Tom Hayes
MP for Bournemouth East · Labour · United Kingdom
“I thank the Minister for that response. I want more funding for policing, as well as the fairer allocation of it, to tackle the issues blighting Bournemouth, whether illegal e-bike use or ketamine use. I thank the Minister for agreeing, in writing today, to meet constituents whose lives have been deeply affected by that drug.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I pay tribute to Sir David Bell for his review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. Unfortunately, Bournemouth has recently seen antisemitic incidents, and I want my constituents to know that I stand against that every single time, and we must root out that ancient evil in Bournemouth.”
House of Commons21 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“A new report by the Centre for Young Lives advocates putting health at the heart of every childhood, including putting Best Starts, Healthy Babies and remaining children’s centres on a statutory footing.”
House of Commons20 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“SOBO Beach is a brilliant business and a thriving community, but it is set to close. An 11th-hour U-turn this week saw Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council give SOBO Beach an 11-month delay to its inevitable closure, despite saying that such a move was impossible.”
House of Commons15 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Local residents and I are deeply concerned about the possible return of a convicted child sex offender to Townsend following his planned release. On Saturday I held a community meeting which was joined by the police and crime commissioner as well as representatives of Dorset police.”
House of Commons13 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Building on the intervention by the right hon. Member for Wetherby and Easingwold (Sir Alec Shelbrooke), is the issue not as simple as this: in recent years, although Presidents have called on European Union countries and Britain to spend more on defence, we have not done so because America would fund the defence of the western world?”
House of Commons15 July 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
The complete record
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“Is it any wonder that people feel pushed away from politics when Parliament did not speak to their priorities to any meaningful extent for nearly two decades? Is it any wonder that people feel disaffected with democracy when the last Government did not care enough about children to invest in their playgrounds? Children who sat GCSEs this year were not even alive the last time that Parliament seriously considered playground provision. We are talking about near adults whose formative years went unexamined at the very highest levels of the last Conservative Government. Children make up 20% of our population and 100% of our future, but we are not treating them that way as a country. As Play England’s Eugene Minogue says, “Let’s start with play.” This really matters. In 1925, Lloyd George called play “nature’s training for life”.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I beg to move, That this House has considered playgrounds in Bournemouth East constituency. Eight months ago, I stood just a few seats away from this spot to lead the first debate on playgrounds in eight years—the longest in 17 years. The previous debate, 17 years ago, saw the last Labour Government launch the first and only national play strategy, backed by £235 million of investment in children’s right to play. On behalf of my constituents, it is an honour to open this debate, my second, and to turn a spotlight specifically on my constituency, focusing exclusively on playgrounds in Bournemouth East. When Parliament has effectively ignored playgrounds in Bournemouth for 17 years, is it any wonder that they are rotting?”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The LEGO group, supported by the LEGO Foundation, launched “The Power of Play”, a report that looked into its project in Tower Hamlets, where poverty limits and denies access to play, as it does around the country.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is time to dust it off. This is unfinished business for Labour, and momentum is building now, as it was before the last play strategy and the multimillion-pound budget were announced. In June, I hosted the launch of Play England’s 10-year strategy, “It All Starts with Play!”, here in Parliament, and I also welcomed the Raising the Nation Play Commission’s final report, “Everything to Play For”, which called for a new national strategy, a statutory duty for councils and a cultural shift that places play at the heart of public life. Last week, a new all-party parliamentary group on play launched with a Minister in attendance. I am honoured to chair it. That followed, on the same day, a session on play by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Yesterday, I was pleased to sponsor and speak at a LEGO reception in Parliament.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I entirely agree; the hon. Gentleman pre-empts some of what I am about to say. Community infrastructure and accessible infrastructure are absolutely critical alongside playgrounds. The public voted for change last year, and we now happily have a different Government. The question is whether this Government will restore playgrounds for future generations. My first year as an MP has taught me how difficult it is to bring together Departments around the cross-cutting issue of play. We have a fantastic Minister, Baroness Taylor, who holds responsibility for play. To support her, this Parliament needs to agitate for a strategy with objectives and deadlines. That is my first request. Seventeen years ago, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham, as Secretaries of State, published England’s first national play strategy, and much of it still stands.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I will close where I started, which is to say that the people of Bournemouth East have felt they have not been heard for too long. They know that a child’s right to play is important. They know the importance of playgrounds to a child’s right to play. We must protect these spaces and improve them. We must stand up for play everywhere, not just in Bournemouth East. After 14 long years of austerity, with the benefit of a Labour Government, we should stand up for play across the country.