Rachel Taylor
MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth · Labour · United Kingdom
“Sport is so much a part of village life in so many of the villages in my constituency, from Fillongley to Newton Regis, from Corley to Austrey and from Warton to Polesworth, with its fantastic annual Office Abbott run, to name just a few.”
“First, may I thank all the House staff, particularly those leaving us this year, and pay tribute to my wonderful team? I could not do this job without them and the work they do for my constituents in North Warwickshire and Bedworth. Sir David was known throughout this House for the pride he took in his constituency.”
“Sport gives us confidence, friendships and the opportunity to meet people outside of our everyday lives. For many people, it just gives us a reason to get out of bed and to get outdoors. That is what I see every time I visit the fantastic grassroots sports clubs in North Warwickshire and Bedworth.”
“I have long advocated for Warwickshire to be served by two unitary councils, so I am absolutely delighted that the Secretary of State has listened. It is the model that is rooted in our place-based, problem-solving approach.”
“I also need to mention Bedworth United and Coleshill Town. I have also supported them and watched their matches this season. It was great to welcome young people from Polesworth school and Nicholas Chamberlaine school to Parliament this year to talk about the barriers to them getting involved in sport.”
“I had the chance to join the fantastic ladies team in the nets—and they told me to stick to the tennis! I enjoyed my visit to the bowls club at Water Orton, and I can assure the House that crown green bowls is much harder than it looks.”
The complete record
Every one of 425 lines we hold for Rachel Taylor, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 9.
“That was a manifesto promise from the Labour party, and I am proud to be part of a Government who are delivering on that promise and who turn up on these Benches when these issues are debated and LGBT history is celebrated. LGBT+ History Month is not just about the past; it is about highlighting how discrimination persists today. Homophobia and transphobia still destroy lives. I was pleased to welcome the Premier League With Pride launch this week, which uses the power of sport to promote inclusion and respect. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we may see premier league players coming out as gay and being supported.”
“Turning to the present, in the coming weeks, the amendment to hate crime laws, which I called for in the House last year, will be brought forward in the House of Lords. I worked with my hon. Friends the Members for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Dr Tidball) and for Burton and Uttoxeter (Jacob Collier), and over 100 other MPs, to equalise the law on hate crime. It will make all hate crimes aggravated offences so that disabled and LGBT people receive the same support as victims of other hate crimes and have the same time to report those distressing, vile, degrading and often violent crimes. That will mean that their experiences are treated with the same severity as those of people suffering hate crimes because of their race or religion.”
“As a Labour MP, I am proud that it was a Labour Government who lifted the ban on LGBT people serving in the military. We can never undo the harm that was done to veterans, but we can take responsibility for it. That is why it is important to implement the recommendations of the Etherton review so that LGBT veterans get compensation, have their ranks restored and have their records corrected. Only by implementing those recommendations will we restore dignity, pride and historical truth. It was truly an honour to see the King unveil the memorial to LGBT military personnel at the National Memorial Arboretum, which is not far from my constituency. I spent a wonderful day on Boxing day with my partner, Dawn, visiting and thinking at that memorial.”
“In just two years, the progress that I had seen as a student had been ripped away from us. That is a reminder that equality is an ongoing battle. Today, I see the same people who supported section 28 trying to row back on rights for trans people. That is why LGBT+ History Month matters, because it reminds us that progress cannot be taken for granted. This LGBT+ History Month, I want to remember all the LGBT soldiers and veterans who have served the United Kingdom. Even when the armed forces rejected them, they proudly served our country. Many had their careers ended, their ranks stripped and their sacrifices and service erased simply because of who they were and who they loved. That treatment was a moral stain on our nation.”
“The history of discrimination against LGBT people runs through our armed forces, our healthcare system, our laws, the way that our courts treated lesbian mums, and our communities. It is a history that reminds us that progress is not inevitable and that if equality is not defended, the progress we have fought for can be destroyed far too easily. I attended my first Pride in 1986, not long after the great work of Mark Ashton and Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. It was a celebration of how far we had come and a protest that we still faced injustice. I never could have predicted that section 28 would be introduced just two years later. That year, I attended Pride alongside angry and distraught friends. Section 28 was an attack on the right of people like me to live openly. It stigmatised lesbian, gay and bisexual people.”
