Speeches by Jopp.

“Let’s turn it the other way around. In the first Gulf war, my then girlfriend was dispatched to Silvermans in the east end to buy most of 7 platoon’s desert boots, which she then sent over. We are celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary on 7 May, so the story has a happy ending—the boots clearly fit. I personally woul…”

“I am afraid that this will test your statement that the fact you are interim makes no difference. The Secretary of State stood at the Dispatch Box the other day and said that he had spoken to the commander of the British forces in Cyprus, and he quoted him directly as saying, “I have been given everything I have asked …”

“At the risk of loading the dice too much—do you feel empowered to “rock the boat” fairly early on, if you see things that you think need changing?”

“If you are confirmed, on 1 April you will become the commissioner.”

“It is good to know that the Secretary of State is sticking by his own 10/30 rule—in fact, broke it very impressively. Can we look at the fact that it is an interim appointment? That could set up a dynamic all its own. Clearly you have to set it up and, one would hope, set it up in a way that, whoever inherits it, or if…”

“Three weeks, flash to bang. Mr Bailey moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. Given that it has been so quick, how much research and preparation have you done? Have you, for example, had a chance to read the Act under which you will operate?”

“Obviously, we had a Bill Committee to create the Act that you will be operating under. This is a phrase that I never thought I would say out loud, but I recommend that you listen to the proceedings of the Bill Committee, just so that you understand the things that we debated. One of the things that we did not grapple w…”

“I associate myself with your comments, Mr Speaker, about the Table Clerk and I wish him happiness in his next steps. I also wish the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) many happy returns. Second Reading of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill took place on 18 November, and the remedial order, which removed the prot…”

“So that sort of bypass circuit. That was done—in my view, disastrously—with all these command sergeant majors and command warrant officers. You will be, not up against that, but you will have to handle that as well, because that is the role that they think that they are doing as well.”

“On your relationship with the chain of command—cards on the table, I am not a fan of the Act or the appointment because fundamentally I think it undermines the chain of command. The chain of command should be made to do better. We should not need you, but now that you are in post, I support you, and I hope that you suc…”

“That is pretty breakneck speed for the British civil service, isn’t it?”

“With the points the hon. Member has just made, it seems he has forgotten that a year ago his own party suspended seven of its Back Benchers for voting with an SNP proposal to lift the two-child benefit cap. If he is going to be quite so forthright in his criticism of us, could he explain why his Government have done su…”

“I am grateful to the Liberal Democrat spokesman for giving way. I think he is warming up to his leader’s new Dr Strangelove plot to have his own independent nuclear weapon. Could he tell us how much it is going to cost the UK?”

“The Minister is very generous with her time, and I am grateful to her for that. She welcomed the research funded by the SUDC UK in Bristol, but I do not think we have heard any commitment to Government-funded research into this area. Will she clarify whether she will take that forward?”

“When I was new to this place, I clearly did something very wrong, because the accommodation Whip allocated me an office that is geographically nearer to Trafalgar Square than to this Chamber. There is one compensating benefit, which is that when I look out of the window, I can see the statue of General Bernard Law Mont…”

“Will the hon. Member give way?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I thank the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae) for securing this debate. I also recognise my predecessor as the Member of Parliament for Spelthorne, Kwasi Kwarteng, who sponsored this debate back in 2023. All Members have expressed that they …”

“Was the hon. Member in the Chamber to hear the Prime Minister make his statement on the war in the middle east, in which he said that British sovereign bases, British troops and British people had been attacked? He said that it was therefore right that we defend ourselves, but that we cannot shoot all the drones out of…”

“As ever, the hon. Member is making an incredibly powerful speech. I know he feels these things incredibly strongly. I am sure we are all looking forward to his closing remarks.”

“It was zero before, so it would be an increase.”