Vicky Foxcroft MP: speeches

Speeches

• 9 Sept 2026 · Youth Parliament: Government Support · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell (Peter Swallow) on securing this incredibly important debate and on the success of the campaign for votes at 16, as highlighted in the recent inquiry by the all-party parliamentary group on schools, learning and assessment, which he chairs. I am sorry to hear that he came third in his national Youth Parliament ambitions, but I am delighted that he is with us in Parliament now. The experience of my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (David Taylor) as a Member of the Youth Parliament between 2001 and 2003 highlights the lasting impact of youth participation. I want to express my deepest thanks for his tireless advocacy for young people in his constituency and across the nation. I know how passionately he cares about ensuring that the next generation is not merely listened to, but genuinely heard and empowered. That goes for all Members who contributed. My hon. Friends the Members for Wolverhampton North East (Sureena Brackenridge), for Aylesbury (Laura Kyrke-Smith) and for Gravesham (Dr Sullivan), the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr Dillon) and my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby (John Slinger) all spoke about the powerful young advocates in their constituencies, and it was fantastic to hear them being celebrated. I also pay tribute to the incredible partner organisations, the youth workers and, above all, the inspiring young people who deliver the UK Youth Parliament day in, day out. It is genuinely great to see so many of them in the Public Gallery. Throughout my time as an MP and previously—particularly in my work leading the Youth Violence Commission—my purpose has been rooted in supporting and standing with young people. I have seen at first hand the transformational impact of timely intervention, and how a trusted adult, a safe space or a creative outlet can offer a vital lifeline and a transformed future. That work showed me that young people have the solutions; they just need space, support and opportunities. That insight drives my decisions as Minister for youth and underpins our commitment to ensuring that every young person gets the opportunities they deserve. Our young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow; they are the active, vibrant and thoughtful citizens of today. They deserve to be heard and valued, and they should be in the driving seat when decisions that affect their lives are made. Since 1999, the UK Youth Parliament has given thousands of young people a platform to champion key issues, hold decision makers to account and drive positive social change in their communities. We are currently working closely with young people and partners, including Members of the Youth Parliament, to co-design the Government’s work to increase young people’s involvement in democracy and decision making, with a particular focus on under-represented groups. We will share the outcomes of that work later in the autumn. We are also keeping our promise to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote through votes at 16. We are working closely across Government to implement that commitment, ensuring that the necessary legislative and operational preparations are in place to successfully embed early democratic participation, so that young people have a formal stake in shaping the future of our country. I am personally passionate about ensuring inclusivity in everything we do. It is not enough simply to open the door; we must actively break down the structural and socioeconomic barriers that prevent young people from under-represented backgrounds from stepping through it. Every young person, regardless of their ethnicity, geography or background, deserves an equal voice. It is imperative that more young people across the country gain direct and meaningful access to influence decisions, locally in their communities and nationally. By embedding young people in decision-making processes, we ensure that our policy solutions are richer, fairer and genuinely reflective of the nation we serve. We are taking proactive, transformative steps across our wider youth empowerment initiatives through our “Be Seen & Heard” pillar of Youth Matters, to ensure that young people are directly in the driving seat. As part of that work, we will recruit a dedicated new youth policy network to co-design national Government policy, and we will shortly be refreshing our youth advisory group, which will oversee the delivery of Youth Matters. We are also backing youth social action by continuing to support the #iWill movement. Through the Youth Matters fund, we are assembling youth decision making directly into local investment. This will include a range of tools and support to ensure minimum standards and meaningful engagement with young people, so that provision is targeted where young people need it most. All those democratic and participation initiatives align directly with our overarching Youth Matters national youth strategy, which was published in 2025 and was, as has been said, the first in more than 15 years. Youth Matters represents a fundamental shift in how we support young people across our Government. For too long, youth services were subjected to short-term, fragmented funding that left provision patchy and unsustainable. We are moving away from those temporary fixes towards sustainable, long-term support that gives youth workers and local organisations the stability they need to build lasting relationships with young people. Youth Matters provides the foundations for our ongoing work with young people to co-design our fresh approach to youth empowerment, ensuring that national opportunities are better connected to local infrastructure. I invite hon. Members to share experiences of what is working in their constituencies with the Department, and to continue to create opportunities for young people to engage with them and, where appropriate, with Parliament. I hope this debate will be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. I genuinely thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bracknell once again for introducing this important debate. Our wider youth strategy is about giving every young person someone who cares, somewhere to go and something to do. Together, we will build a society where every single young person feels valued, safe, supported, seen and truly heard. Question put and agreed to.

