MPs’ Round-Up

MPs’ round-up Tough decisions ahead in review of defence vision

Since my last column, we’ve seen a little more detail emerge around the Government’s Integrated Review of our defence capabilities. On Monday, the Defence Secretary spoke to the House of Commons, outlining the strategic vision that will inform our military decisions over the next five years. It’s worth saying – as I emphasised last week – that the Government renewed our commitment to the NATO recommended level of defence spending – an annual 2% of GDP. But they’ve gone further, pledging an additional 0.5% above inflation for every year of the current Parliament – an additional £24.1 billion over the next four years. But alongside retrenchment, we’ve also seen signals of reform. And one of the announcements that’s caused anxiety is the decision to trim the operational manpower of the army from 76,500 to 72,500 by 2025. I understand the consternation that’s caused in some quarters (and will be questioning Ministers as to how this reduction will be managed), but know, too, how important it is that this Defence Command Paper equips us to confront a range of metamorphosing threats. A pivotal moment in the 2012 US Presidential debates came when Governor Romney asked why the US Navy had fewer ships than in 1917. President Obama replied that the military also had “fewer horses and bayonets” as a function of technological development – and a shifting calculus of risk. And though the enormous bravery and sacrifice of our front-line soldiers will continue to be indispensable in protecting the UK, we also need to anticipate future threats. This is particularly vital given the long lead times on defence procurement. We are already seeing upgrades to our airborne capability (with a planned expansion to our F-35 fleet and unmanned drone capability among other areas) as well as a new National Cyber Force designed to meet the new reality in which digital warfare offers a constant threat. It’s about staying one step ahead of those who wish to do us harm. And at a time when the world we see looks more uncertain than ever, such forward-thinking is not merely desirable – it’s a grave necessity.

Somerton & Frome MP David Warburton

No place in society for violent protest

Voltaire apparently said: “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” The same enlightenment principle applies to protesting, and this is enshrined within the Human Rights Act. However, just as freedom of speech isn’t absolute, government may legitimately restrict freedom of assembly in instances where the freedoms and safety of others are under threat. An assembly would be a charitable description of the violent mob that attacked police in Bristol last week. That disgusting performance will have strengthened the resolve of anyone wavering in their support for the government’s Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill. I certainly voted to buttress the freedom and security of those potentially at the whip end of mob rule. It’s not for the first time I’ve called out mob rule in a city I know well, In June I criticised policemen who ‘took the knee’ or did nothing in the face of BLM protesters hauling down a statue in the town centre. You can dress that up however you like but there’s no disguising it as a wanton criminal act. Now the Avon and Somerset constabulary that largely stood by that day has itself come under the most appalling attack. I suspect most of the violent protestors we saw in Bristol last week are numbered among ‘the usual suspects;’ political extremists, anarchists and angry, marginalised young men looking for a cause to justify their aggression. They are certainly not freedom-loving campaigners since what they were up to is the antithesis of freedom and the rules-based system that underpins it. I do not think Voltaire had in mind the likes of the Bristol thugs when he spoke of defending to the death the right of people to express views which he did not himself hold. Those people need to feel the rule of law. I have been mobilised to help vaccinate and I am reminded daily that we are by no means out of this pandemic. I did support last week the extension of the powers granted to ministers by parliament last year to deal with the crisis, However, we have to ensure that those powers are revoked at the earliest opportunity. I’m thinking big firms will be thinking twice about a future in an EU that threatens to seize assets and block exports. Those companies may find a better fit in an enlightened, liberal jurisdiction like the UK whose government has met the EU’s belligerence with commendable maturity and balance.

