Mr Luke Charters
MP for York Outer · Labour · United Kingdom
“When someone says, “It’s gone reyt,” you know it has gone properly well. Many of these words carry real history: “laiking”, “beck” and “fells” are all rooted in Old Norse. Long before Westminster caught up with the north, we were already shaping a language of our own.”
“Research shows that nearly a third of university students have been mocked because of their accent, and almost half of workers say that they face jokes or jibes about the way that they speak in workplace settings—including me, in my experience at the Bank of England. I felt it when I started doing national media as an MP, too.”
“Like many colleagues here today, I was not elected because I sounded polished; I was elected through hard graft and to represent the people who sent me here. I have done my best, though, to get a few Yorkshire phrases into Hansard , because that is how my constituents speak.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) on securing today’s debate.”
“I really appreciate that, and those producers know who they are. I am especially grateful to broadcasters such as Matt Chorley, who is helping to challenge some of the assumptions in national broadcasting and to get regional accents on air.”
“I do not want my two boys, Robin and Louis, to grow up believing that if they want to pass an interview or land a graduate job, the first thing that they have to do is to change how they speak. When a young person starts believing that they have to hide or change their accent, it chips away at their confidence.”
The complete record
Every one of 414 lines we hold for Mr Luke Charters, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 9.
“I wanted to come in on the right hon. Member’s point about inflation. I am sure that he will welcome a Budget that reduces inflation. If he looks at the Blue Book— [ Interruption. ] Hang on a minute. Look at the Blue Book. It says: “Government policy measures announced since March are expected to decrease inflation by 0.3 percentage points”. Does he welcome that, or is he staying silent on fiscal measures that reduce inflation?”
“Away tickets cost £45 at championship Coventry and £30 at league one Mansfield Town. Even some national league games are getting close to £30 for York City fans, when premiership clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and United all have a £30 cap. Does the Secretary of State support extending an away ticket cap across all leagues as a ceiling, not a target?”
“Last week, I held a survey of my constituents on bus services. I got a great response, but one response stayed with me. My constituent said that the No. 11 bus—the only route to the crematorium—does not run on Sundays, meaning that they cannot visit loved ones on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, the days that hurt most. Reading that put a real lump in my throat. No one should be stopped from remembering those they have lost because of a bus not running, so I have written to the operator, but will the Minister join me in arguing that this is the sort of practical, kind change we need to make across the country?”
“Q9. On International Men’s Day, and in the spirit of Movember, I want to be open about my own past mental health challenges, in the hope that it might encourage other men to do the same. During the traumatic birth of my first son I nearly lost my wife, and a dark cloud settled over me—a cloud that lifted through conversation and support, and through the safe arrival of my second son. Bright days lie ahead. In the Public Gallery today is Mike from Menfulness, a fantastic charity in York giving men a place to talk. Will the Prime Minister, as a dad himself, agree that strength as a man means being open about our emotions, and that we should never face challenges on our own?”
“Joshua Mullinger is an able cadet in the sea cadets in York, who played an integral role in the York service of remembrance, and Conservative councillor and Lord Mayor Martin Rowley is a veteran. Will the Minister join me in commemorating the work of those very remarkable individuals?”
“Will my right hon. Friend join me in recognising the benefit to the labour market of the roll-out of 30 hours of free childcare? I met a single mum in my constituency who is taking on more hours to support her family. That will help her children get out of poverty, thanks to this Government’s efforts.”
“First, I congratulate the hon. Member, because I think his audience here in the Chamber is bigger than his party leader’s for her speech on welfare earlier today. Could he look back to his party’s record in government when it comes to the NHS? As the intelligent man I think he is—I consider him a friend—does he agree that larger NHS waiting lists, which his party left, increase the benefit bill? Does he agree with that easy-to-accept premise?”
“T8. I welcome the new package of sanctions on Russian financial institutions. Does the Minister agree that we should stand ready to expand that package to stop Russian financial institutions financing Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine?”
“Let me talk about our Government’s dispersal strategy, because dispersal accommodation is more cost-effective, and I hope that we can all agree on the central premise that dispersal accommodation is also more appropriate for asylum-seeking families and children.”