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Sure Starts prevented over 5,000 hospital admissions annually and halved inequality gaps, and children living near centres scored higher in GCSEs. The experience of Bournemouth East’s Sure Starts, delivered so excellently by the YMCA in Townsend and Springbourne, was that safe, joyful play helps children to develop socially and emotionally. I cannot wait to see a revamped, reinvigorated Sure Start in my constituency. Play is good for our economy. The Association of Play Industries has 60 members contributing around £250 million to the economy. The association represents 70% of the industry, so if we extrapolate, it has been estimated that the industry is worth approximately £357 million. Many of those businesses are small, British and family-owned.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In June, NHS England and Starlight launched “play well”, a new toolkit co-produced by over 60 professionals with support from the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Care Quality Commission and Sophie’s Legacy. It is backed by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and research showing that therapeutic play reduces anxiety, loneliness and the risk of medical trauma, so I fully endorse it. Play also happened in Sure Start centres, so I am thrilled that the Government are bringing back a revamped Sure Start programme. Recent reports by University College London, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Centre for Young Lives all proved the benefits of Sure Starts and their play provision.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Play is not just about playgrounds; it is a mindset, a culture, a lifeline, and it deserves to be woven into every part of community life. For children who have known trauma or injury, health play services are critical. They help children to cope, connect and heal, both emotionally and psychologically, yet for too long health play services have been treated as optional. That must change. Play specialists should be embedded in paediatric care, supporting children from waiting rooms to treatment rooms, and even in operating theatres. I saw this in action in Poole hospital, with Lego used to explain MRI scans, playful syringe demonstrations and outdoor play woven into physiotherapy.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Chris in Muscliff, who uses Knowlton Gardens play area with his family, says, “Micro communities within Muscliff use these green spaces/play parks (what’s left of them) and rely on them for their own wellbeing as well as their families.” Charlotte in Littledown, whose family uses Kings Park, Clarence Road, says: “They are one of the few remaining things that parents and children can do together as a community outside in nature for free.” And Judith in Southbourne says about Riverlands play area: “Grandparents who take their children there also have an increased social circle—not only with other elderly people but with young people who might be using it. I often find myself in conversation with people I don’t know of all different ages.” There are clearly significant benefits to having playgrounds.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Danielle in Boscombe West, who uses Kings Park at the Ashley Road site, says that playgrounds “help children learn through play. They are a free activity that helps low-income families who otherwise would have no outdoor space access. They keep the older children occupied rather than committing anti-social behaviour.” At the other play area in Kings Park, Clarence Road, Thomas, who lives in Boscombe East, says, “It is an essential part of our day that gives the girls a chance for physical play and to decompress after school. It’s really important for our eldest, who is dyslexic and often finds the school day mentally exhausting.” Playgrounds are also great for community and social connection.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I name them because they are so important to my constituents. Above all, residents are asking for a strategic approach: yes to investing in busy destination play spaces, but not to the detriment of smaller playgrounds on people’s doorsteps. The message is simple: play matters and our communities are ready to help shape its future. For my constituents, play matters for very distinct reasons. Children’s development, their mental health and emotional support is key. Sarah in Strouden Park, whose family uses Mallard Road play area, says that play “lays down positive habits for life.” Rachel in Townsend, who uses Moordown rec, says, “It is vital for children to be outside and free resources are a lifeline for many. Our children spend so much time learning or on screens that play is desperately needed”.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Muscliff Park, a high-use site, has seen strong demands for reopening the toilet facilities, reviving the café and launching a full refurbishment programme, which again goes to the point that the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) was making, which is that there is a deeper truth here that parks are not just patches of grass and playgrounds, not just swings and slides; they are outdoor community centres. Reframing them as essential community infrastructure is essential. Elsewhere, constituents have raised concerns about proposals to consider and relocate Tuckton tea gardens and Riverlands play park. Others have voiced concerns about Beaufort Park, Knowlton Gardens, Clarence Road, Shelley Road, Churchill Gardens, Moordown rec and Epiphany play areas. The Minister will be pleased to hear that there is not a test on these playgrounds.