Steve Witherden MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jul 2026 · MPs’ Second Jobs: Prohibition · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Western. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds East (Richard Burgon) for the campaigning work he has done over many years on this important issue. As Members of Parliament, we are privileged to be here, but this is a demanding, full-time role. Our time, energy and focus should be dedicated to representing our constituents, and to that alone; but, as we have already heard, it is all too common for Members to have multiple jobs, often serving corporate interests despite the obvious potential for a conflict of interest. Every MP earns at least £98,599 a year, with Ministers and Select Committee Chairs earning even more. That is more than two and a half times the average wage, and almost 20 times the annual equivalent of the basic universal credit allowance. Before my election in 2024, my salary as a teacher, a head of curriculum area and a member of the extended senior leadership team at my school was less than half an MP’s salary. It is difficult to argue that Members need second, third or even 16th jobs while many of our constituents struggle to make basic ends meet. Members being hired as advisers or consultants, primarily because of their political connections and access, is not only wrong and out of touch; it poses a genuine risk to public confidence in our democracy and, as we saw from the Tory lobbying scandal during covid, a genuine risk to public health. The reality gap between claiming to represent ordinary working-class people and earning vast sums through private income streams is stark. It is best illustrated by, though by no means limited to, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage)—I did contact him, Mr Western—who has declared more than £2 million in earnings since his election to this House in July 2024 from media contracts, paid Cameo appearances and serving as a brand ambassador for a gold dealer. That would be laughable if it were not so concerning. I support a ban on second jobs for Members of Parliament, with sensible exemptions where work is necessary to maintain professional qualifications and skills in the public interest—as teachers, doctors or nurses, for example. This is a necessary step towards restoring trust and integrity in our political system. The privilege of serving as a Member of Parliament should come with a singular commitment: serving the public, and serving them alone. Diolch yn fawr.

• 24 Jun 2026 · Farming: Financial Sustainability · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Turner. It was in this Chamber, on 28 January 2025, that I was the only Labour MP to speak out against the Government’s proposed changes to agricultural property relief. I did so in the knowledge that such changes would have been damaging to the livelihoods of huge swathes of my constituents. There is no industry more important than the food industry. The food sector employs 17% of Wales’s total workforce, and at the heart of that sector lie our farmers. A sustainable farming sector requires fairness and transparency throughout its supply chain. An industry built on long-term planning, fair returns and transparency will make for a more resilient industry in the face of current challenges than one based on short-term decision making. As most farmers do not sell directly to retailers, the NFU has long campaigned for the Government to extend the code to include more retailers, food service businesses and manufacturers in order to oversee the trading relationship between farmers and their intermediaries, ensuring that farmers get the best possible deal. We must also recognise the importance of trading with the European Union, on which Wales relies heavily for 75% of our food and drink exports. A commitment to strengthen our relationship with the EU would create valuable opportunities for Welsh producers and support growth across the sector.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member serves a similarly large and rural constituency to mine. Getting stations open in such areas is incredibly important, and I urge him to work closely with community groups, as I am sure he is already doing, so that what I am trying to do in mid and north Wales might also be done in Cornwall. Great British Railways presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our railways and create a service that works for the public good rather than for private profit. Workers must not be sidelined; jobs, pensions and trade union rights must be protected; and passengers must see genuine improvements in affordability and reliability.

• 10 Jun 2026 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  The Bill is a necessary and long-overdue step towards bringing our railways back into public ownership. Great British Railways represents a real opportunity to build a railway that works in the interests of passengers and staff, rather than profiteering companies and distant shareholders. For railway workers, the transition to GBR must be an opportunity to strengthen good, secure and unionised jobs across the sector. Rail staff are the backbone of the network. Whether they work on trains, in stations, or on signalling, engineering or maintenance, they keep this country moving every single day. I also want to commend the work of campaign groups such as We Own It, alongside the rails unions the RMT, the TSSA and ASLEF, for their long-standing commitment to the renationalisation of our railways. Working constructively with the trade unions will be vital if GBR is to succeed. A publicly owned railway must also be a railway built on a partnership with its workforce. The transport unions have raised a number of concerns that the Government should address. Tens of thousands of rail workers still do not know exactly who their future employer will be under GBR, nor do they know what pension arrangements will apply. There are also real fears about potential job losses linked to the transition. Around 870 Network Rail staff are reportedly at risk of redundancy and are concerned at de-recognition of trade unions during the TUPE transfer from Network Rail into its wholly owned public subsidiary, Platform4. A fundamental principle of the transition from private to public ownership should be that every workplace within GBR recognises trade unions. My now-withdrawn new clause largely spoke to Beeching. The Beeching cuts, now widely recognised as a significant failure, saw the closure of up to 2,363 stations and approximately 5,000 miles of track. It severed vital links for many communities, causing lasting damage to local economies. That is felt all too acutely in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, where we have a huge gap between Caersws and Machynlleth—the longest stretch of line without a station in the whole of Wales.

