Grahame Morris
MP for Easington · Labour · United Kingdom
“I compliment my hon. Friend on his excellent presentation of the arguments. Indeed, all the interventions have been absolutely to the point. I am the son and grandson of miners. Sadly, my father passed away and my mother, a widow, passed away before she received the benefits of last year’s increases.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am grateful for the Minister’s engagement, but can I point out a practical problem in the context of seafarers? With the vast majority of the merchant fleet not flagged with GB owners, the problem—including on the ferries and so on that are working out of British ports for more than 120 days a year—is that there is a relatively small nu…”
House of Commons9 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Member for Bromsgrove is new to the House, so he may not be aware of this—that the chief exec of P&O Ferries admitted publicly, to a joint sitting of the Transport Committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, that he was fully aware that P&O Ferries were breaking the law in three areas, not just on consultation, a…”
House of Commons9 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I do not have a formal speech, but I want to make a couple of points about context and put a particular question to the Minister, if that is okay.”
House of Commons9 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I have been involved in discussions, lobbying of Ministers, members of my party and shadow Ministers to ensure that the legislation affords a degree of protection to UK-based seafarers.”
House of Commons9 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I fully understand the difficulties and the complexities of international law, but that cannot be a get-out for P&O Ferries, Irish Ferries or any other commercial entity to simply walk away from their legal responsibilities in respect of employment protections.”
House of Commons9 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
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“The imposition of minimum service levels would provide far less flexibility than the existing voluntary arrangements—so why would you do it? As NHS providers have highlighted, it is difficult to quantify the number of staff required for service delivery in advance of the strike. Under the voluntary arrangements, ambulance staff have agreed—and I have witnessed this—to leave their picket line to respond to patients’ needs; this would not be an option under the statutory scheme. So it may well be dangerous to go down the statutory route if the service is not as flexible in being able to respond.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Some were members of my own union, some were members of the GMB and some were members of Unison. On each occasion, even though very generous agreements were arranged, the members of the trade union involved in the dispute were more than willing, when they received the call, to man their ambulances and patient transports in response to the requests and calls. Even though some of the calls may not have been life-threatening, they were quite happy to do that. I do not think we should characterise them as being uncaring, because that is certainly not the case. That is not just my opinion; the Government’s own evidence states that “the issuing of work notices would be challenging and time-consuming”— a classic bit of understatement.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The regulations say that all 999 calls are to be “answered and triaged”. Ambulances are to respond to calls about people with a “life-threatening condition or illness… for whom there is no reasonable clinical alternative” or assistance at the scene, or transport to hospital. Patients are to be transferred from community settings to hospitals where their condition is life-threatening, or there is no reasonable alternative to an ambulance. Non-emergency transport is to operate as it would on a non-strike day. Particularly in relation to the non-urgent patient transport, I do not know how we can say that is proportional or reasonable if it is going to have to operate a 100% service. These regulations are not workable. I have visited several picket lines during the last two disputes in my constituency.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Regarding this set of regulations on the NHS ambulance service and the NHS patient transport service, the language used in the consultation document is, as my hon. Friend said, very different from the regulations before us. Indeed, it bears repeating that the document says that in consultation with the trade unions: “Instead of expecting that employers will always issue work notices to ensure MSLs are met, we recognise that they may be able to secure the same level of coverage through voluntary derogations, and they can continue to agree and rely on these instead, as long as they are confident that the MSL will be met.” Surely we do not need to be brain surgeons or rocket scientists to understand that that is the way forward, but it is very far from where we are in the regulations.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“They much prefer to have meaningful negotiations with their employer, but the ability to withdraw labour is usually enough to prompt conversations and achieve a resolution prior to any strike taking place. This legislation is an attack on individual freedoms, without any prospect of improving industrial relations, but instead souring them. I will also say that surely the aim of Government and management must be to have, not a love-in, but a workable relationship and a harmonious workplace. Management use the term “reform”; I do not think any of my colleagues are against changing working practices to ensure that they are complying with modern standards and requirements, but it has to be done in a fair and reasonable way.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“This SI will erode ambulance workers’ rights without addressing the causes of the industrial action—in other words, the cost of living crisis—and, as my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish suggested, without seeking some mutually acceptable route to negotiation and a reasonable settlement of this and other disputes. That is perfectly reasonable if the political will is there to do it. If, on the other hand, the political will is to grandstand and demonise groups of workers—organised labour, dedicated doctors, senior doctors, ambulance workers, Border Force, train drivers and others—it is likely to be counterproductive. As I mentioned, taking industrial action is a last resort for workers.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I would be interested to hear the Minister’s justification for this action, because in an earlier SI, I heard the Immigration Minister talking about proportionality in terms of that regulation’s intention not to ban strikes but to ensure that there was a minimum level of service cover. That point may well be challenged in the courts. My fear is that this SI and the others in the same family disregard our obligations under those agreements and Britain’s pariah status of having the weakest trade union rights and workplace protections in the developed world will continue. Only Russia and ourselves are in conflict with the international treaties. That is a club that we really do not want to join. The global rights index published by the International Trade Union Confederation shows the UK to be a regular violator of workers’ rights.