MP for South West Wiltshire Dr Andrew Murrison

MPs’ round-up Never give up: Persistence does pay off

Back in 2015 shortly after I had been selected to contest North Dorset, one of our councillors, Graham Carr-Jones approached me and asked, if I was elected would I support those who have Thalidomide. Graham is a Thalidomider. His mother was prescribed the then ‘wonder drug’ which would put an end to morning sickness for expectant mothers. What is less well known is that Thalidomide as a drug has its dark history in the formulation of ‘medical research’ in the Nazi concentration camps. To confirm my ‘it’s a small world’ my late father in law, William, had been a pioneering Ear Nose and Throat surgeon, implanting tiny bones into the ears of many Thalidomiders who suffered from poor aural development. Well, I was elected, and the first All Party Parliamentary Group I joined was Thalidomide. I was elected to serve as Vice Chairman under the lovely, proper old Durham Labour exminer Dave Anderson. We quickly became partners in crime. Making the case in Parliament and with the German Embassy to try to secure compensation for the victims. When Dave joined the Labour Front Bench I was elected Chairman. We enlisted the support of then Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan to make the case to the German Government. This he did with relish, totally on side, having been at school with a Thalidomide victim. Simultaneously the Campaign Group beavered away in the European Parliament. Success has emerged on the European scene but our leaving the EU meant that UK Thalidomiders were ineligible. The previous Government had established a Health Grant to provide funding to meet the additional costs of care and living incurred by those with Thalidomide. The grant expires in 2023. We had considerable anxiety that, given the huge Covid pressures on the public purse, the grant might not be renewed. We saw Matt Hancock and enlisted his help and support. I then had an unrelated call from the Chancellor’s office asking me to join a ‘speed dating session’ where I had five minutes to make a pitch for Budget inclusion. Armed with stats and a compelling moral case I advocated for a renewal of the grant. The Chancellor instantly became engaged and the next thing I knew was a long meeting with Treasury and Health officials to go through further details. The Thalidomide Trust provided invaluable support. Two days before the Budget I received a Delphic message: ‘you will like the Budget’. It was with a tear of relief and gratitude in my eye when I heard the Chancellor say in his Budget speech: “So not only will I extend this funding with an additional down payment of around £40million; I am today announcing a lifetime commitment, guaranteeing funding forever. And let me thank the Thalidomide Trust and the Honourable Member for North Dorset for their leadership on this important issue”. The relief, comfort and certainty that those few words meant to those with Thalidomide is incalculable. Their campaigning, and never allowing themselves to be forgotten, has paid off. They have the security from the State that they deserve. So, what are the lessons from the above? First, if you want something done it does pay to speak to your MP; second political persistence can pay off –it had taken us six years to arrive at this announcement; third politics can be a force for good.

MP for North Dorset Simon Hoare

We’re top of the list for improved broadband

My persistent campaign to improve our broadband is beginning to pay off. Almost on a weekly basis, I have pressed the Government in the House of Commons to make Dorset broadband a priority. The Digital Minister told the House of Commons a couple of weeks ago that I leave “no stone unturned” when it comes to advocating for West Dorset constituents to get better broadband – and the following day the Government announced that we are at the top of the list for the £5 billion Project Gigabit program to sort out our poor broadband connectivity. The Police, Courts and Sentencing Bill was debated in the House of Commons the week before last. I support this commitment. But I know that some are concerned about public order laws. A few weeks ago, I walked to Clapham Common to pay my respects to Sarah Everard. This should have been a moment of remembrance and a sombre demonstration of support for Sarah and for women’s safety. But instead, it was hijacked by extreme left protestors, with placards from the Socialist Workers Party and others. I’m not saying the police were right in how they dealt with it, but we need the full facts before jumping to conclusions. The Police, Courts and Sentencing Bill takes direct action to improve public safety: halting the automatic early release of offenders who pose a danger to the public and

MP for West Dorset Chris Loder

Bill. We need a fair justice system – one that stands for the law-abiding majority, not the criminal minority. At the General Election, I pledged safer communities and our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill delivers on that ending the halfway release of offenders sentenced for serious violent and sexual offences. Since I became an MP, I have seen some appalling behaviour from extremist protesters in Westminster, such as Extinction Rebellion. Much of what I have seen is not civil protest – it is criminal behaviour. As we saw again in Bristol a couple of weeks ago, too often the important concerns of well-intentioned people are hijacked by anarchists seeking violence and disruption. I’ve had enough of it and I think it needs to be put right. Protests and demonstrations will continue to be permitted within the law, and anyone that says otherwise is being disingenuous.