• 8 Jun 2026 · Cuba: Humanitarian Situation · Hansard source

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  As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Cuba, I refer the House to the APPG register. In September in Machynlleth, the Cuban ambassador and a Cuban doctor working in Birmingham addressed my constituents in Montgomeryshire on the medical situation in Cuba. Since September, the situation has become worse, with nurses manually hand pumping ventilators so sick babies can breathe, and plastic carrier bags being used instead of colostomy bags. We have the aid needed here. Will we defy Trump’s monstrous blockade and get it into Cuba?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Clean Energy Transition: Supporting People in Work · Hansard source

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  As we face the second fossil fuel shock in half a decade, it is right that the Government are scaling up clean, home-grown renewable energy through the energy independence Bill. However, clean energy jobs are not yet being created at the pace required to replace losses in oil and gas. How will the Government guarantee secure, well-paid jobs with strong trade union rights throughout the green transition?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Clean Energy Transition: Supporting People in Work · Hansard source

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  3. What steps he is taking to ensure the clean energy transition supports people in work.

• 18 May 2026 · Backing Business to Create Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  Since the last King’s Speech, we have seen great steps forward under this Labour Government in their first parliamentary Session: the Employment Rights Act 2025, the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation; the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024, establishing Great British Rail to improve services and keep fares down; the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, providing security and dignity by ending no-fault evictions; and the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Act 2026, lifting 450,000 children out of poverty. So it is welcome that in this King’s Speech further steps are being taken to support our country, at a time when so many are struggling with the cost of living, when our ties with Europe desperately need strengthening, and when global uncertainty weighs heavily on us all. I particularly welcome the measures to strengthen economic security, namely the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill and the European partnership Bill. British Steel is an industry that supports 37,000 direct jobs, and supports many thousands more through its supply chains. It is vital to our economic resilience and our industrial future, but for decades it has been in private hands. I welcome the Government’s willingness to bring in new legislation to renationalise British Steel, and our commitment of up to £2.5 billion to modernise and decarbonise the sector in the face of the climate crisis. However, I do wish to press the Government on a key point: the public interest test in the steel industry Bill. While it is right that such powers are exercised responsibly, I urge Ministers to ensure that the test is applied in a way that genuinely puts the public before private profit, rather than being constrained by a desire to reassure investors above all else. Furthermore, if we accept the principle that steel is too important to fail, why should we stop there? Across the country, people see the consequences of privatisation every day: sewage in our rivers, spiralling energy bills, and unreliable postal services. Let us bring all essential services back into public ownership and ensure that the wealth they generate benefits the public, not private shareholders. I very much welcome the European partnership Bill, which seeks to strengthen our trade and investment relationship with the European Union, building on the important work begun last May when the Government and the EU held their first joint summit since we left. The EU is, of course, not without its flaws, but given the uncertain and unstable times that we face, particularly as Trump continues to prove himself unpredictable and unreliable over and over again, partnership with our closest neighbours will provide security. This is essential for farmers in my constituency of Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr. Some 75% of Welsh food and drink exports go directly to the European Union and the livelihoods of many of my constituents depend on reliable access to those markets. It is for that reason that the proposed food and drink agreement is so vital. It is a deal that could add up to £5.1 billion a year to our economy, boost agricultural exports to the EU by 16%, and reduce delays at the border. This was a manifesto commitment, and fulfilling it will provide much-needed certainty for our farming and wider communities. If we are serious about tackling the cost of living crisis and supporting long-term economic growth, a key part of this will be deepening our relationship with Europe—strengthening trade, enhancing collective security, and building a future based on reliable partnerships. I also welcome the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, commonly known as the Hillsborough law. My hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) has worked tirelessly on this legislation. It is essential that it is passed in full as one of the first Acts of the new parliamentary Session, with the proposed duty of candour applying to all public authorities, including the intelligence and security services. The bereaved families and survivors affected by state failure and cover-ups deserve nothing less. Finally, I welcome the commitment to ending new coal licences in the coal licences Bill. While Wales’s coalfield communities can rightly be proud of their heritage, it is vital that we now protect them from the environmental and social harms of further extraction. That is essential for those living near the Bersham colliery spoil tip in Rhostyllen, in my constituency. Given that private companies are now seeking to mine coal tips, which would inflict the same issues on communities, this type of extraction should also be prohibited.