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“No wonder groups of workers are enraged and forced to take industrial action. I want to make a point about our legal obligations. Although I have heard reports that the Conservative party would do away with the European convention on human rights, the convention is still on the statute book at the moment. As a nation, we have an obligation, as do the Government, under international law and international treaties. Article 11 states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.” The right to form trade unions and to take industrial action is further enshrined in the International Labour Organisation’s convention 87 and in article 6, clause 4 of the European social charter.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thought my role was to hold the Executive to account, and I thought the role of this Committee, of which I am a member, was to scrutinise the legislation. How on earth can we do that if the Minister will not take interventions? I hope that in his concluding remarks he will address some of the points that have been made. We also have to think about why ambulance workers and other NHS staff take industrial action. It is not because they are bored. They are dedicated public servants, who do not take strike action lightly. Their actions are driven by the cost of living crisis—the huge increase in the cost of electricity, gas, utilities, transport, rents and everyday groceries. I was going to ask the Minister if he knew the price of a packet of Lurpak. It is incredible how the prices of basic staples have gone up over the past year or so.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“When I had a proper job, I worked for the NHS for 17 years, so I am very familiar with the important work done by NHS staff at every level—ambulance and patient transport drivers, doctors, nurses, porters, paramedics and technical staff. It is a joint effort and we really should applaud them all. The draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023 are, frankly, the latest draconian and unworkable assault on our political, democratic and civic rights. At the beginning of this debate, I wondered whether I should raise a point of order when several Labour Members sought to intervene on the Minister, in order to seek clarification.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq, I think for the first time. I am really pleased to be able to speak in this important debate and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish for his excellent speech. He has covered many of the points that I had wanted to make, but this debate is so important that I hope you will forgive me, Dr Huq, if I emphasise some of those points, as well as adding a few more. I should declare an interest as a member of Unite the union. I am a very proud member and I think I am still chair of the parliamentary group. In fact, I am a member of many trade union groups.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Let us not forget that these are the people we applauded on our doorsteps during the pandemic, but who the Government would have us reward by taking away a basic employment right. The Hippocratic oath says, “First, do no harm.” I ask the Minister to consider the evidence and recognise that these regulations are harmful to all our constituents, including his and mine, to health workers and to the NHS. I ask him not to take these needless actions, which will simply harm industrial relations without deriving any lasting or meaningful betterment. Let us have an agreed settlement to the underlying issues of pay, terms and conditions in the midst of a cost of living. I urge all Members to vote against this SI.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The UK Government should turn their focus to introducing safe levels of staffing throughout the year, not just on strike days. I am sure I am not the only Member who has had issues with the NHS ambulance service—in my case, the North East Ambulance Service. On several occasions—not on strike days, but on other days—there have been terrible failings by the service, and I blame senior management and processes. Whistleblowers have highlighted some appalling failures, which the Government and Ministers should be addressing in my area and others. We want a Government that believe in the NHS, the importance of public health, and the people who make all that possible by providing an excellent service, often in difficult circumstances.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I agree with my hon. Friend. We have seen that with the drain of staff to Scotland, where better terms and conditions were being offered. That has had a particularly marked impact in my region, near the Scottish border. The Government should be negotiating rather than undermining employment rights and terms and conditions. This debate goes beyond minimum service standards: it is about the type of society we want. Do we want combat or conciliation? Do we want a society where the Government can mandate people to work against their will, underpaying and demoralising them until they choose to work in countries elsewhere that better value their contribution? Or do we want a society where the Government set out their goals and targets for the NHS, utilise the vast knowledge and experience we have in the system, and properly pay the workforce?”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The explanatory notes published for the regulations say that that legislation “already makes it an offence for a person to wilfully and maliciously break a contract of service or hire, knowing or having probable cause to believe that the consequence of doing so, either alone or in combination with others, will endanger human life or cause serious bodily injury.” But the note goes on to say: “However, this is a higher threshold than the Government is seeking to provide through MSLs.” Well, why bother then? We already have a higher threshold.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“This important point needs clarifying, because SIs like this are coming forward in parallel in various sectors; there are four today, and there will probably be more to follow. On the rationale of having the application of minimum service standards for ambulance service workers and patient transport, will the Minister answer the point that my hon. Friend the Member for York Central (Rachael Maskell) raised in relation to section 240 of the 1992 Act?”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Does the Minister recognise that that is a qualified interpretation, based on the proportionality of what the Government are proposing in particular sectors in particular circumstances? Personally, I would not be too confident—I was going to say “cock-a-hoop”, but I do not know whether that is parliamentary—about the legal advice, because this might still fail under challenge.”