“Even today, we find that many families are confined to small living spaces where the bed serves as the bedroom, living room, dining area and study space all at once. These are children in British primary schools. I know personally of a case in which an asylum-seeking child did not have the space to store her disability equipment, and I have heard of toddlers who have insufficient room to crawl, use a highchair or go on their potty. These children have fled war-torn countries. Is it their fault that they are seeking asylum? Absolutely not. Do they deserve to live in unsuitable accommodation through no fault of their own? Absolutely not. Let us think back to the performative cruelty of a certain Minister in the last Government who ordered the painting over of child asylum unit murals. That is who they are.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. We need to close the hotels, but as a Labour MP I will make the progressive and moral case for doing so. Let me first talk about the current law. There is a very helpful House of Commons Library report setting out the law: the Home Office must provide accommodation that is adequate for people’s needs. As a parent, I will say why we must have concern for the living conditions of children in asylum accommodation. In my view, hotels are not suitable living environments for asylum-seeking children and their families for longer-term stays. Let us think about what we are talking about here—children sleeping while cockroaches scuttle by and rats run next to their faces. That happened in this country under the last Government.”
“I know the hon. Member will therefore welcome the Government’s plan to end the use of asylum hotels. I hope he will join me in accepting the premise that dispersal accommodation, where it is more stable and more community based, is more suitable for children than the hotel that he speaks of in his constituency. Closing the hotels is a progressive responsibility, but let me be clear about what the Government have already achieved. They have brought down the number of asylum hotels, from over 400 to about 210 now, and have reduced the number of people in hotels—”
“Let me just finish. At its worst under the Tories, the system cost the taxpayer £9 million a day, which has already been cut to £5.5 million a day. That is not a gimmick; it is delivery. Let me talk about the scandal of profiteering, however, because the public are paying the price while private hotel companies and contractors profit. I will be blunt: £180 million in profit was made by one hotel company where toilet roll was rationed, asylum seekers were fed inedible expired food, and families and children lived with cockroaches, rodents, damp and mould. That is absolutely disgusting—it is a disgrace, frankly, that under the last Government taxpayer money was funding such hotels. It is absolutely right that we work to close them by 2029.”
“We are overhauling the appeals system and introducing a new independent body with trained adjudicators, to cut the waiting times back from 54 weeks to a statutory 24 weeks. We are reducing the asylum backlog, and we are committing, of course, to ending asylum hotels by 2029. People are frustrated. My constituents are frustrated. I get it. They should be angry about the reprehensible conditions that so many children are being forced to live in. We must ensure that there is suitable accommodation for asylum-seeking families with children. We are a kind, decent and compassionate country that wants to look after people who genuinely need help, but we do not want to line the pockets of hotel companies and other contractors in doing so when the conditions are unfair. We are closing the hotels, with a serious plan. This is who we are.”
“Britain has also welcomed figures such as Lord Alf Dubs, a Kindertransport child who became a prominent MP in this place; Dua Lipa, whose family fled conflict in the Balkans; Nobel laureate Sigmund Freud, whose ideas changed the world, and so many others. We are a tolerant and inclusive country that welcomes refugee families who are genuinely fleeing war and trauma, but we cannot go on as we are. There is a compassionate and progressive reason why hotels must be closed, so we must look with urgency to more suitable solutions, particularly for asylum-seeking children. We are closing the hotels, not with slogans but with common sense and a serious plan that is grounded in compassion.”
“Britain’s tradition of welcoming and protecting refugees is deeply rooted in our history, from sheltering Belgian refugees in world war one to rescuing Jewish children through the Kindertransport and supporting Hungarians escaping Soviet oppression. More recently, in modern times, we have stood with Ukrainians fleeing war, through bespoke visa schemes. That commitment embodies the very best of British values, reflecting our openness and humanity in times of crisis. Among those who found safety here was Freddie Mercury, a refugee from Zanzibar whose extraordinary talent transformed global music.”
“As someone who has visited the Falklands and other overseas territories, I find that suggestion deeply troubling and unrealistic. When she rises to speak, hopefully she will give some assurance that Reform UK will rule out using the Falkland Islands in its asylum plans. Reform UK proposes to deport 600,000 people over five years and to abolish indefinite leave to remain. Sadly, I believe that the latter idea is currying favour on the Opposition Benches, but the idea of abolishing ILR and tearing families apart is not policy; it is performative cruelty. Those proposals are fantasies that would rip this country apart, as the Prime Minister has rightly said. We are a country proud of its compassion towards refugee children through the ages.”
“That is not who we are; it is not what Britain should ever stand for. That is why I am proud that the Government are committing to making that stop, and that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is going to fix it. Through the Government’s new dispersal strategy, we will see those hotels being closed, and much more suitable dispersal accommodation for asylum-seeking children and their families will be made available. I must come on to Reform UK, which shouts from the sidelines. We have not yet heard from the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin) about the few ideas that Reform is proposing, but perhaps she will address one issue in her speech. When we interrogate Reform UK’s plans, we find that they talk about using the British overseas territories.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right that companies should be transparent about those things, not only on a contractual basis with the Government but on a moral basis. We are a country of great compassion, and where contractors are profiteering from asylum accommodation for children, they have to learn to embody the value of compassion that we have in this great country. Many charities have raised the issue of children living in such terrible conditions. Let me say, as a former member of the Public Accounts Committee, that the situation also represents terrible value for money for the taxpayer. The National Audit Office found that since 2019, the three main accommodation providers have made nearly £400 million from asylum contracts—they are profiting from those terrible conditions.”
