Parliament's party history for this member: Labour ( – present).
Register of interests
Every entry the member has in the Register of Members' Financial Interests, as Parliament currently publishes it. The wording and values are the member's own declarations; nothing here has been assessed by this site.
Totals add only the entries that declare an amount received: payments for work, donations, gifts, and funded visits (register categories 1.1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Ongoing employment is listed but not added, because its figure is a rate rather than a sum received. Each entry is dated by when the benefit happened, not when it was registered, and placed under the party the member sat for on that date. A member who changed party therefore has a separate total for each.
At the Warsaw security forum earlier this month, I discussed with our allies our work to deter and disrupt threats to our democracy from foreign interference. The Prime Minister announced at the UN General Assembly that, in line with the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee, we will establish a national centre for information defence to detect, deter and disrupt information attacks from hostile states. This is a very serious and important issue for our democracies, and all countries need to do more to tackle it.
The hon. Lady raises an important issue, and Governments across the world, and indeed across Europe, need to do more. Since October 2024, this Government have sanctioned 106 entities and individuals responsible for delivering Russia’s information warfare. That includes, in July, sanctioning Rybar, the media company resourced by the Russian state and responsible for spreading false narratives about Ukraine and interfering in European elections, including in Moldova. I hope—indeed, I am confident—that the centre that the Prime Minister announced is something we will work on with our European partners to counter this grave threat to our democratic way of life, frankly, across the world.
My hon. Friend raises an important issue. I recently read the Foreign Affairs Committee’s report on these issues, and that was an important document. He is absolutely right about countering all the threats we face from AI, as well as taking advantage of the opportunities. That is something that the new centre the Prime Minister announced will definitely do.
I and the Prime Minister have always accepted the result of the Brexit referendum, and it is important to say that. I do think it is important, though, that whatever side we were on in that debate or in other debates across this House, we all recognise that Russia is seeking to interfere all the time and to disrupt and destabilise our democracy. I know the right hon. Gentleman has a proud record on these issues.
I am glad that my hon. Friend has raised this. Whether it is in Georgia or elsewhere, it is incredibly important that we speak out in favour of democratic norms and ways of life. We know that we face more of a threat to democracy and the rule of law from hostile actors across the world than at any time since world war two. This Government will bow to nobody in speaking out in favour of democracy and the values shared across this House.
I welcome the hon. Lady to her place. She talks eloquently about the threats we face from across the world, whether that is Russia, Iran or China. It is incredibly important, and this Government will be absolutely resolute in countering these threats whatever form they take. