Category: Speeches

Speeches delivered in debates in the Lords and Commons

Employment Rights Bill: Bishop of Newcastle supports amendments on kinship care

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in support of amendments to Employment Rights Bill tabled by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill on 13th May 2025, focusing on employment leave for foster and kinship carers:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for tabling Amendments 78 and 79, to which I have added my name in support. My comments will be brief. I add my voice to those of other noble Lords in the Chamber in appreciation of the debates that we have heard today on the detail of the Bill, which in many ways indicate the interrelatedness of the issues before us, and about what it is to live well together to enable the flourishing of every person throughout their whole lives.

I am very grateful to the Minister for her engagement with me over several months on the matter of kinship care, and I acknowledge the Government’s evolving view on how best to ensure consistent and sustainable support for kinship carers. I appreciate that the Minister is open to further conversations, and I look forward to them.

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Bishop of St Albans advocates for needs of rural communities in development planning for high streets and town centres

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on a report from the Built Environment Committee: High Streets: Life Beyond Retail? in grand committee on 13th May 2025, highlighting the needs of rural communities, the importance of an imaginative approach to developing town centres, and the benefits of finding everyday use for buildings:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Gascoigne, for securing this debate, for taking over as chair of the Built Environment Committee and for his excellent opening speech. I declare my interest as a vice-president of the LGA.

I saw the impact of a can-do council appointing a town centre development officer when I became archdeacon of Stoke some 30 years ago. He would not take no for an answer. When you saw him coming, you got out your tin hat and tried to hide, because he was absolutely determined to develop what became the cultural centre of Hanley. It was an extraordinary transformation. I left some 25 years ago, and I am sure that they need to continue to develop for whatever is required now, but I saw just what the impact of that kind of appointment could be. It was an impressive piece of work.

This report is timely and educational. It is so easy when talking about the decline of the high street to hark back to some golden past, because that is probably what we all remember from years ago. But we must not expect a prosperous high street in 20 years’ time to look the same as it did 20 years ago, and we must not try to revive some version of the high street as we used to know it. The day of the retail-dominated high street, as this report demonstrates, is at least partially over, with reportedly more than 13,000 high street stores having closed in 2024. We need to be creative, innovative and imaginative in our approach to the high streets of the future, as we pivot towards a greater mix of leisure activities, restaurants and public services in our high street offer.

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Westminster Hall Debate: Impact of Churches and Religious Buildings on Communities

In Westminster Hall, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, hosted a joint debate with John Glen MP on the impact of churches and religious buildings in communities on 13th May 2025:

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): I beg to move,

That this House has considered the impact of churches and religious buildings on communities.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I am pleased to have secured this important and timely debate with the right hon. Member for Salisbury (John Glen). Today, I speak with two hats on, as the MP for Battersea and as the Second Church Estates Commissioner.

It is undeniable that churches and religious buildings have a positive impact on our communities in constituencies across the country, and I intend to show examples of this throughout my speech. Churches such as St Mary’s in Battersea do valuable work in their communities every day, and their contributions are often delivered at no cost to the state but with such a great return for the communities in which they serve. That is part of their vocation to serve—their desire to reflect the values of Jesus Christ through their faith, love, hospitality and service to their neighbours. I hope that this debate will allow us to recognise the incredible work of our local churches and other religious organisations.

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Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham takes part in VE and VJ day debate

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham spoke in a debate marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan on 9th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, it is a privilege to speak in this debate. I congratulate my right reverend friend the Bishop of Peterborough on her excellent maiden speech, and I look forward to her insightful and wide-ranging contribution to the work of this House in the coming days, particularly drawing on her experience in education and with young people. I also thank the Minister for his very moving and impassioned speech opening this debate.

We commemorate a time of extraordinary sacrifice and service in the story of our nation, as well as our allied partners, notably in the Commonwealth. Victory, we know, was hard won. I pay particular tribute to the vital work of the Armed Forces chaplains, who served with great distinction throughout the war. We can be thankful that they remain an essential and fully integrated part of our military capability, not only because of their vital role in times of conflict but for the well-being of all service personnel during training, on exercise and on deployment in strategic peacetime operations.

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Bishop of Peterborough makes maiden speech in VE day debate

On 9th May 2025, the Bishop of Peterborough made her maiden speech in the House of Lords during a debate marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan:

The Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, it is a privilege to be making my maiden speech today. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, for opening this debate and for the encouragement for us to mark and reflect such an important anniversary. It is an honour to follow such moving speeches.

