Speeches by Brandreth.

“If they had concluded the security vetting process, as was Simon Case’s recommendation, prior to formally making an announcement of the appointment, would that have changed the judgment that you made in terms of granting security clearance?”

“If they had concluded the security vetting process, as was Simon Case’s recommendation, prior to formally making an announcement of the appointment, would that have changed the judgment that you made in terms of granting security clearance?”

“Okay. You were required to make the ultimate decision to grant or not grant security clearance. Given that, as you have said, the public announcement of Lord Mandelson’s appointment had already been made, in December ’24, before you took up the post, given that the White House had already confirmed it would accept, and…”

“Could there have been information from UKSV that would have changed your decision?”

“You say that you follow due process. Would you say that you would have made the same decision to grant clearance if it had been any other person being considered for ambassador? For example, if it had been a civil servant being considered rather than a political appointment, do you think you would have made the same ju…”

“Thank you. I want to focus on the decision process that you went through to consider the recommendation of UK Security Vetting and the ultimate decision that you made to grant security clearance. When you were considering the recommendation and the risks that were brought to you by UKSV, did the findings, in your view,…”

“In retrospect, with everything that we know now, do you regret granting security clearance for Lord Mandelson?”

“Before moving on to the main things I want to discuss, on the point that has just been talked about, when exactly were these conversations taking place?”

“In retrospect, with everything that we know now, do you regret granting security clearance for Lord Mandelson?”

“What was the reason, in your opinion, that it didn’t move forwards?”

“But you say you regret that the announcement was made before security clearance was granted; yet, at the same time, you have said that it would make no difference to your decision to grant security clearance. What would you have done differently in that case? Is it that you would have then chosen to alert the Foreign S…”

“You say that you follow due process. Would you say that you would have made the same decision to grant clearance if it had been any other person being considered for ambassador? For example, if it had been a civil servant being considered rather than a political appointment, do you think you would have made the same ju…”

“But is it fair to say that he did ask you?”

“But you say you regret that the announcement was made before security clearance was granted; yet, at the same time, you have said that it would make no difference to your decision to grant security clearance. What would you have done differently in that case? Is it that you would have then chosen to alert the Foreign S…”

“Thank you for that answer. Yesterday the Prime Minister was asked by the right hon. Member for New Forest East, “Before sacking Oliver Robbins last week, did the Prime Minister ask him why he overruled the verdict of the security vetters, and if so, what was his explanation?” The Prime Minister replied, “I did ask him,…”

“T3. A local employer—himself a former apprentice—tells me that his industry is now in crisis, with his firm’s apprentice intake falling from 60 to just 20 this year due to this Government’s decisions. Meanwhile, Reaseheath College is having to turn students away and restrict courses in agricultural engineering and cons…”

“I will now turn to why we need consistency for headteachers, schools, parents and children, particularly in relation to a mobile phone ban. Lords amendment 106 mandates schools to prohibit the use and possession of a smartphone during the school day. It is an amendment that could have been written in headteachers’ offi…”

“We are at a point where it is no longer credible to ignore the scale of the challenge posed by social media to children and young people. Platforms and algorithms are designed and deliberately engineered to maximise engagement, capture attention, and keep users scrolling for as long as possible. As adults, we can take …”

“The war in the middle east is having a real effect on my constituents. From fuel to fertiliser, prices are increasing, and action needs to be taken to alleviate the consequences. Although there are immediate steps that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor should be taking, not least reversing the planned increase in f…”

“T7. Red diesel prices have shot up by 60%, a third of the world’s fertiliser goes through the strait of Hormuz, and energy prices are skyrocketing. All that is creating challenges for farmers, and will ultimately affect the prices we pay for food in the shops. What is the Minister doing to work across Departments to re…”