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Please do not take this away from them. Let’s find a way to protect this space for the children who use it now, and for those who will in the years to come.” The proposed closure of 13 playgrounds across Muscliff, Strouden Park and Townsend in my constituency is sparking serious concern. Residents fear longer journeys, fewer spontaneous visits and exclusion for those without transport, which will inevitably hit the disadvantaged families of those communities hardest. The promise of a new playground at Landford Way is being understood as a trade-off for the loss of those 13 doorstep play areas, and it is not reassuring people. It is seen as a reduction in equity, not as an enhancement in access.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Dave, who lives nearby with his two children, says, “We do not have a garden so the play space is very needed as parents do not have the money sometimes to take their children out.” For Dave and others, that park is a lifeline. Kayleigh, a mother of three, says, “With the cost of living being what it is right now, families are relying more than ever on free local spaces like this one.” She reminds us that play areas are not just for children; they bring people together. Parents chat, children make friends and local bonds are formed. Without those spaces, we lose more than just swings; we lose connection. Kayleigh ended with a powerful plea, “I understand budgets are tight, but I’d ask you to think of this not as a cost, but as an investment in our children, our neighbourhood, and in our community’s future.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“If the Minister would like to green-light funding for a trampoline to go into the refurbished Kings Park playground in Bournemouth, I am sure the students of King’s Park academy would be most grateful. Last week I met with Kirsty, Kate and David, Rebecca, Shelley, Robyn, Jonathan, Charlotte and their children at Harewood junior school. They were clear that these spaces are vital for children’s health, wellbeing and social development. Yet they have been overlooked for too long. I have met Rio and his mum Amanda at Mallard Road play area, just steps from their home . Rio organised a protest at 9 am on 6 August and rallied 30 people to stand up for their park—an incredible achievement. Some brought home-made posters to voice their concerns.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“While every playground matters in Bournemouth East, some raise particular concerns, such as Kings Park and its two play areas. At the Ashley Road site, security fencing dominated until I got it removed. The zipwire is missing, the bandstand and bins are rusty, and offensive graffiti scarred a bench until I lobbied the council to scrub it clean. The sudden removal of equipment without warning or explanation has deepened frustration. It struck such a chord with year 6 students from King’s Park academy that they staged a protest in their final day of school. Many of their placards remain in my office and are a daily reminder to campaign harder. It was an honour to stand with those children as they voiced their hopes and called on the council to act in their very first protest.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I care deeply about giving children their right to play, which is why I am shining a light on Bournemouth East in Parliament to help bring money to our town. In Bournemouth, we are embracing the challenge of improving our play areas. Thanks to council officers such as Martin Whitchurch and Rebecca Whelan-Edmonds, all 171 play sites in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and all 1,175 pieces of play equipment have been mapped, audited and costed. A consultation has closed, and I have represented constituents’ views on proposals into it. The consultation included events, and I joined two to hear from constituents. I want to balance my admiration for the good work done by those officers with my constituents’ need to represent their concerns for the council’s plans.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We saw what happened when the previous Labour Government announced a strategy and a budget. The coalition quietly dropped the strategy and drew a thick red line through the budget. Without a statutory duty, Parliament cannot protect playgrounds for childhoods in this country, so a statutory duty is my second request. We can and should extend Sport England-style duties to play, making it a statutory consideration, like sports facilities, not a discretionary extra that gets ignored. That is my third request. My fourth and final request, which goes to the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) made, is that we need to talk about funding. Put simply, this will require financial investment from the Government.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My hon. Friend makes a valid and important point about funding our playgrounds so that they are accessible, safe and fun. I commend the work that she does on behalf of her constituents, particularly children. A strategy alone will not be enough. That is why I tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to introduce a play sufficiency duty in England, mirroring legislation in Wales and Scotland. It was backed by 70-plus MPs from across parties, although unfortunately there were no signatories from Reform. It sought to correct the wrong that England does not have the same statutory duty as Wales and Scotland. It is wrong that Scottish and Welsh councils regularly assess and support play provision, while this Parliament does not regard that as essential for English councils.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In Bournemouth East, I am campaigning to get a better bus route to Bournemouth airport, to improve the No. 33 and to reinstate a service in Throop, where the community feel very disconnected. Does the hon. Lady agree that one benefit of this Bill is that it empowers local authorities to run their own bus companies so that they can reinstate those routes?”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Secretary of State for his answer and for his two visits to Bournemouth. People still talk happily about his visit to the Hengistbury Head Outdoors centre. I met recently with constituents in Bournemouth East who are calling for nationalisation as a way to improve accountability and investment in the water industry. How does the Secretary of State see a path towards nationalisation sitting within his wider efforts to protect our waters?”