“I am so proud and pleased to be taking part in this debate. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham East (Nadia Whittome). She may be young, but she is a fearless, knowledgeable and compassionate champion of our movement. I also pay tribute to all my other wonderful colleagues, both those from my community and the proud allies, who have spoken in this debate. I was particularly moved by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North (Martin Rhodes), who shared stories that vividly brought back to me what it was like living through the 1980s. I thank him for that. LGBT history in this country is shaped by courage, service, resilience and, far too often, injustice.”
“I thank the shadow Minister for talking passionately about the things that her party helped to introduce. Will her party support moves to make sure that hate crime against all LGBT people is treated as an aggravated offence when that measure comes forward in the other place?”
“Affinity Water and Severn Trent are opening their consultation next week on the Grand Union canal transfer scheme. The project will see 53 megalitres of treated water a day pumped into the canal in Atherstone in my constituency to be extracted in the south-east. Residents in Atherstone are concerned about the noise, damage to the environment and disruption that the scheme could create. Can the Minister reassure my constituents that she will work with the water companies involved to ensure that disruption is minimal and the treated water is safe, and will she meet my constituents to hear their concerns?”
“3. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Crown Prosecution Service’s serious economic, organised crime and international directorate.”
“As a practising solicitor for more than 20 years, I am of course aware of the rules and professional guidance on conflicts of interest. Does the Solicitor General agree that the shadow Attorney General recusing himself from giving legal advice to the Leader of the Opposition because he would rather profit from advising Abramovich demonstrates where the priorities lie for this Conservative party when it comes to backing the Government on economic sanctions in defence of Ukraine and our national security?”
“In North Warwickshire and Bedworth, many, like Felicitas in Water Orton, have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes and have stood by Ukraine, just as this Labour Government have. Meanwhile, Reform-led Warwickshire county council has removed the Ukrainian flag from county hall despite public protest. Given the ever-growing threats of Russian aggression, what steps is the UK taking to strengthen its anti-submarine warfare capabilities?”
“Growing our relationship with China could boost our motor manufacturing industry. The Prime Minister will know only too well that small businesses in this sector are the engine of economic growth in my constituency and right across the west midlands. Can he set out how his visit will help small businesses in North Warwickshire and Bedworth?”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that the armed forces covenant is so important across all our local authority services? If so, does he share my surprise that no colleagues from the turquoise brigade on the Opposition Benches can even be bothered to come into the Chamber and listen to this evening’s debate?”
“I also want to see this legislation protecting our armed forces in their role combating terrorism at home and abroad. The first duty of any Government is to keep their citizens safe. Today, the threats we face are growing closer and closer to home. We have seen Russia’s illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine, and we have seen the rules-based international order fracture and strain. In response, we have to strengthen our armed forces and ensure that we are prepared for an era of ever increasing threat. Finally we have a Government who are standing side by side with our armed forces through real, tangible measures, backing our armed forces, supporting their families, treating them with dignity and respect, giving them choices and ensuring that our nation’s security is fit for the future.”
“They deserve confidence in a service justice system that stands with them and that supports victims and delivers justice. That is why the Government are ensuring that the service justice system can better protect those who experience the most serious offences. It will give the military police enhanced powers to investigate wrongdoing, provide service courts with stronger tools to hold perpetrators to account and, crucially, improve the experience of victims as they navigate the justice process. I am proud to stand behind this Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls, and this Bill will help us in that mission, because it includes a comprehensive set of measures to protect those at risk of violent behaviour, domestic abuse, stalking and sexual abuse and harassment.”