House of Commons27 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I think it would be significant for the whole country to highlight veterans’ welfare through a new bank holiday.”
House of Commons21 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Minister for the update. I wonder if he would listen to this voice from the desert from east Durham. Can I draw his attention to the terrific work the East Durham Veterans Trust does to provide mental health support, counselling and advice? It is a much neglected area. Indeed, the Minister’s colleague who is no longer in her place, the hon. Member for Stroud (Siobhan Baillie), mentioned the Veterans’ Gateway. There is some excellent work on a telephone-based app that I have seen, which was pioneered by the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. I hope we will see a lot more of that. May I draw the Minister’s attention to early-day motion 51 in support of a veterans’ bank holiday? Will he look into that suggestion? In this country we are way behind in the number of bank holidays.”
House of Commons21 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“What consideration has the Minister given to the formation of development corporations to deliver specific projects? As he may be aware, I represent a Durham constituency that includes one of the poorest communities in the country. There has been a failure to leverage investment into the county, most notably in round 2 but also in round 3, and to resolve some very serious structural problems. I can identify lots of problems in the ABC streets in Easington, and the numbered streets in Horden and Peterlee town centre. We had two very successful development corporations. May I remind the Minister that Durham is run by a coalition of Conservatives, Lib Dems and independents that is failing to deliver?”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The right hon. and learned Gentleman is articulate in presenting the case and knowledgeable about the issue, but may I distil it down to an issue of fairness that everyone can understand? Before our very eyes, the landscape is changing. Long-established titles, newspapers and publications are disappearing and retrenching. Thousands of journalists are losing their jobs. Is it not a matter of basic fairness that people who create the content should be properly compensated?”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Meta recently discontinued Facebook News in Europe, and that has a potential impact on news consumption. With almost half of news consumers relying on social media, it is imperative to ensure fair compensation for quality content on social media platforms. Looking ahead, the NUJ seeks extensive engagement with the Government—I hope that the Minister will respond to this—on safeguarding the future of journalism, and on recognising the multi-faceted threats that it faces, including from emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. It is imperative that this legislation quickly progress through Parliament, so that we can safeguard the integrity of UK news titles and publishers, and protect them from undue influence from big tech lobbyists who wish to water down much-needed reforms.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I urge the Minister to uphold a high threshold for exemption from penalties when tech firms breach the rules, so as to prevent misuse of exemption provisions by well-funded companies that employ expensive legal teams. The example of Everton Football Club comes to mind. It seems to me—not that I am an expert in these matters—that it is being heavily penalised. Other football clubs in the premier league that seem, on the face of it, to be guilty of far greater abuses have managed to avoid the penalties. It is crucial that we eliminate loopholes that could be exploited by big tech. Whether we like it or not, people consume a lot of their news from the big tech giants. Research conducted by Ofcom found that Facebook is the third most popular place to consume news; a higher proportion of people go there than to the BBC or Sky News channels.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome the stance of the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee on the timely implementation of the Bill, and its recommendation that the Government “resist pressure to weaken some of the Bill’s measures”. I also echo what the NUJ and the News Media Association say about maintaining the option of judicial review for appeals against regulatory decisions. Government amendments must be clarified—a number of Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd, have asked for this—to ensure that the Competition and Markets Authority can retain the flexibility to construct remedies for problems that arise, and to keep up with rapidly changing digital markets, especially when big tech has such a monopolistic position.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The final offer mechanism must be used only as a last resort, and not by big tech companies to bypass meaningful negotiations. I also wish to reinforce the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Salford and Eccles (Rebecca Long Bailey): meaningful and fair negotiations are vital if big tech companies are not to continue to exploit the current power dynamic, and place undue influence on smaller publishers in a way that does not recognise the true value of the original content that they produce. British journalism is valuable, and its value is quantifiable. News content used by tech giants is estimated to be worth around £1 billion a year in the UK. That revenue is essential to the health and wellbeing of professional journalism in the UK.