• 22 Apr 2026 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the cost of living in Wales.

• 22 Apr 2026 · Cost of Living · Hansard source

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  This month, the UK Labour Government formally lifted the two-child limit, benefiting nearly 70,000 children in Wales and 2,270 children in my constituency. I am enormously proud that Labour is lifting hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, while the other parties in Wales promise spending cuts and tax rises on working families. Will the Secretary of State update the House on what this policy means for the future of Wales?

• 21 Apr 2026 · Gulf Conflict · Hansard source

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  16. What steps her Department is taking with international counterparts to help achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict in the Gulf.

• 21 Apr 2026 · Gulf Conflict · Hansard source

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  While energy giants and Wall Street banks cash in on the war, ordinary people pay the price. In the first month of the US-led war with Iran alone, the world’s 100 largest oil and gas companies made more than $30 million an hour in unearned profit. What discussions has the Minister had with the Chancellor on the merits of introducing windfall taxes to directly fund a cost of living support package, making life more affordable for people and businesses across the UK?

• 15 Apr 2026 · Cost of Heating Oil · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I thank the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Steff Aquarone) for securing this essential debate. The escalation of conflict arising from Donald Trump’s war on Iran and the consequential disruption to the strait of Hormuz has sent shockwaves through international fossil fuel markets. This has left many households across the country, including a significant number of my constituents, facing sudden and severe increases to their energy bills. I have been contacted by people who are switching off their heating entirely or worried about preserving what supply they have. This is particularly concerning for elderly people or those with health conditions who need to stay warm. The average price of UK heating oil increased by 100% in just three days, and prices have remained over 120p per litre ever since. Across the UK, around 1.5 million homes rely on heating oil systems, with a particularly high concentration in rural areas. Around a quarter of households in my constituency use oil central heating, compared with 5% nationally. Households that are dependent on oil-heated systems are not protected by Ofgem regulation or the energy price cap, and are therefore more exposed to immediate energy price increases.

• 15 Apr 2026 · Cost of Heating Oil · Hansard source

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  It will not surprise my hon. Friend that I agree wholeheartedly. With heating oil prices reaching levels similar to those in 2022 following the Ukraine war, our Government have been far quicker to react than the previous Conservative Government were. Less than two weeks after the price surge, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero announced a £53 million support package aimed at protecting the most vulnerable households that rely on heating oil—particularly low-income households in rural communities. Wales was allocated £3.8 million, which the Welsh Government delivered through one-off £200 payments to eligible households on the council tax reduction scheme that use heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas. They also made enhancements to the value and frequency of the discretionary assistance fund for those in severe financial hardship. This response to protect households’ immediate needs in the face of crisis was very welcome. However, if high prices persist, support will need to evolve. What plans do the Government have to ensure continued and expanded support for vulnerable households should this crisis continue? Diolch yn fawr.

• 14 Apr 2026 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  I shall keep my remarks brief. I welcome the vast majority of this Bill, but given the serious implications for our fundamental rights, Lords amendment 312 on cumulative disruption should be given adequate time to be properly scrutinised and debated. This amendment could be used by future far-right Governments to in effect stamp out protests and even trade union pickets altogether. As we all know, Reform UK would repeal the Employment Rights Act 2025, but I doubt it would repeal what Lords amendment 312 will allow. I strongly support my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East (Andy McDonald) in his motion to disagree with the Lords amendment. Sustained peaceful protest is central to the achievement of democratic change.

• 26 Mar 2026 · Passenger Rail Services · Hansard source

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  In January, I was delighted to get confirmation that Ruabon station had progressed to the next stage of the Access for All programme. It is an absolute disgrace that disabled people and young mothers with prams can access the northbound platform only by climbing the steps and crossing the footbridge at the second busiest of Wrexham’s five stations. Will the Minister provide an update on progress in delivering a ramp at the station?

• 23 Mar 2026 · Rail Connections to London: Rural Towns · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for giving way when she is making such an excellent and passionate speech. I hope the WSMR bid will succeed, as it would benefit my constituents in Powys and in Wrexham. Does she agree with me that the proposal would be improved by an extra stop at one of the two Glyndŵr stations, Chirk or Ruabon, as Wrexham’s second-busiest of five stations?

