Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Cooper and Ed Miliband

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Ed Miliband]

Let me deal directly with the most substantive part of the hon. Member’s question. I think it is a view shared across the House that the ill-gotten gains of Russia and Russian oligarchs must be used for the right purposes, not the wrong purposes. On the question he raised about Chelsea, I will be careful what I say because of legal processes, but we are absolutely determined to take action on that. More broadly, we will be urging in the coming months that our EU partners, along with Britain, move on Russian sovereign assets more generally, because we know that one of the most important things we need to do is give proper support to Ukraine through this winter and beyond, and Russian sovereign assets are an ideal way to do that.

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of future levels of uranium enrichment planned by Iran.

--- Later in debate ---

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

T7. The Foreign Office facilitated a trip to Dublin for the Scottish First Minister, John Swinney. There, he met the egregious Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin to discuss the break-up of Britain. Why are British taxpayers paying for such nonsense?

[Ed Miliband]

Our belief in the United Kingdom and in keeping our United Kingdom together is absolute and clear. The First Minister of Scotland can have his visits.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Cooper and Ed Miliband

Tuesday 24th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

T8. Nith Inshore Rescue in my constituency has lost a sponsor that provided it with free fuel, because of soaring costs. Will the Secretary of State go to the Chancellor and point out that VAT and fuel costs are a matter of life and death in remote and rural Scotland?

[Ed Miliband]

The Chancellor will have heard the hon. Member’s question, because she is in the room. My right hon. Friend is providing support for people but on a platform of fiscal stability, which the Conservative party would do well to understand.

COP29

Debate between John Cooper and Ed Miliband

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Ed Miliband]

We obviously have to look at all these issues. These global levies and taxes are always quite complex and difficult things to make happen. We have said that we will support the idea of the maritime levy, but we need to proceed cautiously on these issues, because frankly it is important that the finance is provided, and we will obviously engage in those discussions in the months ahead.

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

As champions of the North sea, the previous Government underpinned 200,000 jobs right across the UK. What does the Secretary of State say to Offshore Energies UK, which says that the Government’s energy tax has stripped out around £13 billion of investment in the North sea—money that will not be recovered by the anaemic and frankly invisible GB Energy?

[Ed Miliband]

We just disagree on the idea that we should not have taxed the unearned profits of the energy companies, which were paid for directly by the British people. If the hon. Gentleman wants to say that we should not have had a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies, he is way out of line with his constituents.