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Our established news titles and publishers are essential to democracy; they scrutinise Government and contribute to an informed society. Their content is being used to generate revenues for tech giants. They—the creators—must be guaranteed a fair share of revenues. Without quality news content on online platforms, the overall standard of information that we all consume will decline. It is in the collective interest of our Government, of all citizens of the country, and even of major tech companies to ensure the continued presence of quality journalism. That is relevant to the part of the Bill that allows the Competition and Markets Authority to initiate a final offer mechanism, which was referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones)—I support Opposition amendments 187 and 188 for the reasons she gave.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“If we do not find means of fairly compensating established publishers and trusted sources of journalism, we will suffer from a less diverse media landscape, job losses, and the promotion of voices delivering fake news guided by hidden agendas. Big tech continues to exploit its market dominance in digital advertising; it uses news content from professional journalists without giving any payment or compensation to the publishers who produce the content. This Bill is a positive step, which I welcome. It is welcomed by the NUJ, journalists and publishers. A functioning media market requires regulators to address the power imbalances that have emerged between major tech companies and the journalism industry in recent years.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In an era of fake news, there are few sources of news trusted more than our national, regional and much-loved local titles, which have stood the test of time and have deep roots in our communities. I have participated in a number of debates on the subject in Westminster Hall, and debates on the decline of our local newspapers and the need to support them are always over-subscribed. It is important to be aware that professional journalism in the UK is in crisis. Reach PLC, the publisher of titles including The Mirror, the Daily Star and the Manchester Evening News , has announced a third round of redundancies, putting at risk as many as 800 journalist jobs.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I, too, welcome the new Minister to his place and congratulate him on his appointment. We all recognise that this is important, long-overdue legislation, so I wish him well in piloting it through the House. I also declare an interest: I am co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group for the National Union of Journalists. I receive no pecuniary advantage, directly or indirectly, and the NUJ is not affiliated to the Labour party or any other party, but it none the less makes some valid points, which I wish to raise today. We face immense challenges and significant technological changes in the UK, and indeed globally, given the development of social media and the increasing use of artificial intelligence.”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Could the Minister give some clarification on my point about fair reimbursement to the journalists and publishing houses that produce original content? As the new Minister, is he prepared to meet the National Union of Journalists to hear its concerns directly?”
House of Commons20 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The horrors, death and destruction that we witness daily on our TV screens are a breeding ground for hate; but if we are ever to secure peace, and a lasting peace, we cannot be driven by hate. I vote for a ceasefire and I call on all hon. Members, but particularly the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, to use their platforms and positions of authority not only to secure humanitarian aid amid the horrors we see in Gaza and have witnessed in Israel, but to work every day towards a lasting peace and the safety and the security that all people in Israel and Palestine deserve.”
House of Commons15 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“He said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’—those who work to build a world of peace. We can all be peacemakers.” We can all work towards bringing about peace internationally. We should let today be a wake-up call for us all, on both sides of the House, to work for peace and, when we pray every morning before the session starts, to work for reconciliation, understanding and harmony. That begins in this House, in our communities, in our homes, in our families, in our friendship groups and especially in our hearts. Today, I will vote for a ceasefire. I will vote for peace. I will vote for a state of Israel and a state of Palestine to live side by side in peaceful coexistence.”
House of Commons15 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“He said that although Remembrance Sunday is a time when people wear red poppies—a well-established tradition—he had for the first time seen someone wearing both a red and a white poppy. When he asked why, their reply was, “Red is for remembrance and white is for peace.” I found that very thought-provoking. Our hope in remembrance is grounded in peace, a peace that so many have given their lives for. We must remember that peace looks forward to what we are trying to build: justice, harmony, wellbeing and the opportunity for all to flourish. The most powerful part of Father Lyden-Smith’s sermon was towards the end, when he reminded us that “Jesus said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’. He did not say: ‘Blessed are those who won the war, those who had sufficient resources and advanced weaponry to crush their enemies’.”
