Stephen presses Minister on support for child refugees

In a debate on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the House of Commons on 22 January, Stephen pressed the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Steve Barclay about the removal of provisions to support family reunion for child refugees after Britain leaves the EU. The debate centred around a Lords amendment tabled by Lord Alf Dubs.

Stephen commented afterwards: “It was fairly clear before the vote yesterday that the Government would get its way; but very unclear why it opposed the amendment. The Minister claimed that the Government’s policy had not changed, but that the legislation reflecting that policy should change. It gave no good reason for doing so. Many of us are left very uneasy about the Government’s real intentions.'“

Stephen attends Open Doors reception

Earlier this week, Stephen attended Open Doors’ World Watch List 2020 Report Launch event. Open Doors supports Christians facing persecution from around the world. Their World Watch List indicates the 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution.

(C) Open Doors UK

(C) Open Doors UK

Freedom of Religious Belief is protected under Article 18 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights. However, Christians around the world are facing greater levels of persecution. Over the past year, the population of the 50 countries included in the World Watchlist has increased by 6%. Five years ago, only one country was ranked in “extreme” category for its level of persecution of Christians, now there are eleven countries in this category. In 2019, the Bishop of Truro’s report on the persecution of Christians around the world, recommended 22 actions for the UK government to implement.

Speaking after the meeting, Stephen said: “As the Labour Party’s Faith Envoy, I will continue to press the government to take seriously the plight of Christians facing persecution, around the world. Adopting the Bishop of Truro’s recommendations is vital.

“I will continue to work with Open Doors to ensure the UK is a world leader in protecting Freedom of Religious Expression”.

Labour seeks to increase funding for health and social care in Commons vote

Stephen has voted in the House of Commons to give more funding to the NHS, which would have seen an additional £26bn in real terms pumped into health services in England.

In a parliamentary procedure known as a ‘regret motion’, Labour made make the case for increasing funding for the NHS and social care, and exposed the failings of the Conservative Government’s Queen’s Speech in relation to the NHS.

Labour forced a vote to get parliament’s backing to fund the NHS by an additional four per cent a year and called for the Government to bring forward a plan to end the crisis in social care. The motion was voted down by the government. It was the first vote in the Commons on non Brexit related legislation since the general election.

Last week, we saw the worst national A&E waiting times on record, with the number of people waiting on trolleys for treatment reaching over 98000 – the highest ever seen during the winter.

 Speaking after the vote, Stephen said: “I’m really proud that my first non Brexit vote in the House of Commons was to save our NHS. With our NHS in crisis I will continue the fight to save it in East Ham.”

Stephen presses Minister on Brexit export checks

Last week, during discussion on the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, in the House of Commons chamber, Stephen asked Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Robin Walker, about post-Brexit trade checks.

The minister's answer revealed that there will be reporting requirements despite previous assurances by the Prime Minister to the contrary.

Speaking after the exchange, Stephen said: 'The Prime Minister had clearly promised no new import and export checks along the Irish Sea, but the Minister's answer reveals that this is not correct.'

Letters

To read the reply RE Climate Debate, click here

To read the reply RE Alternative Student Finance, click here.

To read the letter to Boris Johnson (vaccine passports), click here

Reply re Spending Review: cleaner homes, click here.

Letter re ACB on Gillett Avenue, click here.

Reply re Beer duty, click here.

Plastic crisis, click here

Reply re Catch Up With Cancer, click here.

Reply re Eithiopia, click here.

Reply from NHBC, click here.

Aviva reply, click here.

Real fur letter, click here.

Durban IV reply, click here.

To read the Napier Barracks reply, click here.

To read the letter to Liz Truss, click here.

To read the letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

To read the letter to British Transport Police, click here.

To read the letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

To read the letter to Transport for London, click here.

To read the letter to Govia Thameslink, click here. The reply is here.

To read the letter to Matt Hancock, click here.

To read the letter to James Cleverly, click here.

To read the letter to James Cleverly II, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

Letter to Andy Burnham, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

Letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

Reply from Andy Burnham, click here.

Reply from FCO, George Floyd, click here.

Reply from Boris Johnson, click here.

Reply from Ranil Jayawardena , click here.

Reply from Ranil Jayawardena about Yemen, click here.

Reply from HMT, click here.

Reply from Lord Greenhalgh, click here.

Reply from FCO, Palestine, click here.

Reply from FCO, Yemen, click here.

Reply from Gavin Williamson, click here. And the enclosure, click here.

Reply from Andrew Murrison, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

3 September 2020

Letter from Greg Hands, click here.

Letter from Kemi Badenoch, click here.

Letter from Nick Gibb, click here.

Letter to George Eustice, Fishing, click here.

Letter to Grant Shapps, click here.

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

11 September 2020

Hen harrier letter, click here.

29 September 2020

Supertrawlers letter, click here.

Matt Hancock, click here.

1 October 2020

Matt Hancock and Covid-19, click here.

Jo Churchill reply, click here.

Universal Basic Income, click here.

Higher Education and Covid-19, click here.

Asylum seekers and work, click here.

7 October 2020

Yemen, click here.

9 October 2020

Yemen, Click here.

13 October 2020

Michael Gove, click here.

Dominic Raab, click here.

Reply re NHS payrise, click here.

22 October 2020

George Eustace, click here.

Liz Truss, click here.

23 October 2020

Dominic Raab, click here.

26 October

Rishi Sunak, click here.

Gavin Williamson, click here.

27 October 2020

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

Letter to Boris Johnson, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

Letter to Oliver Dowden, click here.