“Through this Bill, we are delivering on that promise. The armed forces covenant promises to deliver fairness for serving personnel, veterans, families and the bereaved, and for the first time, this Government will extend the covenant across social care, employment support and other public services, placing a legal duty on them to consider the unique circumstances faced by forces personnel and their families. It will deliver better support for tens of thousands of service personnel and veterans across the country. As part of improving that help, I am proud to have supported Op Valour, which is extending more support for veterans and their families in my constituency. All those who serve our country must be able to do so with dignity and respect.”
“This decision cost taxpayers billions and left too many service personnel and their families living in substandard conditions. Between 2018 and 2023, military families lodged almost 53,000 complaints about their housing. By 2023, satisfaction with service family accommodation had fallen to the lowest level on record, with only one in five service personnel satisfied with the repairs and maintenance carried out. This Labour Government have started to turn the tide. We have brought 36,000 forces family homes back into public ownership, saving over £200 million a year in rent payments. These savings are already being invested in fixing and improving military housing, but we need to do so much more. In the run-up to the election in 2024, we promised to extend the armed forces covenant to every area of Government.”
“Bedworth in my constituency hosts the largest armistice parade in Britain. It is truly the town that never forgets. Today I want to pay tribute to all the veterans across North Warwickshire and Bedworth, especially those who lost their lives in Afghanistan, including Sergeant Simon Valentine. When I speak to people across my constituency, they tell me that they are proud of their armed forces. Just last week I met a constituent on a visit to Parliament who proudly told me about his time serving in the RAF. At a time of growing international turbulence, we need more people who look to our armed forces with national pride and who can see a future for themselves in our armed forces. For too long, those opportunities were undermined by years of under-investment by the Conservatives. In 1996, the Conservative party privatised military housing.”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that given that Reform is in control of more than 10 county councils up and down the country, which will be responsible for implementing the armed forces covenant in areas such as education and social welfare, the inability of its Members to show up today is shameful?”
“Might I recommend that the hon. Lady’s husband regularly run parkrun with the Minister? It may get him up to a level of fitness nearing the Minister’s.”
“My hon. Friend is a fantastic advocate for animals and for the people in her constituency, and I am grateful that she secured this debate. I want to thank all my constituents who have written to me to advocate for animals. We are clearly a nation of animal lovers. Last year, I wrote to the Government to request a ban on barbaric electric-shock collars and to raise concerns about the Warwickshire hunt and the damage it does to local wildlife. Does my hon. Friend agree that the animal welfare strategy will tackle those concerns, and that we must do all we can to protect our precious animals?”
“The latest interest rate cut—the sixth since Labour formed this Government—is great news for mortgage holders in Wales, North Warwickshire and Bedworth and across the UK, bringing down the cost of family mortgages by almost £1,400 a year. Will the Secretary of State update the House on how this Government’s policies are helping to strengthen our economy and improve the cost of living as a result?”
“I thank my hon. Friend for securing this really important debate. Last year, a number of constituents contacted me because they were similarly concerned that Coventry and Warwickshire ICB decided to pause new ADHD referrals for those 25 and over so that it could prioritise children on its waiting list, which was at a really critical point. I recently met the chief executive of the ICB, who confirmed that referrals for adults will restart in May. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must get the balance right so that children and adults with ADHD get the diagnosis and support that they so desperately need?”
“Financial mismanagement by the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership trust has led to disputes with the National Education Union and, currently, strikes, which is disrupting the learning of students across the west midlands, including at the Coleshill school and Curdworth primary school in my constituency. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that academy trusts are well managed and build positive relationships with staff so that students and parents do not have to endure this disruption again?”
“I thank the Secretary of State for standing up for women and children with conviction and dedication, and with no ifs, no buts. I share that dedication. As a member of the Women and Equalities Committee, I supported our inquiry into non-consensual intimate image abuse. Witnesses told us that one of the most damaging aspects of that form of abuse was the length of time the images remained on those platforms. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that all these images and deepfakes are removed from the internet as quickly as possible?”