• 3 Sept 2026 · Digital Inclusion: Newcastle-under-Lyme · Hansard source

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  Yes, absolutely; I would love to come along.

• 3 Sept 2026 · Digital Inclusion: Newcastle-under-Lyme · Hansard source

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  As set out in the Government’s digital inclusion plan, everyone in every community should be able to benefit from technology. That is why we launched the £11.9 million digital inclusion innovation fund, backing local projects across the country to help people get online. I am glad that Citizens Advice in Staffordshire was one of the funded projects, supporting people with digital skills and resilience, including online banking and job searching.

• 3 Sept 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The Charity Commission takes very seriously concerns about the alleged misuse of charities in the UK to promote the interests of foreign states. The Government’s social cohesion action plan, published in March, set out our plans to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremists’ abuse of charities. We are working with the Charity Commission to develop the necessary legislation, and we take this issue very, very seriously.

• 30 Jun 2026 · Culture, Media And Sport · Hansard source

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  Young people are our future. They are the future politicians, technicians, writers, sportspeople, physiotherapists or whatever they want to be. The laws, policies and funding that we put forward must help in building their future. We must invest in them, inspire them, and give them the tools and skills for their future, so that they have the confidence and resilience to deal with whatever life throws at them. Decent access to youth services and sporting activities is an integral part of that. Almost 1 million of our young people are not in education or employment. Youth unemployment is also strongly linked to social and economic inequality. I have spoken many times about why I set up the Youth Violence Commission. Soon after I was first elected in 2015, five of my young constituents were murdered in quick succession. The commission gathered evidence from academics, youth workers, educators and, most importantly, young people themselves. It showed how many different factors influence a young person’s life. Some were more immediately obvious, such as their schooling, health, housing situation and relationship with their family, but our work also really brought home the power of sport, youth services and the arts to inspire and motivate our young people, as well as offering them a safe place to go. I am not talking just about the activities themselves, but about the interventions that happen alongside them. To give a brief example, there is a boxing club in my constituency called Double Jab. While young people might initially go there to learn how to train and box, they are also offered mentorship and guidance on how to navigate life’s challenges. Strong mentors and trusted adults can deliver a change in attitude and get someone on the path towards a better future. Access to sport, youth activities and culture, improves a whole variety of outcomes. However, Government must go further with their ambitions. Culture, media and sport are not just a “nice to have” to be tagged on to other stuff. Instead, they must be at the heart of everything. We need a public health approach, with all of Government working together on a cross-departmental strategy, led from DCMS and focused on the right outcomes for our young people. If we can get that right—if we can meet our ambition for every single young person—I am sure that colleagues from the Treasury will be delighted to know that it has the potential to result in significant savings down the line.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Vaping Duty Stamps (Requirements, Reviews and Appeals) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  I declare an interest: I have not smoked for more than a decade, and I vape. Does the Minister agree that we have to be careful that the language we use does not discourage people from changing from smoking to vaping? Vaping has been shown to be successful in getting many people to stop smoking. The health benefits are there. None of us wants young people to vape, but vaping is successful in getting long-term smokers to move off smoking.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Draft Vaping Duty Stamps (Requirements, Reviews and Appeals) Regulations 2026 · Hansard source

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  The Minister says they may be lower. I believe it is said that they are significantly lower.

• 22 Apr 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q10. Housing is one of the biggest issues in my constituency. Lewisham council is working hard to improve things, and is bringing its housing stock back in house. Non-decent homes have fallen from one in four to one in 10, the repairs backlog has reduced by almost two thirds, and call waiting times have fallen from 70 minutes to four minutes. However, leaseholders and those with cladding issues still need support. Will the Prime Minister update the House on what the Government are doing in those two vital areas?

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  May I start by saying how happy I am to be contributing to today’s debate? Members who have been in the House for a while will know that I am a long-term advocate for votes for 16 and 17-year-olds. Over the years, we have had many robust debates on the issue. Some may even remember when I was successful in my very first private Member’s Bill ballot, way back in 2015. As a brand new MP, that was very daunting and I can chat privately to any Members who might want to hear about all the gaffs I made at the time. Once I got over my initial nerves, it did not take long to decide to put forward votes for 16 and 17-year-olds, alongside decent political education. During the 2014 Scottish referendum campaign, which many people have mentioned, when 16 and 17-year-olds were able to vote for the first time in Scotland, I was hugely impressed—not surprised, just impressed—by how well informed they were and by how seriously they took their voting responsibilities. I knew I had to play my part in pushing the issue up the agenda.

