Oral Answers to Questions

Emily Thornberry Excerpts

Wednesday 29th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I am grateful to the hon. Member for raising this matter. As he knows, local councils received an increase in their settlement this year, so they have more money to deal with the problems that they face. They were underfunded and broken by the previous Government. We have now put that support funding in place. That is the right thing to do.

[Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury) (Lab)]

Q14. It was such great news when the Government decided that it was right to pay compensation to the LGBT veterans who had unfairly lost their jobs. Unfortunately, those veterans are not alone. There are others who have been prepared to lay down their lives on behalf of the country who have also been treated disgracefully. I include in that list my constituent who was sacked from MI6 simply for being gay. Will my right hon. and learned Friend please commit to righting that wrong and to meeting my constituent?

[The Prime Minister]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for raising this really important issue. All those who serve our country deserve our fullest respect and gratitude. That is why we are righting the historic wrongs inflicted on LGBT veterans, already significantly increasing the compensation available and enabling them to get their ranks restored. I know that this is a real issue for the Foreign Secretary. He is looking at it, and I will make sure that she gets to talk to him about it. We do need to deal with this historic injustice; she is right about that.