“T9. Constituents who responded to my commuter survey made it clear that the rail service from Coleshill and Water Orton to Birmingham is just not good enough. I called for CrossCountry to reinstate its 7.35 train from Water Orton and to introduce a new later service, and I am delighted that this has been done, but overcrowding is still a problem. Does the Minister agree that urgent action must be taken to improve the capacity of the route so that my constituents can travel to and from Birmingham reliably and comfortably?”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for taking pity on my throat. I recently held a public meeting about road safety in Polesworth, where there have been reports of illegal street racing. Constituents shared with me their concerns about the illegal number plates used by criminals to get away with dangerous driving. That is why I strongly support the Government’s strategy, which will introduce tougher checks to ensure that number plates can be read by cameras and to crack down on the use of ghost plates. Will the Minister outline what support my local police force in Warwickshire will receive to crack down on criminal street racing and the use of illegal number plates?”
“It is unacceptable that patients and their families must tackle medicine shortages on top of battling cancer. I truly believe that this Government’s 10-year health plan will support patients fighting less survivable cancers by ensuring that they have access to new treatments and technologies that can diagnose cancer earlier. We must ensure that these cancers are detected sooner and treated more effectively, so that fewer families endure the heartbreak of supporting a loved one with a less survivable cancer. Also, as the Minister has done so well, we must continue to speak out so that people become more aware of symptoms early and seek help and diagnosis. In my remaining seconds, I pay tribute to my local hospice, the Mary Ann Evans hospice, which provides care at home for many people across my constituency and neighbouring constituencies.”
“She died just three months later, only three days after my constituent’s son was born. My constituent told me that she feels her son was robbed of a grandma. Similarly, Jacqui wrote to tell me about the close friend she lost to pancreatic cancer and the profound effect it has had on her. Tracey, Irene and Janice also wrote to tell me about the loved ones they have tragically lost, and to advocate for better research and treatment for this cruel cancer. Each story is different, but every constituent who has written to me about pancreatic cancer has called for improved screening, earlier diagnosis and greater investment in research. Kelly and Jennifer both wrote to me while a loved one was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer and was forced to deal with shortages of the medication they desperately needed.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) for securing this debate. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) for all the valuable work she does in this space, and to everyone who has shared very personal stories today, particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Patrick Hurley). Pancreatic cancer is one of the least survivable cancers. Sadly, a number of constituents have written to me about the devastating impact this disease has had on their lives. One lost her stepmother to pancreatic cancer. For months, her stepmother’s symptoms were repeatedly misdiagnosed—she was even sent home from A&E on several occasions with painkillers or antibiotics—before she was finally diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.”
“Many pupils have returned to cold school classrooms this week. That is why I am delighted that Kingsbury school, St Michael’s Church of England academy and All Saints Church of England academy in Bedworth, and Ash Green school, have all received funding to install solar panels. Will the Minister outline what support those schools will receive to install the panels, and how the panels will help them to cut their energy bills?”
“A merry Christmas to you and all your staff, Mr Speaker. In the summer I visited Boultbees farm in Baxterley in my constituency, where I met Andrew and his team. Like all farmers who grow sugar beet, they are obliged to sell it to British Sugar, as the sole processor of British sugar beet in the UK. Common market organisation regulation exists to ensure fair negotiations on price, but British Sugar has sought to circumvent it. What are the Government doing to strengthen protections for farmers like Andrew to ensure that they get a fair deal in the combinable crops sector?”
“For any victim of rape or sexual assault, to wait years for justice to be delivered is horrific. The mental toll on victims, who are unable to see their perpetrators have their day in court, is unimaginable. It is a stain on our justice system. Will the Solicitor General confirm that victims will be kept at the heart of our justice system, and that this Government will deliver timely justice for victims of rape and serious sexual assault?”
“My constituent Bryan Griffiths tells me that trail hunting in Warwickshire is often a smokescreen for illegal hunting, with devastating consequences for livestock. When will the Government start the consultation on the future of trail hunting?”
