Speeches by Brandreth.

“What is my hon. Friend’s view on the fact that this dramatic reduction in delinked payments does not seem to align with the Government’s claim that food security is national security? How can that be, when farmers in this country do not have any certainty?”

“I rise to speak on yet another attack by this Government on our farming community. The decision to punish and penalise farmers by reducing the delinked payments they receive from April 2025 will have a hugely detrimental impact on the farming community in my Chester South and Eddisbury constituency, and indeed across t…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent intervention. It is an attack on family farmers, rural communities and all the businesses that rely on those farmers to keep our rural communities going. As I said, it is unsustainable. That should stop us all in our tracks and make us think of the impact of having a country wi…”

“On the Minister’s point about the SFI—“When it’s spent, it’s spent”—when did he know that the SFI budget had been spent in full? How long did he know it before he made the announcement to farmers, without giving them the minimum six weeks’ notice that had been promised?”

“Given the debate we are having and the risk that our fishing communities could be used as a bargaining chip, does the hon. Member agree that, as the Government have said, food security is national security, and we cannot have our fishing communities and fishing stocks traded against defence in any way?”

“The north-west has some of the worst levels of children’s oral health in England, with Cheshire and Merseyside falling below the national average. In rural villages in my constituency like Bunbury, where bus services have been cut, and Kelsall, where a dentist is keen to open an NHS practice but faces barriers due to c…”

“I add my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House. As of today, while ultrafast broadband is available in Chester, only 19% of premises have access. Villages in my constituency that are within a few miles of Chester city centre, such as Waverton, Littleton, Christleton and Rowton, have an average download speed of…”

“The hon. Member makes an important point. It does not matter whether we are talking about a rural or an urban community, these young people often have to travel large distances, and we really need to think about their welfare. In my constituency, they literally have no other option. If we make this service effectively …”

“I completely agree with that excellent intervention. The frustration that hospices have is that in order to recruit staff, they need to pay wages comparable to what NHS staff receive, and this change is making that virtually impossible to do. Hospices requires a highly specialised workforce to provide the levels of car…”

“I draw attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. The Bill is yet another example of legislation from this Government that breaks their manifesto promises, harms local business, negatively impacts our constituents and limits the prospects of growth in my local economy of Chester South and Ed…”

“I have a quick follow-up on measuring. The Government’s soft power team are, we have been told, putting together a taskforce to assess how soft power tools can have an impact on hard policy outcomes. Given the challenges that we have been talking about around measuring the impact, I wanted to get your thoughts on wheth…”

“In several previous sessions, people have talked about the UK as a global convenor. Would you consider being a global convenor as part of our soft power, and is it therefore important to be a fundamental part of these groups and organisations?”

“You said earlier that soft power is about building coalitions. How important would you say the UK’s being part of global networks and transnational organisations such as the Commonwealth is for soft power diplomacy?”

“We talk a lot about this concept of soft power, and it feels like some of the benefits, although real, are very intangible. If there were real benefits, we might expect to see that translating into the policy decisions that different Governments and states are making. Do we see that, or is it just something where we sa…”

“Given the definitions that you have given of the concept of soft power, if it is to be real and meaningful, you might expect it to explain some of the actions or policy decisions that different Governments and states are making. Would you consider it a meaningful concept for understanding why states are doing the thing…”

“What more can the UK be doing? DRC is one of the worst places to be born a woman. I think that over half of women in DRC will be subject to some kind of violence. I understand that we have been funding some healthcare and hospitals, for example. Is that working?”

“Given the uncertainty and the several moving pieces that you have talked about, what role, if any, do you think the UK should be playing in trying to stop this wider regional escalation, or as part of the mediation that is going on?”

“There are really very shocking and deeply disturbing reports of gender-based and sexual violence in the region—reports of women being raped and burned alive. Michela, what is your understanding of what is happening out there, and do you have a view on why the atrocities that are happening are not getting publicity and …”

“Is that the Panzi?”

“Richard, do you agree? Do you think it could even spread wider than Burundi and Uganda?”