Functioning of Government

Lindsay Hoyle Excerpts

Thursday 7th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Maclean (Redditch) (Con)]

It was an enormous honour to serve as a Minister in the Home Office until yesterday, tackling violence against women and girls. I know that is a cause that all Members of this House care deeply about. While we are discussing these matters, victims of rape, sexual assault, stalking and spiking continue to deserve justice and they will continue to be victims of crime. Will my right hon. Friend give his continued support to the vital work of Operation Soteria and the rape review. Will he join me in putting on record my thanks to Detective Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, Chief Constable Sarah Crew, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe and many other serving senior police officers who I know will capably continue to drive forward this work? Will he also thank the civil servants in the Home Office who I know will continue to do this essential work?

[Mr Speaker]

I understand it is good to get that on the record but there are a lot of other people I have got to try and get in.

[Michael Ellis]

I will do as my hon. Friend says. I commend her for her championing of this very important area. The rape review and the work thereof should of course continue.

--- Later in debate ---

[Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)]

I am looking at many Tory MPs in the Lobby and everywhere using the word “sadness”, but each and every one of them upheld the Prime Minister and let him carry on. He should have resigned when partygate happened, when Durhamgate happened, when his ethics adviser resigned—he should have resigned a long time ago. Each and every one of them kept him here and now they are trying to take the moral high ground when he is finally on his way out. I will not feel sorry for them. Mr Speaker, how can the Opposition hold Ministers to account when there is not a governing Government?

[Mr Speaker]

It is not for me to answer.

[Michael Ellis]

The people who put the Prime Minister in place are the 14 million people who voted for the Conservative party at the general election.