Business of the House

Adrian Ramsay Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I am shocked that six months after my hon. Friend first raised this issue with me, the road to nowhere is still going nowhere fast. She is absolutely right to call out the inaction of the Conservative-run East Sussex county council and Southern Water, both of which I know she challenges day in, day out. I hope she gets some answers.

[Adrian Ramsay (Waveney Valley) (Green)]

The BBC reports that overnight, President Trump approved a plan to attack Iran. There is potentially a very small window of opportunity before he decides whether to escalate this war, so I was concerned yesterday when, in Prime Minister’s questions, the Deputy Prime Minister did not give me a direct response when I asked her to confirm whether the Government would explicitly seek Parliament’s consent for any military support for Israel in this war. Can we have assurances from the Leader of the House that there will be a debate and a free vote in those circumstances? Given the Attorney General’s reported concerns about the legality of Britain’s potential involvement in the crisis, it is critical that we get that opportunity, and I would be grateful for a clear yes/no answer on this issue.

[Lucy Powell]

The most important thing that the British Government are calling for in this situation is de-escalation and diplomacy; that is our first priority. Any other conversations do not meet those ends. As for the principle of the issue, we have been very clear about our position: where there is sustained military action in which our troops could be involved, that would of course be a matter for the House to consider.