“Reform UK has mooted the idea of using British overseas territories as part of its asylum processing plans. Would the hon. Lady use this occasion to rule out any asylum processing ever taking place in the Falklands or Gibraltar as part of Reform UK’s policies?”
“These plans could act as a bold bridge to continental prosperity. As the MP for York Outer, I know that by running 50 services a week from Leeds to Europe we could bring in 2 million passenger journeys annually. That would supercharge the tourism economy in the north. While Reform would cut Britain off from Europe, the ideas we are talking about today could offer our regions a connected path to renewed prosperity and a gateway to new jobs and thriving towns. Never forget that Labour developed High Speed 1, Crossrail and Heathrow terminal 5—projects that transformed Britain. Today, it is Labour MPs who are proposing similar ideas again. It is over to the rail operators to engage with all of us, which I hope they can. Together, we can set the wheels turning on a new chapter of British connectivity and transport innovation.”
“Leeds is one of the few cities without one, but that is soon to change thanks to Mayor Tracy Brabin’s trams. That would be an anchor for my humble but bold idea: in 10 or 20 years to have a Leeds to Lille service taking just three and a half hours. York would offer additional capacity to support connections, meaning that villages like Poppleton in my constituency could be five hours from Paris by rail. I want my new-born son Louis—just a few months old now—to grow up in a country that dares to dream big again. A country where, in 20 years, I could take him to Leeds station, stand on a new international platform and wave him off as he sets off for Europe—maybe to study, maybe to chase a dream, but carrying with him the confidence of a nation that believes in building again. For too long, the north has been forgotten.”
“They called it an engineering fantasy, yet 30 years on it is a vital link that has transformed trade and travel. Are we to embrace ambition or defeatism for our country? Under the Tories, Britain lost its imagination—14 years of incompetence; broken promises; failed infrastructure. We saw Network North’s non-delivery and HS2’s eye-watering costs—and Reform wants to scrap the lot. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport has talked of an exciting ambition to link us up with Germany, which is brilliant—that is the leadership we get with a Labour Government. However, it would be great to see rail operators considering the push to parts of the country other than London, whether that is Kent or Yorkshire. Labour Together and JP Spencer have been talking about mass transit networks across the UK and Europe.”
“This is not just about faster journeys; it is about unlocking economic potential—maybe even 10 years from now. I wrote to Eurostar about that, and I am very disappointed that they were not up for it. There was no foresight about the future spec of their rolling stock—more Eurostasis than Eurostar. This week I am engaging with other rail operators and writing to them: Virgin Group, Uber-Gemini trains and Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, which I am sure Members will acknowledge is bellissimo in my Yorkshire accent. I have asked them to consider what I call the Leeds to Lille route, because if Eurostar do not do it, maybe another operator will step up to the plate. I am sick of people writing things off as unfeasible or impossible. People said the channel tunnel could never be built.”
“I welcome recent research from the Good Growth Foundation on the potential of reopening Ashford’s international terminal for unlocking economic opportunity in the south-east, but you will not be surprised to hear, Sir Desmond, that as a proud Yorkshireman I would like my county in this conversation too. I believe it is time to reimagine the future of rail, where we connect Yorkshire directly with the continent, and York and Leeds act as central hubs in a new European rail corridor. As part of that vision, I propose transformation of the disused High Speed 2 land near Leeds station. That site could one day become a dedicated European train terminal. York, with its rich rail heritage and scalable infrastructure, would then serve as a vital secondary node.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) for securing this debate. I praise the ambition she has for her region, just as I have for mine. It is great to see my hon. Friend the Minister in his place. He is a good Yorkshire colleague, who I know will absolutely be interested in the ideas I have for our region. There is growing interest in international rail in this country, with Eurostar exploring direct services to Geneva and Frankfurt and other operators looking to expand in the UK.”
“The horrific terrorist attack at Heaton Park follows a decade during which antisemitism has increased nearly every year, and the CST has confirmed that antisemitism is increasing on university campuses. In York we have two fantastic universities where antisemitism has no place. Will my right hon. Friend commit to working with the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that universities across the country have all they need to root out antisemitism for good?”
