Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury)
Liberal Democrat MP for St Albans
The botched Brexit deal has wrapped up British businesses in red tape and blown a hole in the public finances to the tune of £90 billion a year. The Chancellor insists that her No. 1 mission remains to get economic growth. If that is the case, will she and her Ministers vote with the Liberal Democrats this afternoon to make sure that we get rid of that red tape and deliver on a new UK-EU...
High street hospitality businesses are on a knife edge—this is a disaster in the making. The Government say that they have rebalanced business rates, but that is not the case. UKHospitality says that the average increase for hospitality businesses will be 76% over the next three years, compared with warehouses, offices and large supermarkets, which will go up by only 16%, 7% and 4%. The...
I understand that the Minister says he does not have all the answers to the questions about the incredibly serious security failings at the OBR, but has he requested or received any advice on whether the attempts to access the information might have reached a criminal threshold under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 or a civil level under market abuse regulations? Are there any other arm’s...
We Liberal Democrats welcome the decision by the Government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Does the hon. Member agree that, as well as it being the right thing to do, it saves taxpayers money in the long term? We know that poverty has lasting impacts on people’s health and educational outcomes. In making the case to the British public, it would be helpful if the Government could...
We Liberal Democrats welcome the decision by the Government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Does the hon. Member agree that, as well as it being the right thing to do, it saves taxpayers money in the long term? We know that poverty has lasting impacts on people’s health and educational outcomes. In making the case to the British public, it would be helpful if the Government could...
This time last year, Government Ministers told us repeatedly that their No. 1 mission was growth, but after Labour’s second Budget, it is clear that growth is nowhere to be seen. The OBR makes it clear that the Budget has almost no meaningful growth measures at all. The Confederation of British Industry has concluded that the Government’s growth mission has stalled, and others say that...
This time last year, Government Ministers told us repeatedly that their No. 1 mission was growth, but after Labour’s second Budget, it is clear that growth is nowhere to be seen. The OBR makes it clear that the Budget has almost no meaningful growth measures at all. The Confederation of British Industry has concluded that the Government’s growth mission has stalled, and others say that...
I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement. If this is the end game for Putin’s illegal and murderous war, we have one chance to get it right and to safeguard the future of Ukraine and Europe. The stakes could not be higher. Many of us fear that President Trump is gearing up to betray the rights of Ukrainians, who have fought valiantly in the face of war crimes, torture...
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish copies of the redacted statements provided to opposition MPs each budget day in advance of the Chancellor’s statement to the House of Commons in each year since 1997.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information her Department holds on the proportion of text redacted in statements provided to hon. Members from opposition parties in advance of the Chancellor’s statement on each Budget day since 1997.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she provides guidance to Train Operating Companies on the declassification of first class portions of services during periods of high demand.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Rail to the hon. Member for St Albans of 28 November 2025, reference MC/00054165 whether she has received representations from Govia Thameslink Railway on integrating CCTV at St Albans City station with the new system to facilitate ease of access for authorised police and rail industry...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to issue guidance to schools on how to access training resources to help deliver the CPR Smart programme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether funding is available for schools to purchase (a) defibrillators and (b) CPR training equipment.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 69409 on Business Rates: Impact Assessments, if she publish sector-specific impact assessments for (a) hospitality, (b) retail and (c) leisure businesses with rateable values under £500,000 of the effect of the (i) withdrawal of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Relief, (ii) implementation of...
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure multiplier and the withdrawal of the capped Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief scheme on multiple retail and hospitality operators.
