Business of the House

Gareth Thomas Excerpts

Thursday 16th April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s frustration if there are railways stations and a railway service that some people are unable to access. The Government have announced an investment of £303 million over four years, via Access for All. I will get him an update from the relevant Minister on what that means for his constituency.

[Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)]

Does my right hon. Friend share my profound disappointment that the Conservative party selected a candidate for the local elections in Harrow who thinks that British-born Asian MPs such as the former Prime Minister and the current Home Secretary are not British, should go back to Pakistan, supports discrimination against Romanians, and thinks there should be mass deportations? May we have a statement on what more can be done to tackle online hatred and curb racism more generally in our politics?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

My hon. Friend raises a very concerning matter. We stand for unity, not division. Racism or any other form of discrimination has absolutely no place in our society. There is a real political choice at these local elections. Pride in Britain and our communities up and down the country stand united against those who would exploit division for their own ends. Where political parties are aware of this situation, they should have the courage to stand up to individuals and they should, even at this late stage in the process of local elections, distance themselves from them.