House of Commons15 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I associate myself completely with the remarks of my good and hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Ian Byrne). I had not originally intended to speak in this debate, but given the appalling slaughter and suffering in the middle east and the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, I have to do so. As the Member of Parliament who brought forward the motion to recognise the state of Palestine, which was approved in the House on 13 October 2014, I am often a target for those who do not believe in peace or a two-state solution. In the context of the then Home Secretary’s sowing of division and hate, it is interesting that hon. Members have referred to Remembrance Sunday, when I was moved and overwhelmed by the words, some of which I would like to share, of the Roman Catholic priest Father Marc Lyden-Smith.”
House of Commons15 November 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Q2. Just a year ago, the new Prime Minister promised to unite our country, not with words but with actions. Quite rightly, voters make a judgment on actions, but in my constituency—as in many others—the Prime Minister has not delivered on his promises. Arbroath House in Easington Colliery is a GP practice without the funding to deliver basic community health services. Communities such as Shotton, South Hetton, Haswell and Horden lack the police officers to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. We see sewage being dumped on our coastline at Seaham and Blackhall without prosecution of the privatised water companies, and we see investment for levelling up blocked for Horden. When will the Prime Minister call a general election and let Labour rise to the task of rebuilding Britain?”
House of Commons25 October 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“To be fair to the Lord Chancellor, from the length of his answers there is no doubt he is against shorter sentences. [ Laughter. ] My question is about overcrowded and understaffed prisons that make rehabilitation almost impossible. Many prisoners now leave jail more criminalised, more traumatised and, indeed, more dangerous than when they first arrived. While the measures outlined today may make a positive impact, the Government must go further. Will the Secretary of State commit to tackling the crisis in prison officer retention by starting with the Prison Officers Association’s key demand to reduce the pension age, which it insists has a massive effect on morale and, therefore, on the retention of prison officers?”
House of Commons16 October 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“What consideration has the Secretary of State given to allowing Parliament to scrutinise the proposed £36 billion of expenditure, in relation to both Network North and Northern Powerhouse Rail? In the consideration of the schemes, now that HS2 has been cancelled, will any of the money that has been saved be available to address some basic transport failings in constituencies such as mine? We have a Northern Rail service on the Durham coast line that is frankly not fit for purpose. There is a lack of capacity. We have two carriages once an hour, with no notice of cancelled services, which undermines education and employment, leaving people stranded on the platform. These failings represent not only a transport crisis, but an economic crisis, which, frankly, makes a mockery of the Government’s levelling-up agenda.”
House of Commons16 October 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I hope the Leader of the House is aware of the Miners’ Strike (Pardons) (Scotland) Act 2022, which was enacted in Holyrood and provides a pardon for miners who were wrongly convicted of certain non-violent offences in the 1984-85 miners’ strike. Can we have a debate on extending that Act to cover England and Wales? Many miners were subject to trumped-up charges and convictions, including Ray Patterson from Dawdon Colliery in my constituency who has sadly passed away. Many others, like Ray, who lawfully exercised their democratic right to withdraw their labour and protest, were wrongly pursued and prosecuted. Extending the provisions of the Scottish Act would be a good start to repairing existing deep divisions, which, sadly, too many are taking to their grave.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Research carried out by “Sky Sports” news found that 46%—almost half—of that World cup winning team were suffering from some degenerative brain condition such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Researchers discovered that, as we might expect, outfield players faced a much higher risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia compared with the general population. In contrast, goalkeepers, who seldom head the ball, showed no increase in Alzheimer’s, dementia or similar conditions. The World Health Organisation says that between 5% and 8% of the general population over the age of 60 have dementia. However, the figure is different for England’s greatest ever team, the 1966 World cup winning team—we are not being partisan in this debate, but that victory was achieved under Harold Wilson’s Labour Government; I think we also won the Eurovision song contest that year.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The research compared the mortality rates of more than 7,600 former Scottish footballers with a general population sample of more than 230,000 individuals—a very large sample. The findings indicated that the mortality rate due to neurodegenerative diseases among the former professional footballers was three and a half times higher, with notable increases in Alzheimer’s disease, motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease. Another study, by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, published in The Lancet here in the UK, showed that footballers are 50% more likely to develop dementia compared with the general population. The research involved comparative analysis of the health records of 6,000 top division Swedish players and over 56,000 non-footballers. The study also explored the contrast between outfield players and goalkeepers.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am looking at the Minister; I do not know whether he has the power to direct—or he could ask—the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council to look at the issue. Until CTE is formally recognised as an industrial disease, the compensation that the people involved and their families so richly deserve will not be available to them. We often focus on the top-flight celebrity professional footballer, but many footballers who do not play at the highest level have been similarly exposed to repetitive brain injury. They are living in hardship and we have a duty of care to them. I want to mention again the study that the University of Glasgow carried out quite recently, in October 2019. It revealed a clear connection between professional football players and neurodegenerative diseases.