Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Jenrick Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Uma Kumaran]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising a topic that he has been speaking about passionately and eloquently for many years. Earlier this month, the Foreign Secretary visited Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian people still living—almost five years on—under the constant threat of Russian strikes, energy blackouts and death. While in Kyiv, he announced a £54 million combined humanitarian and energy support package, which includes £20 million to protect and maintain the electricity, heating and water supply for Ukrainian families ahead of the winter. Alongside that, our £34 million humanitarian package will help about 700,000 vulnerable people, including by maintaining and restoring heating and water services.

[Robert Jenrick (Newark) (Reform)]

The Foreign Secretary and I represent communities 15 miles apart—decent, hard-working people who are finding life very tough at the moment. In that context, how would he justify to working people and pensioners spending £6 billion on foreign aid while freezing the tax-free personal allowance and cutting the state pension? [Interruption.]

[Ed Miliband]

I think the answer came from Members in the right hon. Gentleman’s former party. The money that we spend on foreign aid is absolutely about preventing the problems from elsewhere in the world coming here—to his constituency and mine. At one and the same time, he complains about small boats, which is an issue partly caused by fragile states, and says that we should not be taking action to prevent it. I am afraid that I do not agree with him.