer Law · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for securing this important debate, which shines a light on the growing disconnect between video game consumers and the companies that profit from them. The e-petition received nearly 190,000 signatures nationwide, and Colchester ranked among the top 20 constituencies for signatures. I thank those who signed it for standing up for fairness and for their digital rights. I should say that I am not a gamer—I feel rather in the minority—but, as a parent of gamers, I have made a solid financial contribution to the gaming industry over the years. Colchester has a thriving video game industry of its own, based around the Innovation Centre, Knowledge Gateway at the University of Essex. The university offers a very respected BSc in game technology. The city also has a fantastic creative digital learning charity called Signals, which offers superb short courses to school pupils—very good for half-term recreation, as I recall—in animation, coding and other skills that underpin the industry. I cannot resist saying that Colchester has another claim to fame in this space: it was recreated in “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla”, in which players are able to roam around our Roman and Anglo Saxon heritage. I do not know whether any other constituency can match that. It is another testament to our city’s huge cultural importance, and reminds us that games are more than entertainment, as Members have said. They combine rich and complex design, art, graphics and music. What happens when that rich content is deleted? When publishers shut down servers or revoke access, consumers lose something that they have paid for, often with very little warning or recourse. That is not just inconvenient but fundamentally unfair. Other forms of cultural production—film, books, music and so on—live on, but we have allowed a situation to develop in the gaming industry whereby games are sold to consumers to play, but it is never quite clear when it is game over. The Stop Killing Games movement highlights the growing frustration among players who see their purchases vanish. It is clear that digital ownership must be respected, and that publishers should look to provide routes for players to retain or repair games even if the official service support for products ends. I welcome the Government’s willingness to monitor the issue, not least because current laws such as the Consumer Rights Act clearly do not offer adequate consumer protections against digital obsolescence. I ask the Minister to review statutory protections in digital ownership and protect gamers in Colchester and elsewhere.

• 30 Oct 2025 · Property Service Charges · Hansard source

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  I will see what I can do, Madam Deputy Speaker. Property service charges and the behaviour of the companies that levy them are causing real distress across the country. I thank the hon. Member for Reigate (Rebecca Paul) for her speech setting out those challenges. In Colchester, I have heard from residents in Orchard Gardens, Colne View and Kingswood Heath who are being charged astonishing amounts—often thousands of pounds a year—for services that are either poorly delivered or not delivered at all. Many of those homes are managed by one company, and the House could guess that that company is FirstPort. When I walked into the Chamber, FirstPort had been named 39 times in the Chamber this year, but I imagine that has doubled in the course of this afternoon. It claims to be an “award- winning property management service” that “makes sure customers feel safe and happy in their homes.” I think we all have a little bit of news for FirstPort. Retired residents in Orchard Gardens showed me demands for payments for services that they never received or for which they had already paid. Residents at the Colne View development have faced a 15-year battle over neglect, overcharging and obfuscation. They have faced extortionate service charges—sometimes doubling in a year—yet their buildings are left mouldy, unsafe and unclean. They feel bullied, belittled and beyond hope that they will ever resolve what has become a living nightmare. I am pleased to say that one of those residents, Chia, was able to come into Parliament last week to give some evidence to a panel of MPs organised by my hon. Friends the Members for Hendon (David Pinto-Duschinsky) and for Cities of London and Westminster (Rachel Blake), who have been working on this issue for some time. I hope the Minister will consider the evidence that was gathered.