Death of Ann Widdecombe

Debate between Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston and Lord Hanson of Flint

Tuesday 14th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend and I agree with and wholeheartedly support his wish for the police to be allowed to get on with the investigation. I was just checking my phone because the police are in fact making a statement as we speak. I cannot update the House on the level of co-operation between Devon & Cornwall Police and Counter Terrorism Policing, but both have the same objective, which is to bring to account an individual, at some point and whoever that individual may be, for this crime. I wish them well in their success and I hope they have speedy outcomes to those investigations.

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords, I send my condolences to Ann Widdecombe’s family. I served as a Member of Parliament with her on the other side and, rather surprisingly, when I stepped down as an MP in 2017, a very kind letter arrived from Ann thanking me for my public service. There was always a side to her that we did not anticipate.

One of the things in the light of this is again quite extraordinary. Apart from the armed services, which other profession could say, as many of us in here have said, that three, four or five of our colleagues have been killed in the performance of their duty? One very concrete thing I ask of the Minister is to take a very close look at our home addresses, whether of Members of Parliament or of Members of this House. This is probably the most vulnerable data, and we need to ensure it is not publicly accessible.

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

If the noble Baroness will allow, I will not give an opinion on that immediately. It is important that, through the Robert Buckland review, we look at the security issues for all elected parliamentarians and Members of this House. I say that simply because we can jump to speedy conclusions on a whole range of matters, but ultimately we commissioned a review from Robert Buckland in the light of the murder of Sir David Amess and I am waiting for that review to come back with a general review of security. We will work with the authorities in the House of Commons, and indeed with the House authorities here, to see whether improvements can be made. The bottom line in all this is that every person who holds public office has the right to hold that office free from fear and free to enjoy their property free from demonstrations. The noble Baroness will also know, as I have reminded myself in my comments now, that in the police and crime Act we passed legislation that prevents demonstrations outside the properties of Members of Parliament.

Police Leadership Commission Report

Debate between Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston and Lord Hanson of Flint

Wednesday 8th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for bringing his experience of policing at a leadership level to the debate and this discussion. He will know that leadership is critical in delivering high performance and for the public. The recommendations intend to help generate that discussion and to focus on how we improve leadership. Last year, for example, we had significant levels of vacancy for chief constable positions and a relatively small pool, sometimes internal, of people applying for them. We need to encourage better use of senior leadership.

I was a Member of Parliament for 28 years and my local police force probably had around 30 police superintendents during that time. That is not sustainable for continuity and performance. We have very strong leadership at the top of the triangle but a large pool of officers at the bottom end who need to be recognised for the work they do, and encouraged to have training and to have ambition to go through the system in a positive way. We will look at the recommendations and I give my noble friend the assurance that we will report back when we have had a chance to consider them in detail.

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords, I am grateful for the report and I see that the recommendations include the creation of a national academy of police leadership. I declare my interest, as the First Civil Service Commissioner, as a regulator for entry into the senior Civil Service. I argue that, at that level of leadership, the different professions—whether it be the Armed Forces, the police or the most senior civil servants—have a lot to learn from each other and would benefit from each other’s experiences. As the Government respond to that, I urge the Minister to look at other professions and top-level leadership so that they can learn from each other and exchange their experiences.

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

My noble friend brings great experience from her role in the Civil Service Commission to the matter of recruiting individuals at a senior level. It is quite clear—the report makes this point very strongly—that police officers at all levels must be able to develop skills earlier in their career to enable them to develop and progress. The commission’s report highlights the fact that policing needs a clearer and more coherent system that supports professional development at all ranks. As the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Gower, mentioned, there are undoubtedly lessons and models that can be looked at in other aspects of society that will help support the development process.

Muslim Brotherhood

Debate between Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston and Lord Hanson of Flint

Monday 5th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

President Trump is responsible for the policy of the United States. The noble Lord will know that, before Christmas, the United States produced a document on its approach to foreign policy. We are an independent nation and we will look at any issues with the interests of the United Kingdom. In this case, going back to the original Question from the noble Lord, Lord Godson, the evidence President Trump has called for in relation to the Muslim Brotherhood has not yet been completed, so it would be very foolish of us to make a decision on that issue, which we keep under review at all times, without even seeing what the Americans have said. We will examine the issue, and we will always be an independent nation responsible for our own foreign policy.

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords, the Minister said that a range of other tools is available to the Government to deal with particular threats, and he mentioned the Charity Commission. Could I press him a little more on whether this is an area in which they are taking more actions or taking a closer look in relation to the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and registered charities associated with it?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

The Charity Commission has monitored, is monitoring and will continue to monitor the performance of any organisation that meets charitable objectives. I know it is already examining some areas that the noble Baroness has brought forward. It is a matter for the Charity Commission to make a judgment on charitable status; it is not a matter for the Government to suggest or intervene on. I know it keeps it under review and will make recommendations to government if required, which we can act upon.

Iranian State Threats

Debate between Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston and Lord Hanson of Flint

Thursday 6th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I understand where the noble Lord is coming from. We keep proscription under review at all times. It is an option for the Government at any time, in relation not only to Iran but to other agencies and countries as well. It is not a silver bullet: the organisation does not disappear just because proscription has taken place. What we have done—I hope that the noble Lord will bear with us on this—is ask the independent reviewer of terrorism, Jonathan Hall, to look at the legislation generally and at issues to do with proscription in the wider context.

I welcome the noble Lord’s comments on the Jewish community. One of the drivers for this is to ensure that members of the Jewish community have security from any state threats that are made to them. He would wish to know that around £18 million is being provided up to 2027-28 for security measures where members of the Jewish community feel they need them for places of worship. That is, again, a secondary, but very important, measure that the Government are putting in place to ensure that people feel safe in their communities.

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords, it has been reported that President Putin has been making overtures to the Iranian regime to act as a broker in the relationship with President Trump. May I therefore urge him to talk to his colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that our Five Eyes partners and all those who work together to defend democracy do not ignore this new threat?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend, with whom I shared time on the Intelligence and Security Committee. The situation with President Putin is one that the Government continue to keep under review. I will draw her comments to the attention of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. It is extremely important not only that we understand the Iranian threat, but that we assess and understand the threat from Russia. Therefore, I take on board her comments and will feed them into the system.