“A very merry Christmas to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My constituent Sam is a fibre engineer. He spends his days climbing ladders, fixing lamp posts and repairing wi-fi for people across north Warwickshire. He has glycogen storage disease type Ia, which is a very rare liver disorder. Despite his GP and hospital consultant telling him that he should have a blood monitor to check his blood sugar levels, Coventry and Warwickshire integrated care board has refused to fund it. Sam has to pay for it himself, at a cost of £100 every month, so that he can continue working. Will the Leader of the House refer my constituent’s case to the Department of Health and Social Care, and enable a debate in Government time on NHS support for people living with rare conditions?”
“I thank my right hon. Friend for the care and sensitivity he has taken to this subject all along. It has been an undeniably difficult year for transgender people in Britain. I have spoken to young trans people who have been pushed to the brink of suicide by what they hear—that they do not have a right to exist, that they do not deserve rights, that they are legitimate targets for ridicule. We all in this House have a responsibility to lower the temperature and focus on their welfare, health and dignity. King’s College operates the highest standards of safety. Does the Secretary of State agree that its expertise and rigour will support the wellbeing of participants and ensure that we get the robust evidence we need and that vulnerable children are no longer treated as political punchbags?”
“There are no adult gender services in Birmingham, let alone in my constituency of North Warwickshire and Bedworth, meaning that she would have to travel to Nottingham for treatment. She is stuck on a waiting list with no idea when she will finally receive care. Because she cannot get NHS support, she is taking hormone replacement therapy on a private prescription and is understandably anxious about dosage and the lack of monitoring or regulation. She is not alone.”
“Rowling, and certainly not whatever bile is being pushed out by transphobic trolls on social media. This is about real people’s lives. Earlier this year, my constituent, a trans woman, came to my surgery to share her experience of accessing healthcare locally. At her GP practice, she was told that she could not use the women’s toilets and must use the men’s instead, and she was repeatedly misgendered by staff. She faced difficulties simply getting her preferred name recorded correctly. On one occasion she was even told that she could not wait in the waiting room because she “scared other patients.” My constituent is also struggling to access the gender-affirming care that she needs.”
“I beg to move, That this House has considered the provision of healthcare for transgender people. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. This debate is about healthcare for trans adults. I know that a lot has been said in this House in recent weeks about care for young people questioning their gender identity, and particularly about the recent announcement of a trial of puberty blockers. I do not wish to repeat that debate here, other than to say that I welcome the fact that the trial is going ahead to ensure we can get the evidence that we need. I want to begin with the experience of one of my constituents, because this debate must be about real people, not headlines in The Times or the Daily Mail , not culture war soundbites, not the opinions of Donald Trump or J. K.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for sharing that experience. It reflects the reality for many trans young people and adults in the UK: discrimination from healthcare professionals, waiting lists stretching over years, a complete lack of local provision and a reliance on less well-regulated private providers. That is the state of healthcare for trans people in Britain today. It is woeful and inadequate, and it is letting people down. The consequences are serious. Almost one in four transgender people avoid going to the doctor altogether for fear of mistreatment. They delay cancer screenings and push aside chronic pain, and their health outcomes worsen as a result.”
“As I welcome services for trans people, I also welcome services for those people who do not feel happy in the gender that they have acquired. That is only right, but we have to get all those services right. Trans people are now seeing their health outcomes worsen. Waiting times for gender-affirming healthcare are nothing short of a national scandal. Across the UK as of March 2025, more than 48,000 trans adults remained on waiting lists for that care. We rightly debate NHS waiting lists in this place: a year for a hip replacement; months for cancer screening. Nobody finds those waits acceptable, but freedom of information requests reveal that the average wait for gender services is 12 years in England, two years in Wales, 41 years in Northern Ireland and a staggering 58 years in Scotland.”
“To echo the findings of the Trevor Project’s 2024 report, LGBTQ+ young people’s suicides are preventable. Prevention means tackling discrimination, hostility and unaccepting environments. Safe, supportive, affirming care saves lives. One trans adult told the LGBT Foundation: “The only effective treatment for gender dysphoria is transition and leaving this untreated is killing people.””