“I thank my hon. Friend for making such a moving speech; she is an inspirational mum, raising awareness of this. If she will allow, I will raise the case of Hayley Patrick-Copeland, a bereaved mum who has been raising awareness of baby loss and putting in place support for bereaved parents. If I may, I will also put on the record in this place, for centuries to come, the names of her children, Alya and Aleah, whom she lost. Will my hon. Friend join me in remembering them, and in commending Hayley for her inspirational work, just like my hon. Friend’s, raising awareness of baby loss?”
“Today’s blockbuster strategy completely rewires many of the institutions at the heart of our defence financing: the National Wealth Fund, the British Business Bank and UK Export Finance. With the news that the Chinese bond market may now be open to Russian defence companies, does my hon. Friend agree that we need to keep innovating and keep evolving how we do defence financing to support our own industrial base?”
“British passenger railway turns 200 this month, so let us give it the proper birthday present it deserves: European rail in the north. Can we have a debate on using disused High Speed 2 land for a Leeds to Lille line, which could transform the visitor economies in Leeds, Manchester, York and beyond?”
““Paw Patrol” lunchbox in hand, my son Robin started at a new preschool yesterday, and I can tell the House that I am so proud of him. Will my hon. Friend join me in thanking the staff at York’s preschools and nurseries for their work in expanding free childcare?”
“Whether it is wheelchair users in Wheldrake, children walking to school in Skelton or Mrs Charters pushing baby Louis, does the hon. Lady agree that pavement parking pushes vulnerable road users on to the roads? Does she also agree that we need to look at local councils fining those persistent pavement parking polluters?”
“I share my hon. Friend’s discombobulation. I had a career in countering financial crime before entering this place. Shell companies are rampant, and Companies House needs these powers. Ultimately, when it comes to fraudulent claims against the public purse, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and others across the public realm are all dependent on Companies House reform. Director identity verification is necessary and proportionate, and as my hon. Friend said, it is discombobulating that the Opposition oppose it.”
“T7. It is great to be back after taking paternity leave, and thank you for your support, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Government’s parental leave review, but currently partners only get unpaid time off work for two antenatal appointments. Does my hon. Friend agree that this is a gap, and can he confirm that the review is looking at how we can better support parents at that crucial time?”
“To secure peace in the long term for Ukraine we need to support its defence industrial base and therefore the financial sector that underpins it, but I am concerned that UK Export Finance red tape could be limiting UK-Ukraine defence partnerships. I also believe that we could launch new joint defence innovation funds. Will my right hon. Friend carefully consider these ideas and work with me to discuss how we can support Ukraine’s defence financing system?”
“I praise the Prime Minister for his work on the new 5% target and on ensuring that we reach it for our national security and core defence. Does he agree that just as the Labour Government in the 1940s helped to found NATO, this Labour Government could help found a multilateral defence development bank that would ensure that we reach 5% by the mid-2030s?”
“Up north, we are chuffed about the record investment in the trans-Pennine route, and chuffed about Northern Powerhouse Rail. Will my hon. Friend back my calls for better train wi-fi, so that our constituents can check their emails speedily, and my little boy Robin can stream “Paw Patrol”?”
“Having spent my career before entering this place tackling fraud, I recognise the scale of the challenge, so I commend the Secretary of State for her leadership, with the biggest ever crackdown on benefit fraud. Given the success of whistleblower reward schemes in tax and financial crime, does my hon. Friend agree with me that there is merit in exploring similar schemes to uncover organised fraud in the benefits system, so that more funds can be recovered to support those who genuinely need support: our constituents?”
“My hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Alex Baker) and I have published a report highlighting the persistent scale-up gap for defence SMEs. I welcome the increase in funds for NSSIF—the national security strategic investment fund—but red tape is holding back investment in British single-use military technology, so will my right hon. Friend look at clearing up some of that red tape in order to supercharge investment in British defence SMEs?”
“May I celebrate my wonderful hon. Friend for his role in founding Basildon Pride? Will he join me in commending York Pride and its 17,000 visitors for celebrating the wonderful LGBTQ+ community that we have in York? Will he also join me in condemning any abuse, harassment or intimidation—at any Pride event—that is driven by who someone is, who they love or what they believe?”
“Through my work on the Public Accounts Committee, I have seen just how severe the public estate maintenance backlog has become. In fact, the Conservatives had their heads so deep in the sand on building maintenance that I am surprised they did not apply for planning permission. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that York’s public buildings will benefit from the £9 billion maintenance fund that he has announced?”