House of Commons4 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I recently met grassroots football teams, including King Park Dynamos, Generation Elite Academy, Queens Park ladies and the AFC Bournemouth community sports trust Minikickers. They want more football pitches in Bournemouth, and Kings park would be the perfect place, but the athletics track needs fixing, the master plan updating and the playground enhancing, and Kings park nursery should be brought into use again. Will the Leader of the House grant a debate in Government time on access to grassroots sport?”
House of Commons4 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“They are a critical community space and social infrastructure that bring us together, and create belonging to each other and to the places we live in. And by God, over the last 14 years have we not seen our social infrastructure attacked and decimated? We need to support our hospitality sector, and that is especially important for Government Members who represent coastal communities. Labour now represents more coastal communities than at any time since 1997, after nearly half the coastal seats in England and Wales were won from the Conservatives in 2024—that is no wonder when I hear my constituents talk about how Bournemouth has been left behind and how coastal communities have been forgotten. Labour is committed to putting that right, which means supporting our hospitality and tourism sectors.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In Bournemouth East, we are blessed with fantastic hospitality owners. That is because, as entrepreneurs, they are investing time, money and personal risk to create jobs and community hubs. They shoulder costs and were often overlooked in policy discussions over the past 14 years. They want, as do we on the Labour Benches, balanced and targeted support for businesses to ensure that their efforts are being supported. Hospitality matters so much because it is woven into everyday life. Whether it is coffee with friends, football at the stadium, a drink down the pub, date nights or quick bites before events, the hospitality sector provides so many of the events that we find so meaningful in our personal lives.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Bournemouth relies heavily on hospitality and tourism. In my constituency alone, hospitality generates £162.8 million in revenue and employs 3,700 people across more than 30 venues. The sector creates vibrant communities, accessible jobs and attracts investment. Take Kris Gumbrell, the CEO of Brewhouse and Kitchen. He chairs an industry apprenticeship programme and has invested over £3 million to revive a derelict pub in Southbourne, creating a community hub and over 40 new jobs. Take Emma Sclanders of Wild & Ginger or Ricky Knowlton of Syds Slaps, who the new the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend for Bristol North West (Darren Jones), was so happy to visit just a few short months ago. Take James Fowler of the Larder House, Jon Roberts of Little Perth or Rich Slater of Sobo Beach. The list really does go on.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We need to support our coastal communities, particularly given that they are so heavily reliant on tourism and industries that have struggled over recent years, such as hospitality. According to the Office for National Statistics, coastal communities have a higher proportion of hospitality businesses than inland areas. The hospitality sector in our coastal communities can therefore be a powerful economic driver at a time when we are desperate to raise productivity from its sluggish levels and grow our economy.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am astonished that nobody raised a point of order there. Of course Plymouth does not have the best beer in the country; Bournemouth East does. If not Bournemouth East, I am sure that many other constituencies would claim to, too. However, I agree with my hon. Friend that the hospitality sector has endured difficulty time and again, whether during the pandemic, the cost of living crisis or the previous Government’s reckless disregard for the sector’s needs, and so Labour needs to fix the foundations of the hospitality sector. We need to support our economy by stabilising it and, in so doing, supporting our hospitality businesses. Coastal communities like Plymouth and Bournemouth have faced significant challenges, whether it be worse health outcomes, lower life expectancy, poorer education, lower pay or higher deprivation.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Lady raises an interesting point on behalf of her constituents and businesses. I would, of course, say that were it not for the tax rise that allowed for investment in our NHS, we would not be seeing so many hospital appointments and such dramatic falls in NHS waiting lists, and we would not then be seeing people who were once ill returning to the workforce, so that they can earn, work and contribute to our economy, and then help our hospitality sector.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, although I do not recognise what he is saying. I hope he is welcoming the NHS investment that his constituency is receiving, as well as the free breakfast clubs, place-based nurseries, stimulation of his local economy, improved pothole filling and improved connectivity. If he wishes to stand up and say that, I would be happy to give way to him again.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The hon. Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (Mr MacDonald) does not wish to, so I will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank).”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Those are just some of the ideas that I am hearing from constituents. I am sure that other colleagues will have many more that they wish to share, so I shall rest there.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome, too, that the Government are moving ahead with supporting the hospitality sector. I would particularly like to see the valuation office properly pay regard to the issues that need fixing and that have been stated to me in places like Boscombe. At the last valuation, which was done under the Conservatives, neighbourhoods like Boscombe saw their rates stay flat or even increase, harming independent retailers. As a Labour Member who wants to support hospitality, I would like to see that corrected. I would like to see proposals including the raising of the rateable value threshold for 100% relief from £15,000 to £25,000 with tapered relief, the introduction of high street survival discounts, and the simplification of the appeals process with open data and fast-track support for SMEs.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I think my hon. Friend has said enough—and I welcome what he has said. I also want to recognise the difficult financial inheritance of this Government: how they needed to raise money to fix the foundations, to invest in our public services, and to deliver the change that people were calling out for during the general election and long before. All of us on the Government Benches, and I hope on the Opposition Benches too, are hearing from our constituents about the green shoots of recovery in our NHS, about schools finally starting to get the investment that they need, about those place-based nurseries and about childcare being rolled out on a larger scale. What I want to see from our Government is a continuation of their hard work. I welcome the fact that the empty shops rental auction is under way in Bournemouth.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“My understanding is that the Airedale NHS foundation trust covers the hon. Member’s constituency. The waiting list there has fallen from 14,779 to 13,846, there are 32,312 additional urgent dental appointments, and £3.3 million is going to the hospital to support building and other safety works. Does he welcome that investment, which is partly funded by the national insurance contributions increase?”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Will my hon. Friend join me in congratulating the work of Bournemouth Heart Club, which promotes good heart health, and also Regency Living, HENRA—Hengistbury Residents’ Association—and St Nicholas Church, which funded a defibrillator at St Nicholas Church that, just seven weeks after installation, saved a life at Hengistbury Head? Some 41% of postcodes in Bournemouth East are outside of direct reach of a defibrillator. Does she agree that we need to end this postcode lottery now?”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Is it any wonder that an Opposition Member described the shadow Home Secretary’s asylum policy as “silly”, given that it was a Conservative Government who failed to process claims, filled up hotels, left people in limbo and broke the bank in the process, just as they broke the bank when it came to everything that they touched? Opening asylum hotels did not happen on our watch, and we want to shut them. We want to save the public purse significant sums of money, and we want to get the system right. Will the Home Secretary tell the people of Bournemouth East, whom I represent, how she is speeding up the process of closing asylum hotels in Bournemouth and in Britain?”
House of Commons1 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“What happened on 7 October was inhumane: Hamas are terrorists and the hostages must be returned immediately and safely. Israel is behaving insufferably and what the Israeli Government are doing is unacceptable. The International Criminal Court has indicted Israeli leaders for the war crime of starvation. It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that the Israeli Government are guilty of violating articles of the fourth Geneva convention. Will the Government do all that they can to support British prosecutors and our British courts to arrest war criminals and hold them to account?”
House of Commons1 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“On Friday, I visited St Katharine’s primary school, where I met young people from my constituency who emphasised two really important points: first, that they want to be global citizens and a part of wider humanity focusing on the world, and, secondly, that they care deeply about nature and want to be conservers of it. Does my hon. Friend agree that our children are at their best when they are able to play the role of global citizen and can take care of the nature on our doorstep?”
House of Commons16 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“When I talk with parents and guardians in Bournemouth East, they described the EHCP process as being adversarial and almost designed to exclude. They want a greater role earlier on in the design of their child’s EHCP. Does the Minister agree that that is an important thing that we should be seeking to achieve? Would she also agree that, as we take forward SEND reform, it is important to have families at the heart of that process?”
