Jury Trials

Debate between David Davis and Esther McVey

Wednesday 7th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[David Davis (Goole and Pocklington) (Con)]

May I start by commending my right hon. Friend the Member for Newark (Robert Jenrick)? I do not always agree with him—I am not quite Anna Soubry—but on this issue, he struck exactly the right tone. I speak as somebody who has criticised the Ministry of Justice, under all parties, rather vigorously for 30 years, and he struck exactly the right tone in saying that the system has to be put right, given the failures over 30 years and more. We have to address this matter but not take the fundamentals out of the system in the process of doing so.

May I do something unusual and commend the Liberal Democrat spokesman, the hon. Member for Chichester (Jess Brown-Fuller)? She made a very well thought-through speech.

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

You’re going soft!

[Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)]

New year, new David!