• 2 Mar 2026 · Representation of the People Bill · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with everything the right hon. Gentleman has articulated so well. At the time, some saw this as a controversial topic for a private Member’s Bill—I am sure there have been more controversial topics since. [ Laughter. ] It was not the first time that this issue had been pursued; I believe there had been 18 or 19 other attempts to take such legislation forward. I am proud that the Labour party committed to votes for 16 and 17-year-olds in our manifesto, and that now the Labour Government are delivering on our promise. Young people’s voices matter. If they can pay taxes, why should they not have a say over how they are spent? If they can have a child, why should they not have a say over their future? If they can join the army, why should they not have a say over the defence of our country? When I visit schools and colleges, I am always struck by how incredibly thoughtful and articulate the students are. When I visited Christ the King sixth-form college in Brockley a few weeks ago, we discussed everything from social media and the cost of living to housing and international issues, and one student told me she was running to be young mayor of Lewisham—which, by the way, is the longest-running young mayor programme in the country, having started in 2004. This year we had 42 candidates and voter turnout was 59%—higher than we get in some by-elections. Despite that, when election day comes, those same young people are told that they are not old enough and therefore do not get a say. They can pay taxes, have a child, leave home, and join the army, but they have no say over their future. Maturity is not something we magically achieve on our 18th birthday. We do not test the political knowledge of 40-year-olds before they enter the polling station, although some might say we probably should—just joking. We do not deny the vote to those who choose not to follow politics closely. Democracy is not about passing an exam; it is about inclusion, equality and trust. Countries all across the world are lowering the voting age, including Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ethiopia. However, many of the countries letting young people vote at 16 also have strong civic education, so I urge the Minister to ensure that political education forms a strong part of the changes that take place. My private Member’s Bill made provision for improved citizenship education. Research shows that when people are given the vote earlier, they are more likely to develop a lifelong voting habit. If we want to reverse the trend of declining turnout, especially among younger people, the answer is not to keep them out, but to bring them in. This is not just about improving turnout, though: when we deny young people the vote, we send a message that the opinions of the next generation matter less. Yet young people are deeply affected by the decisions we make in this House. When we talk about getting more young people into work, we need their voices. They should be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem. When we have local students in my office to do work experience—from Addey and Stanhope and Deptford Green schools—they are interested in how politics works, how it affects their lives and how they can champion the changes they desperately want to see. They are the ones who will inherit the world we shape today. Ten years on from my first private Member’s Bill, today is the day we ensure that they have their rightful place in shaping their future.

• 28 Jan 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q11. As the UK’s first borough of sanctuary, Lewisham has a proud history of welcoming people fleeing conflict, persecution and instability. Our council works closely with support organisations to help those people integrate and contribute to our community. How will the Deputy Prime Minister ensure that the proposed reforms to the asylum system support, rather than undermine, the positive outcomes already being achieved in boroughs like mine?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  I welcome the amendment, but does my hon. Friend agree that co-production needs to go beyond oversight if we want to build trust and engagement with disabled people and their organisations, and that we need to commit to the principles of co-production as outlined in my speech on Second Reading last week?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  rose —

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  rose—

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister give way?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the right hon. Member give way?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the Minister ensure that the universal credit health element forms part of the co-produced Timms review when reviewing the assessment process, as the UC health element will be assessed under the new PIP assessment? Furthermore, can we ensure that all disability benefits and support are in scope, so that we can truly get an assessment process fit for the future?