• 18 Mar 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q10. I spent 20 years as a secondary school teacher in Wales. We worked hard. Labour has given them the biggest upgrade of rights in a generation—rights that millions of us fought hard to win—but the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage) wants to chuck it all in the bin. Does the Prime Minister stand by these fundamental workers’ rights and agree that only a vote for Labour in May will enshrine them?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Right to Protest · Hansard source

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  Proposals to restrict the right to protest based on “cumulative disruption” are causing great concern. It is absurd that a march by an anti-racist group one week could be blocked because an anti-abortion march occurred the week before, and that this power could be extended across large parts of a city. Such a significant change demands proper scrutiny. This House must have adequate time to debate and vote on this issue. Can my hon. Friend the Minister guarantee that?

• 17 Mar 2026 · Right to Protest · Hansard source

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  5. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on protecting the right to protest.

• 16 Mar 2026 · Heating Oil Support · Hansard source

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  We have seen oil prices surge over the past two weeks, and the targeted Government support announced today for low-income rural households that are reliant on heating oil, including many of my constituents, will help. Can I ask specifically about the distribution of the support? What are the criteria for a vulnerable heating oil customer, and what support will there be for those who do not need to fill up now, but will in the medium to near term?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Rough Sleeping: Families with Children · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady and I both represent rural parts of England and Wales, and she makes an extremely valid point. Not only do rural areas often get overlooked, but there is simply less housing in those areas—it is a double whammy. I thank her for her welcome intervention. We must ensure that no child is forced to sleep rough in any circumstances. The measures that I have outlined today would be a vital step towards achieving that. Diolch yn fawr.

• 11 Mar 2026 · Rough Sleeping: Families with Children · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) for securing this debate and for her tireless work on tackling homelessness. The crippling cost of living, sky-high private rents and the lack of social housing in the UK mean that far too many people have no option other than to spend the night on the street. We hear reports of people sleeping in cars, pregnant women turned away from support by their local councils, and children as young as four years old forced to sleep rough. In the sixth richest country in the world, those are despicable reminders of how broken our system is. We know the detrimental effect that sleeping rough and housing insecurity can have on children’s health, education and life chances. The trauma of living in insecure, temporary and often dangerous conditions can have lifelong impacts on physical and mental health, housing stability and economic prospects. Children experiencing homelessness face increased rates of infection, asthma and sleep deprivation, high rates of anxiety, depression and behavioural issues, and a higher likelihood of being exposed to violence, crime and the risk of sexual assault. The streets are no place for children to be sleeping. It has a knock-on effect across other areas of children’s lives: disrupted education, increased school drop-out rates and children forced to hide their situation, leading to social exclusion. We must do better. A huge driver of homelessness and rough sleeping is the current unaffordability of the private rented sector. Two weeks ago, the Welsh Affairs Committee heard evidence from Shelter Cymru, Cymorth, the Bevan Foundation and Crisis. Private rents in Wales are increasing faster than anywhere else in Great Britain. In the last year, private rents in Wales have gone up by 6% on average. In England and Scotland, the figure is closer to 3%. Housing is devolved in Wales, but there are levers that can be pulled in Westminster, particularly around benefits, to immediately prevent more people from being forced into homelessness, the most effective of which would be unfreezing local housing allowance and restoring it to cover the true cost of rent. Local housing allowance is a massive driver not just of homelessness in general, but of keeping people in homelessness, in turn affecting those sleeping rough, including children. When LHA was introduced by Labour in 2008, it was intended to cover private rents up to the 50th percentile—the lowest 50% of rents in a local area. Due to subsequent policy changes and freezes, LHA now covers only 1% of private rents in Wales, and 2.5% in England. I call on this Government to end the routine freezing of LHA and permanently relink it to the 50th percentile of local private rents, in line with the Welsh Government’s position. That is a vital step to prevent homelessness, tackle inequality and further rebalance the power of private tenants. How can the Government achieve their plan to halve long-term rough sleeping and prevent homelessness if people on low incomes simply cannot afford a local home?

• 11 Mar 2026 · Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address Motion · Hansard source

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  The release of documents outlining what was known about Mandelson’s association with Epstein is welcome. Mandelson’s avarice, his business connections and his malign influence within the Labour party are simultaneously why he was made ambassador and why he was useful to Epstein. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we should be seeking to distance ourselves from flawed democracies that are drifting towards authoritarianism, such as the United States, rather than using those associated with sex offenders to strengthen such relationships?

• 10 Mar 2026 · Cost of Living: Families · Hansard source

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  The level of poverty that 14 million people in the UK face is not inevitable; it is the result of political choices, and it damages our economy, costing around £75 billion each year. Will my right hon. Friend consider equalising capital gains tax with income tax and introducing a 2% wealth tax on assets over £10 million to lift people out of poverty and strengthen public finances?