Speeches by Reeves.

“As we set out in our manifesto, the Government are committed to encouraging participation in our democracy and believe that it is unacceptable when legitimate voters are prevented or discouraged from voting. Although we have no plans to remove the voter ID rules, at the elections in May the veteran card will be accepte…”

“I am pleased to hear about the seven new free breakfast clubs in Carlisle, and I am delighted that Brent Knoll school in my constituency also has a new free breakfast club. With our plan for change, we will give children the best start in life, breaking down barriers to opportunity and putting money back in parents’ po…”

“The prediction is that we are set to be the largest growing European economy in the G7. Since coming into government in July, we have prioritised growth: for example, Universal Studios building Europe’s biggest theme park in Bedfordshire, and unblocking planning decisions on projects like the lower Thames crossing. We …”

“This Government were elected with an overwhelming mandate to deliver change. We inherited a country hit by an unprecedented cost of living crisis, with millions stuck on waiting lists and communities blighted by crime and antisocial behaviour. We are already delivering the change we promised. There will be a pay rise f…”

“The Minister for the Cabinet Office has been negotiating with the EU in the country’s national interest. We have been clear that there will be no return to the customs union or single market, but the reset in our relations with the EU is an important one.”

“I know that my hon. Friend takes a keen interest in these matters. In 2023, the previous Government suspended paid advertising on X while reviewing alignment with our SAFE framework. That suspension remains in place. We continue to post content, without paid promotion, to communicate important Government information.”

“I am delighted to hear about the falling waiting lists in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Waiting lists are indeed falling. Last month we announced that we had met our first step pledge to deliver 2 million additional NHS appointments seven months early. We are determined to keep up the pace of delivering our plan for c…”

“The Cabinet Secretary may be asked by the Prime Minister to advise on any matter supporting the smooth running of government, including ministerial appointments. There is no written or published guidance on such matters.”

“We have strengthened the ministerial code, but we do not need to take any advice from the Conservatives. What we have seen from this Prime Minister is decisive action to uphold ministerial standards. Compare that with the record of the previous Government where the shadow Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Wi…”

“The Prime Minister is determined to uphold high standards of conduct in public office, unlike the previous Government. That is why decisive action has been taken. This is a Government in the service of working people, and we will not hesitate to take action against any Minister who fails to meet those high standards.”

“The Government regularly evaluate the effectiveness of all communication channels, including social media, to ensure that they are delivering and providing value for money for taxpayers, and that Government messaging appears in appropriate environments.”

“I thank the hon. Member for that important question. She is absolutely right to highlight the barriers to politics that women in rural areas can face. We want more women in rural areas and around the country to be elected to local government and to Parliament. We should be proud that this House now has its highest ever…”

“We provided guidance, training, briefings and materials on security and dealing with abuse and intimidation. We also had to advocate on behalf of candidates. There was a big job of work, in some cases, in having to advocate to local authorities and to the police. A number of our candidates ended up having to have close…”

“Are you talking about a code of conduct between parties about campaigning?”

“The Labour party also has codes of conduct in the rulebook that members of the party have to abide by, and they face disciplinary action if they do not. That includes codes of conduct on social media usage and on bullying and harassment, and a pledge around treating others with dignity and respect. There are then highe…”

“Similarly, I would not go campaigning on my own; I would make sure there was someone always with me, travelling around as well. You just would not put yourself in that situation. I think that is a shift as well.”

“I also think that there was not necessarily consistency between different police forces and how they dealt with some of these issues, with some being markedly better than others.”

“I do not know that that is something I have necessarily thought about. I think it probably was because of social media and direct targeting. There was high recognition of candidates, particularly in target battleground areas. I do not know whether that led to more intimidation or less. It would be interesting to look a…”

“I think that abuse took place in a range of different places. For example, we heard of rallies—if you like—outside MPs’ and candidates’ offices, and harassment on the street. Of course, now, people have mobile phones and can start recording everything as well, which increases the intimidatory nature of it a little bit.…”

“In my own constituency, there was nothing markedly different, other than my changed behaviour. For example, I did not do any hustings, because I felt that the security issues would have outweighed the benefit of doing hustings. That does then impact how you reach and communicate with your electorate. Certainly, experie…”