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Trans people are fearing for their lives in my constituency, in his constituency and in many others up and down this country. Let us imagine being told that the wait for a hip replacement or a cancer check was 224 years—it just would not happen. Some Members in this House might not want to hear it, but the reason that the NHS provides gender-affirming treatments—hormones, surgeries, and mental health and social support—is because they are proven to improve mental health, reduce gender dysphoria and significantly reduce depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Doing nothing is not a neutral act—doing nothing allows suffering to grow. The Women and Equalities Committee heard that directly earlier this year.”
“I will make some progress, if I may. I am part-way through something that a trans person said, so it is not an appropriate time to intervene. They went on to say: “I have personally used alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and self-harm to survive the last year and a half since referral and I have now been told I will have to wait several more months because of the backlog.””
“To all those in this room who used to say warm things about trans people back when it was popular to do so but who decided when the wind changed that they would blow in the other direction, and to the Conservatives who in 2018 introduced an LGBT action plan promising trans equality but who now are quite happy to laugh along with cruel mocking jokes about trans people in front of the mother of a murdered trans teenager, we see you, and much like history condemns section 28, history will condemn you too. Meet trans people, talk to them, understand what they are going through and believe them, then we can all stop fighting our toxic culture wars and get back to doing what we as lawmakers are elected to do: make things better for every single one of our constituents—not some of them, all of them.”
“To all those in this room and in this House who are totally convinced that trans people are not real, that they are making it up, that it is TikTok, Reddit or foreign TV that has turned them trans, that somehow this is some kind of new phenomenon, let me assure you all that I have had trans friends for as long as I have been out. Trans people have always and will always exist.”
“I got into politics to fight that cruel law and everything that it represented. I am a gay woman who grew up in the ’80s, so I know what it feels like to be told, “It’s just a phase. Maybe you’ll grow out of it. Maybe it’s not really who you are. Maybe there’s just something wrong with you,” so believe me when I say that I have heard it all before. LGBT people have heard this all before. We know what bigotry is when we see it, and we know that bigotry is back. Let us make no mistake: the people who are organising against trans people now are no different from the people who campaigned for section 28. They want to present parts of our movement as a danger to society and push them to the margins. I will never let that happen.”
“Will the Minister commit to mandatory training for clinicians on the respectful and appropriate treatment of trans patients? Will the Government commit to significant sustained investment in trans healthcare, with reducing waiting lists and expanding local provision as urgent priorities? We must build a healthcare system rooted in science, not stigma, and in compassion, not fear. We must decide whether we want to be a society that listens to people, supports them and gives them the tools to thrive. There is one final point I would like to make. Those who know me will know that I first got involved in politics in the 1980s when Thatcher was introducing section 28. That policy was intended to make people like me feel shame about who we were, and to reverse the progress that previous generations had fought for.”
“That review seeks to identify the barriers to healthcare for all LGBT+ people, from examining the poor treatment of lesbian couples seeking IVF treatment to looking at insufficient mental health support for LGBT+ people. The review is highly anticipated by the whole community. Therefore, I ask the Minister: is Dr Brady’s review still due to conclude in January 2026, and when can the public and parliamentarians expect to see it? Although I applaud the Government’s work to improve healthcare for transgender adults, I know that reviews alone will not fix the problem. We need to know that these reviews will be followed by action. I know that getting this right matters to the Government, so I ask the Minister: what steps will the Government take to reduce discrimination and transphobia in healthcare settings?”
“I applaud its commitment to ensuring that all prevention efforts target underserved populations, including trans people. The Government pledged in their manifesto to ensure that trans people receive the healthcare and support they need. I welcome the review being led by Dr David Levy into adult gender services, and I hope it will bring forward strong recommendations to cut waiting lists, expand access and deliver timely, appropriate and sensitive care. I know that trans people and LGBT organisations have been awaiting its publication, so I ask the Minister: when can we expect Dr Levy’s review to be published? In April 2025, the Secretary of State also commissioned NHS England to undertake an LGBT+ health evidence review.”