Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sarah Pochin and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 4th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

Q4. Given the Prime Minister’s desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he—in the interests of public safety—follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others, and ban the burqa?

[The Prime Minister]

I welcome the hon. Lady to her place. I am not going to follow her down that line, but now she is in Parliament and safely in her place, perhaps she could tell her new party leader that his latest plan to bet £80 billion of unfunded tax cuts with no idea how he is going to pay for them is Liz Truss all over again—although, considering that I think the hon. Lady was a Conservative member when Liz Truss was leader, she probably will not.

UK-EU Summit

Debate between Sarah Pochin and Keir Starmer

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

An hour and a half, and we have only just got to pet passports—but I am really glad my hon. Friend mentions it. The deal contains an advance for pet passports, along with the many other advances that will progress as soon as possible. I assume that the Conservatives are against pet passport progress as well.

[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

Will the Prime Minister admit to the British people that this deal takes the country back under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which is now able once again to overrule our courts, meaning we are surrendering our judicial sovereignty?

[The Prime Minister]

No, that is just wrong under the agreement. There is an independent arbitration—