“On the Public Accounts Committee, I asked HS2 bosses what I thought was a relatively simple question: how much are they spending on newt mitigation? However, they could not give an answer. Similarly, I can confirm to the House that I have information suggesting that the cost of the so-called bat tunnel is well north of the purported £100 million. I commend the Secretary of State for the leadership that she has shown today. Will she hold HS2 accountable for some of these bat-shed crazy costs?”
“My hon. Friend is a champion for the grafters of this country, who are fed up with having the tools of their trade nicked. Does she agree that the action and sentencing changes that she is asking for must apply to the tools of any trade, be they the GPS on tractors, which we have heard about, or the tools that were nicked from my barber’s? Does she agree that we must look at sentencing for theft of the tools of any trade?”
“Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That Mr Luke Charters, Adam Jogee, David Williams, Alex Baker, David Burton-Sampson, Amanda Martin, Callum Anderson, Lee Pitcher, Mike Reader, Alison Hume, Euan Stainbank and Dr Allison Gardner present the Bill. Mr Luke Charters accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 13 June, and to be printed (Bill 249).”
“Statutory regulation would enable it to be even firmer and to drive up standards, so it is time for the Government to fix the regulation in the enforcement sector. I do not want anyone in this country to have to worry about losing their disability equipment or their children’s toys. No one should ever have to face the same hardship. Fourteen years of Conservative Government saw only a few, although welcome, tweaks to the law. That has to change. The Labour party is built on principles of social justice, equality and fairness. That is why we need to bring bailiff regulation on to a statutory footing, changing the lives of millions of people in the process. For Michael and Adam, and in honour of all that they and countless others have endured, let us bring in statutory regulation of the debt and civil enforcement sectors once and for all.”
“When rules allow such passive, cruel indifference to people in crisis, it is not about one bailiff in one moment: it is about the sort of society we want to be. Adam had Government-funded equipment for his disability—a specially adapted device—but again the bailiff said that he did not care and would take it anyway. Adam contacted StepChange. Its advisers helped him to come up with a payment plan, which the bailiffs wrongfully refused. He became genuinely terrified of being at home on his own. Adam has made progress with his debts, and I welcomed him to Parliament last week alongside Michael. Both cases are littered with dozens of examples of unregulated rogue bailiff activity. The ECB does a good job, but many bailiffs are not in its perimeter.”
“I also recently met Adam, who got into debt through falling behind on council tax and card repayments after losing an agency job and struggling to find new work. His experience, like many others, began with letters and ended with visits to his home. As is often the case with rogue bailiffs, the visits were aggressive and intimidating. One forced his foot in the door, threatening to come in, which breaks virtually every rule in the book. Adam told me it was like “someone was trying to boot down the door”. He immediately told the bailiff that he had a disability and was classed as vulnerable. The bailiff said that he did not care and would take away Adam’s belongings regardless. A bailiff saying that he did not care? What cruelty! The enforcement system is broken and punishes those who are already struggling.”
“What should have been a proud and exciting moment in his life became one of immense stress and fear—fear that the bailiffs, given that they had nothing else left to take, might seize his baby daughter’s toys, her changing table or even her cot. As a father, I could sense the deeply personal pain behind that fear—the heartbreak of possibly failing her in the one way he still felt he could provide. Michael went from being a homeowner with a near perfect credit score to nearly losing everything. I am pleased to say that he is back on his feet, and although he is still paying the debt off he is hoping to clear it soon. He is doing well. I took him out on to the Terrace last week in the sunshine, and we reflected on how unfair bailiff practices had added to his hardship.”
“During this time he received a letter demanding a full year’s council tax to be paid at once—by the way, we must end that punitive rule that is triggered when someone misses just one council tax payment. I am grateful to Martin Lewis for campaigning on that, and I welcome the Government’s consultation too. Returning to Michael’s story, bailiffs were sent to collect the council tax. He was at home, bedridden and unable to move. The bailiffs visited repeatedly but he could not hear their knocks or get out of bed. Despite that, they unfairly added extra charges to his debt for their visits. He was left without carpet and with a broken bed and a broken boiler. On top of all this, he was preparing to become a dad.”
“That is why the independent ECB was created in 2022 to voluntarily oversee the sector. According to Citizens Advice, one in three people who have had contact with a bailiff have experienced behaviour that breaks Ministry of Justice expectations, and even among the bailiffs that are regulated under its current scope, 1% of visits were deemed too aggressive by the ECB. That equates to hundreds if not thousands of visits a year. That is why we need a fair and proportionate debt collection system. I want to tell Members Michael’s story. He is an inspirational chap who I welcomed to Parliament last week. Michael’s story began with an horrific motorbike accident that completely upended his life. He sustained injuries that made him unable to walk or stand, and after a lengthy spell in hospital, getting by on sick pay alone, he lost his job.”