• 9 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  rose—

• 1 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  I begin by welcoming the positive steps the Department has set out in the “Pathways to Work” Green Paper on supporting people into work; the right to try work without the fear of having to go through reassessment for benefits if it does not work out; reforming and modernising the Access to Work system; disability pay gap reporting; disability employment gap reporting; ensuring everyone has access to a supportive work coach; the assessment process, and ensuring that assessments are recorded as standard, which people were desperately crying out for; and ensuring people with lifelong conditions do not need to be reassessed when we know their condition is unlikely to ever improve. I also welcome many of the concessions the Government have made over the past week: bringing forward employment support, introducing protections for current PIP claimants going forward, and recognising the need for co-production. However, I continue to have some concerns, which I believe must be addressed. We need the Timms review to report before the new system is rolled out. On co-production, I want to start by saying that this should have happened way before we got to today’s debate. I know from my time as shadow Minister for disabled people that when we work with disabled people and their organisations from the start, we produce better policy. There is so much talent out there and, like many of us in the Chamber, disabled people and their organisations want reform of the benefits system, but the reforms set out in the Bill are not what they want or need. We should have been working with them on it right from the start.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree. The review needs to ensure that it has the right engagement and consultation with everybody, but it must be co-produced with the experts by experience. I want to take this opportunity to clarify exactly what we mean by co-production. The principle of co-production is rooted in the US civil rights movement and the ladder of citizen participation developed by Sherry Arnstein in 1969. It should be in place from the start of the process. All information should be made available to everyone. A plan should be agreed together. There must be the ability to bring in experts. These experts should be paid for their contribution and treated as valued partners. We should empower and upskill those who are involved. And I hope that it goes without saying, but all information should be available in accessible formats. The valued partners need to be user-led disabled people’s organisations. I finish by underlining that the focus of making the changes should not be on making cuts, but on getting it right. The focus on getting it right means that everything needs to be in scope of the review, not just the ability to tinker within limited predetermined parameters. Co-production must take place before any changes to the current assessment criteria are proposed. If that means pausing to ensure that we get it right, then that is what we must do.

• 30 Jun 2025 · Welfare Reform · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for her statement. Will the Timms review have the powers to review the planned budget savings for future claimants of PIP and universal credit health components? Also, if claimants request a reassessment because of worsening health conditions, will they be assessed on the current criteria or the new eligibility criteria?

• 20 Jun 2025 · Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill · Hansard source

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  This is my first speech in this Chamber since the general election, and if I am honest, I wish I was not speaking in this debate, as I wish this legislation was not being put forward. I have not always been opposed to assisted dying. Indeed, in 2015, I voted in favour of the Bill put forward by Rob Marris MP, but that was before I served four years as shadow Minister for disabled people. During that time, I spoke to hundreds of disabled people and the organisations that support them. They were, and remain, extremely fearful of assisted dying. I took on that role at the start of the covid pandemic. Disabled people were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Nearly six in every 10 people who died were disabled. Many had “do not resuscitate” notices unilaterally pasted on their medical records, without them being informed. It made them fear for their lives. It made them fear that the authorities thought that their lives were worth less. It also made them fearful of what would happen if assisted dying was brought forward. That is why Disability Rights UK and other disabled people’s organisations have moved from the neutral position they had in 2015 to a position of opposition now. I do not claim that every disabled person opposes assisted dying, but I do claim that the vast majority of disabled people and their organisations oppose it. They need the health and social care system fixing first. They want us as parliamentarians to assist them to live, not to die. Disabled people’s voices matter in this debate, and yet as I have watched the Bill progress, the absence of disabled people’s voices has been astonishing. They have wanted to engage. Indeed, they have been crying out to be included, yet the engagement has been negligible. I believe that only one disabled people’s organisation was given the opportunity to provide evidence to the Committee. Furthermore, throughout Committee and at the initial publication stage of the Bill, accessible formats were not available. A large-print version of the Bill was published several weeks after the original, but no other formats, such as easy read and British Sign Language, have been made available. These are basic things that we should be doing when consulting on such important pieces of legislation, making it accessible so that everyone’s voices and views can be heard. Many of those expected to deliver this legislation also do not want it. They believe that it could destroy the doctor-patient relationship. The experts have all been clear. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Royal College of Physicians, GPs, disability charities, mental health charities and domestic abuse charities have all warned that the safeguards in the Bill are insufficient and will put vulnerable people in harm’s way. I will finish by saying that I am not opposed to the principle of assisted dying, but until we have a system that supports the right to life, I cannot support it. Until we ensure that all safeguards are in place, I cannot support it. And until the vast majority of disabled people and their organisations support the legislation that is being brought forward, I cannot support it. We are not voting on principles today. This is real and we have to protect those people who are susceptible to coercion, who already feel like society does not value them, who often feel like a burden to the state, society and their family. I urge anyone in this Chamber who has any doubts that this Bill does not protect them, who has any worries and concerns: please do not vote for it today. Let us fix our NHS, social care and wider society first and then consider this topic again in the future, when the time is right.

• 5 Jun 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] (Fourth sitting) · Hansard source

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  Opposition? Hold on—we are the Government.

• 5 Jun 2025 · Football Governance Bill [Lords] (Fourth sitting) · Hansard source

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  Oh no!

• 3 Jun 2025 · Football Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting) · Hansard source

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  Yes.