Tackling Antisemitism: National Security Adviser
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Callanan(1 week, 4 days ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The views to which the noble Lord alludes are held by an individual who does not represent this Government in any capacity. As the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said earlier today, the person concerned is the wife of the National Security Adviser, not the National Security Adviser. In political discourse, it is important to maintain a distinction between government employees and their families.
Lord Callanan (Con)
My Lords, the Campaign Against Antisemitism has expressed serious concerns about the public comments of Sarah Helm, the wife of the National Security Adviser, to whom the Minister just referred. The Government have said, quite rightly, that Sarah Helm does not represent them. However, in a post during a public exchange on X last night, in response to the question of whether her husband was involved in the decision to proscribe Palestine Action, Sarah Helm denied it and said, “Nope”. Can the Minister tell the House how Ms Helm knew whether her husband was involved? None of us knows who in government was involved in that decision. How does she know who was involved?
European Union: Trade
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Callanan
Lord Callanan (Con)
My Lords, the Minister just told the House that there would be no return to freedom of movement. The Prime Minister is travelling to Brussels next week to meet with EU leaders. According to media reports this morning, they are going to ask him to agree to a new youth mobility scheme. Can the Minister say whether that is not a return to freedom of movement?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
A youth mobility scheme is absolutely not a return to freedom of movement. If the noble Lord wishes to have a longer discussion about the youth mobility scheme, there will be a longer debate on this issue later today. We will obviously be looking at EU proposals on a range of issues, but there are no plans for a Europe-wide youth mobility scheme.