House of Commons16 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am in this place to try to tackle child poverty, so that the people of Bournemouth East—the constituency I represent—do not have the same kind of childhood I had, living without very much, and relying on the love of a mum and dad who will sacrifice everything to get you to where they think you need to be, when they should be able to depend on a wider social security system. I ask Members speaking in today’s debate to reflect on the language they use, because the outside world is watching.”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Given what has been said today, I also fear that my mum will ask me a further question: “Why are some of those MPs suggesting, or saying, that I am a scrounger, as a person dependent on the welfare system?” I do not think that Members of Parliament intend to create that impression, but they should know that what they say perpetuates the shame and stigma of poverty, which is impossible to eradicate in one lifetime, and is passed on from one generation to the next. That is why I stood for Parliament.”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Today, we have seen lots of colleagues taking interventions from each other. When I stand up to speak, particularly about poverty, I take interventions from another source—my mum. She will be sitting at home, watching the TV, and she will text me, because she knows that I am going to talk about my upbringing—about growing up in poverty, caring for her and my father, who were disabled and were forced out of work because the NHS and the social security system were nowhere to be seen when my mum and dad needed them. She is going to text me, as she always does, to say, “I’m sorry. I did my best.” She does not always realise that poverty is systemic—that it is about society and the structures we build. She internalises the shame and the guilt, and feels like she did not do enough.”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Looking beyond my constituency, a near-record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness—thrown on the scrapheap. Some 300,000 people fall out of work every year because of their health, and part of the reason for that is the underfunding of our public services; that leaves people on waiting lists, and waiting lists kill. We know that 4.5 million children are in relative poverty after housing costs, a figure that has risen by 900,000 since 2010. We also know that the Tories presided over the worst Parliament ever recorded for economic inactivity; it rose by over 800,000 to 9.4 million people. We hear from Opposition Members about the connection between work and welfare, but when they presided over such economic inactivity, such poor productivity and such sluggish growth, is it any wonder—”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I always agree with my hon. Friend, especially when she says that I should agree with my mum. I thank her for her intervention, and I agree that nobody’s background should shape their future. We are in this place to create a better social security system, a better NHS and better public services, so that children today in all our constituencies can access the support that they need, in the form that they need, enabling them to truly thrive. It deeply saddens me that in my constituency of Bournemouth East, children are growing up in poverty. Some 27% of children in my constituency are growing up in relative poverty; in the ward of Boscombe West, that figure is 43%, and in the ward of Springbourne, it is 36%. That is unacceptable in 2025 in modern Britain, and we should not put up with it.”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I will not be taking an intervention. Is it any wonder that, as a consequence, we have people who are in significant difficulty, particularly when the social security and public services that they rely on have been chopped back? As such, I welcome the launch of the child poverty taskforce as an early priority of this Government. I was pleased to meet the Minister just last week to talk about my priorities, which include trying to make sure that play is not squeezed out of childhood and that we have a social security system to meet the needs of children, particularly in the disadvantaged areas of my constituency.”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It will give children a chance to grow, play, learn from each other and develop with peer support, and it will enable their parents, who have been starved of parenting support under the Conservatives, to learn from each other and get what they need. We have a long way to go in order to reverse the decline caused by the Conservatives and lift as many kids as possible out of poverty, but together across this House, I believe that we all have the solutions. I hope we can take this debate forward in the right way and lift those kids out of poverty.”
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“Just this week, we have seen the announcement of the better futures fund—£500 million from this Government, to be matched by £500 million from local government and the private sector. In total, that is a £1 billion fund that will make a huge difference. Similarly, I am pleased that we are providing free school meals for all children in families that are on universal credit—that will have a significant impact for my constituents. I am also pleased about the revamped Sure Start, which I think we should talk about more. A revamped Sure Start in all of our local authority areas, with the money that is being given to it, will be able to spot some of the hardships—the physical and mental health issues—that arise from poverty, and to tackle its root causes as well as its symptoms.”
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“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. He invites me to champion his work. I do not think I will do that, but I will acknowledge his hard work and commitment, and I am pleased that he is a colleague. The child poverty taskforce is going to be critical. The report that it will release, based on feedback from all Members of this House and all our civil society organisations, will be so important, so I am glad that we are taking the time to get this right. It will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity truly to tackle the root causes of child poverty. I am also pleased that, although we have launched that taskforce, this Government are cracking on with the hard work.”
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“Does my hon. Friend agree that people in disadvantaged and poorer areas typically live in overcrowded, poor-quality rented accommodation, and that this Labour Government’s efforts to improve the quality of rented accommodation should be commended as a way of tackling child poverty?”
House of Commons15 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