Before saying any more, I take the opportunity to thank the many Members and staff of your Lordships’ House who have made me feel so welcome. I have been struck by the care that has been shown to help me to find my feet, and I am most grateful for the time taken to do so. I have been Bishop of Peterborough for just over a year, following four years as Bishop of Southampton, and I hope to bring experience from both dioceses as I take my place among your Lordships.

As we have heard, the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe and victory over Japan has been marked in our communities in a number of different ways. Across Peterborough diocese, there have been street parties in Northamptonshire; bunting in the beautiful villages of Rutland; and bells of churches ringing out, including from Peterborough Cathedral, which has always been a place of gathering at times of national significance and last night played its part again, drawing people together and helping them to remember.

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Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester calls for long term view on crime and sentencing

On 7th May 2025, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, advocating for a long term approach to sentencing that takes into account families and communities:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare my interest as Anglican Bishop for prisons. I am grateful to be speaking in this Second Reading debate. I too greatly look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Nichols. Having said that, I do not believe this is a debate we should be having at all. I do not believe this rather theatrical legislation is necessary.

In a world of sufficient resources, as has already been said, there would be comprehensive pre-sentence reports for everyone, to which careful attention would be paid in court. If we have to prioritise PSRs, then it makes sense to prioritise those we know are especially vulnerable, or where there is evidence of disproportionate outcomes from the justice system. Will the Minister comment on why he thinks there was such shock at this apparent two-tier justice with regard to ethnicity but not the other cohorts in the guidance, such as young adults and pregnant women? Do the Government believe the issues raised in the landmark report by the current Foreign Secretary almost eight years ago are now a thing of the past? Is there no role for judges in mitigating the issues raised in that report?

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Bishop of St Albans takes part in debate on access to banking for small businesses

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a grand committee debate on access to banking for small businesses on 1st May 2025, with a particular focus on the needs of rural businesses and communities:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Sharkey, not only for securing this debate but for an interesting and informative introduction setting out a number of important matters. I declare my interests: until two weeks ago, I was president of the Rural Coalition, which is relevant to this speech; I am also a vice-president of the Local Government Association.

I will focus my remarks specifically on the challenges for small businesses in rural areas. They hold significant potential for economic growth and are critical for our economy, but they face distinct challenges around access to banking and financial services compared to urban areas. There are over 500,000 businesses registered in rural areas, and the rural economy employs around 3.8 million people, so it is important that this economy and the small businesses that make up part of it have access to the services that they need to thrive and to contribute to the Government’s growth mission.

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Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Bishop of Derby welcomes legislation

The Bishop of Derby spoke at the second reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on 1st May 2025, welcoming the bill and urging that the government listen to the voices and needs of children and young people:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I welcome this Bill and the Government’s commitment to improve children’s lives and their outcomes. My faith teaches me that, in this work, we echo Jesus’s commitment to place children at the heart of God’s transforming work—

“of such is the kingdom of God”.

As Nelson Mandela said:

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children”.

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Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: Bishop of Manchester highlights impact on care leavers and faith communities

The Bishop of Manchester spoke at the second reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on 1st May 2025, highlighting the potential impact of the bill on care leavers and faith communities:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I begin by expressing my thanks to all noble Lords who have reached out to me following the announcement that I will be taking up the role of Convenor of the Lords Spiritual next month. I look forward to working with all noble Lords. I also look forward to hearing today the maiden speeches from the noble Lords, Lord Mohammed of Tinsley and Lord Biggar, the latter a fellow clergyman and a theological mind of some high repute.

Debate during the recent passage of my own Private Member’s Bill through this House highlighted the severe disadvantages faced by many care leavers. Research by Barnardo’s showed that 39% of care leavers aged 19 to 21 are not in education, employment or training, compared with 13% of young people in general. We are failing almost two in five of those who have care experience. Moreover, care leavers I met through the charity Become highlighted how much depends on the whim of their particular local authority. Young people who move away for work or further education are especially prone to losing support. We need a universal offer for young people leaving care that local authorities are obliged to meet.

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Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on whistleblowing

On 30th April 2025, the House of Lords debated the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill in report. The Bishop of Norwich spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Goldie to establish whistleblowing functions within the functions of the Commissioner:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I support Amendments 3 and 5 in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, and the noble Earl, Lord Minto. I am also very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, for the way in which he has engaged with us on the Bill and, in particular listened well in the scrutiny stages.

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