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Several people have suggested to me that that link is theoretical, or that there is some doubt about it, but there is absolutely no doubt: there is a huge amount of evidence, both at home and from abroad, and I will mention some of those academic studies later in my speech. My late father was a coalminer, and sadly, miners were subjected to many industrial diseases including pneumoconiosis, chest diseases, and vibration white finger through the use of pneumatic power tools. Many of my constituents worked in the textile industry—in the rag trade—and many of those women machinists suffered Dupuytren’s contracture as a result of their work. All those conditions are recognised as occupational diseases.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Unfortunately, that led to headaches with migraines, and caused him to retire from football aged only 30. Bill was a renowned centre-half and is remembered for his prowess in the air, but his legacy is promoting Head Safe Football and raising awareness of the link between repetitive head impacts and CTE. I also commend the Scottish Football Association, as the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber did, on its proactive stance on addressing CTE and other brain diseases that are caused through football. Its efforts—including research initiatives, concussion protocols, restrictions on heading in youth football and limits on repetitive heading in training—have set a commendable example. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the link between repetitive heading of a football and brain diseases.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Dr Gates is a distinguished academic and educator, renowned for her expertise in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the condition that has been linked to repetitive head impacts in sport. On Monday, in Ferryhill in County Durham, we will witness the launch of Head Safe Football, a new charity with a specific focus on brain-related issues in football. Dr Gates spearheaded that initiative at the request of the footballing community, aiming to provide emotional support, evidence-based knowledge and up-to-date research for footballers and their families. Dr Gates’ dedication to this cause is deeply personal, because she is the spouse of the former England and Middlesborough footballer Bill Gates. Bill was diagnosed with dementia after a career that included a training programme involving hundreds of headers every day.”
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“It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Southend United West, and I wish her well in her efforts to secure the future of her team. I would like to express my gratitude to the Backbench Business Committee—to my dear friend the hon. Member for Gateshead (Ian Mearns) and his colleagues—for giving us the opportunity to participate in this crucial debate in the House of Commons. I also thank my good friend, the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford), as well as the hon. Member for Moray (Douglas Ross), for their support in securing Back-Bench time for the debate. I also want to acknowledge the Professional Footballers’ Association and the invaluable contribution of Dr Judith Gates, who is one of my constituents.”
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“I hope SNP Members do not mind me mentioning the recent England-Scotland match on Tuesday night; I do not mean to be divisive— [Interruption.] I have forgotten the score already. I am not gloating.”
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“There is also substantial support for extending rules in youth football, with 56% of parents endorsing restrictions on heading in training for children up to the age of 18. The onus lies squarely on football authorities to ensure that their protocols and practices prioritise player safety. That includes ongoing research, immediate reductions in heading during training and matches, and a willingness to adapt the game to mitigate risks. There is no doubt that the game has changed. When I was first watching the game, it was much more physical. There were substitutions, but I think only one was allowed. The game has evolved and changed and it is right that it has. There will inevitably be a shift in the way football is played, but such evolution is inherent to the sport.”
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“It is imperative to pursue further research to determine not whether there is a link—there is; that is not in dispute—but whether there is a safe threshold for heading the ball. The ideal level is zero, but football authorities must undertake comprehensive research to fulfil their duty of care to players and establish a head-safe level. I am not anti-football; I love our national sport, but I want it to be safe. I want us to recognise our responsibility to former players who are now suffering from these terrible conditions. Players themselves are rightly concerned about the risks associated with heading. A study by the Drake Foundation found that 66% of amateur footballers feared the impact of heading the ball on their health, with 70% advocating for guidelines to restrict heading in training and 48% desiring reduced heading in matches.”
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“That is a good point. Academic studies have identified that goalkeepers are not at any more risk than any other member of the population, but centre halves and centre forwards certainly have been. I am talking not just about the 90 minutes of football, but the many hours of training—consistently heading the ball. The general community and football authorities have a duty of care to the people who are suffering. I want to mention another academic study, from Boston University in the United States. It identified CTE in young amateur athletes who played contact sports. After examining post mortem the brains of 152 participants who had died under the age of 30, it found that 41.4% had signs of CTE. More than 70% of those diagnosed were amateur athletes. The figures are shocking.”
House of Commons14 September 2023Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