March 2026

Parliamentary appearance by Lola McEvoy

Parliamentary appearance by Sarah Russell

Parliamentary appearance by James Asser

Parliamentary appearance by James Asser

Parliamentary appearance by Dr Marie Tidball

Parliamentary appearance by Alex Brewer

Four weeks ago today, I was in college, a plumber learning how to plaster, and today I am in Parliament as an MP. Being here is the honour of my life, but I do not want this to be unusual or exceptional. I truly believe that anyone doing a job like mine should get a seat on these Benches. Where I am from, we are taught to look after each other, to look out for each other, to stick up for each other and to stick together—to see each other as human. I am so proud of that humanity and that people i

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have taken action through the British industrial competitiveness scheme, which is a downpayment on exactly the sort of support he describes. We are constantly working on ways to cut costs for small businesses, and I am sure we will work with the Select Committee on that.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I congratulate the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) and my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-Mare (Dan Aldridge) on securing this important debate and for the powerful way in which they have spoken about their constituencies and the distinctive long-standing cultural tradition of illuminated carnivals. All hon. Members who have contributed to this debate have spoken with such passion. I will address some of th

Our small business strategy sets out the range of measures we are taking to support small businesses. That includes an increase of £4 billion in the finance available to businesses, so that they can invest to take advantage of those opportunities. We will also bring forward the strongest proposals on late payments, to improve cash flow to small businesses, as well as cutting red tape, so that they can take advantage of the opportunities the hon. Member describes.

Parliamentary appearance by Gareth Davies