Keeping the Faith, click here.

13 November

Letter to Robert Jenrick, click here.

Letter to Rishi Sunak, click here.

Belly Mujinga reply, click here.

FirstPort reply, click here.

Rishi Sunak letter, click here.

Waterside Park, click here.

Schools letter, click here.

Fetal pain, click here.

Dominic Raab, click here.

Letter to Robert Jenrick, click here.

Letter from Nick Gibb, click here.

Reply re Covid-19 Act, click here.

Letters for 21 December:

Letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

Letter to Robert Buckland, click here.

Letter to Matt Hancock, click here.

Letter from Sri Lankan HC, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

Reply from Lord Ahmad, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

George Eustace reply, click here.

HMT reply, click here.

Letter to Robert Jenrick, click here.

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

Althea Loderick statemten, click here.

Baroness Trafford reply, click here.

Oisme Brown letter, click here.

Letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

Letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

Letter to Liz Truss, click here.

Chris Pincher reply, click here.

Pubs reply, click here.

Universities reply, click here.

Greg Hands, click here.

Microchipping cats, click here.

Sea munitions, click here.

Local council funding, click here.

Trade Bill, click here.

Pg husbandry, click here.

Aviva reply, click here.

Aviva Enc. 1 click here.

Aviva Enc. 2 click here.

Letter to Aviva, click here.

Napier Barracks, click here.

Napier Barrack II, click here.

Letter to Chris Philp, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson, click here.

Priti Patel, click here.

Lord Ahmad, click here.

Letter to Robert Jenrick, click here.

Israel reply, click here.

Animal sentience, click here.

Trade Bill, click here.

Sri Lanka, click here.

ESW1 and waking watch, click here.

First Port, click here.

Cladding newsletter, click here.

Barratts letter, click here.

Gavin Williamson reply, click here.

George Eustace reply, click here.

Kevin Foster reply, click here.

Reply from Helen Whately, click here.

Mainstay letter, click here.

Letter to Dominic Raab, click here.

Letter about Palestine, click here.

James Cleverly reply, click here.

DoH reply, click here.

Letter from Mainstay, click here.

Letter re Israel, click here.

Letter re pills by post, click here.

Letter to Priti Patel, re LTTE, click here.

Reply from Barratts, click here.

Israeli settlements, click here.

#CatchUpWithCancer, click here.

Vaccines in Palestine, click here.

Coronavirus Act, click here.

Mainstay reply, click here.

Fire and rehire reply, click here.

Dementia reply, click here.

LTTE reply, click here.

Cancel Apartheid week reply, click here.

Letter to Barratt, click here.

Letter to Hollis, click here.

Cladding newsletter, click here.

Cladding working group minutes, click here.

Letter re Waking Watch and Kingfisher Heights, click here.

Education Secretary reply, click here.

Letter to Robert Jenrick, click here.

Helen Masterson presentation, click here.

Cameron Court, click here.

Letter re OPT, click here.

Letter recognising Palestine, click here.

Napier Barracks, click here.

Environment Bill, click here.

At Home abortions, click here.

Disability Green Paper, click here.

EDM 7, click here.

ISDS, click here.

Assisted dying, click here.

Winterbourne review, click here.

Crystal redundancies, click here.

Sheikh Jarrah evictions, click here.

ICC reply, click here.

Assisted dying reply, click here.

Reply from Hollis/Aviva, click here.

Letter to Gavin Williamson re Takaful loans, click here.

Reply re Cyprus, click here.

Reply re ICC, OPT, click here.

Reply re Royal Wharf, click here.

Letter to DEFRA, click here.

Reply re Arms trade with Israel, click here.

Letter to James Cleverly, click here.

Letter re Nationality and Borders Bill, click here.

Reply from James Cleverly, click here.

EDM7 reply, click here.

Face mask letter, click here.

Letter to Home Secretary, click here.

Letter to Barratt London, click here.

Reply from Barratt London, click here.

Stephen urges parliamentary colleagues to oppose Prime Minister's Withdrawal Agreement Bill

Stephen spoke this afternoon in the Second Reading of the Government's European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

He urged fellow MPs to oppose the Bill, pointing out two major inaccuracies in its portrayal by the Prime Minister.

Speaking after his Commons intervention, Stephen said: 'Statements made by Boris Johnson directly contradict the Agreement he has negotiated. The Prime Minister has said that there will be no new Rules of Origin checks and no border checks across the Irish Sea. In both cases, Government documents show there will be such checks. The deal will put the continued existence of the UK in its current form at risk, and will damage the UK economy. MPs who support it will have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents in the years ahead, as the impacts unfold'.

Stephen thanks residents of East Ham on re-election

Stephen has retained the seat of East Ham, polling 41,703 votes.

Speaking at the count, Stephen thanked the people of East Ham for their “steadfast support” since he was first elected in 1994. “It has been a real privilege to represent the community in Parliament for all that time,” he said.

Stephen admitted it would be “ a long haul" but the party needed to fight back and rebuild support. "Some of us have been through this process before in the Labour party after very disappointing election results," he said. Despite some good policies, Stephen said Labour didn't have "a credible overall package" in the end. "I think that was the problem - people felt we were spraying money right, left and centre, and we can't do that if we are going to persuade people that we should be trusted with government," he said.

"We have to re-learn lessons that were learned. "I was elected in 1994, Tony Blair became leader, changes were made and we're going to have to learn the same lessons again … about how to convince people we can be trusted with the government of Britain."

T: 020 7219 4000 | E: Email stephen here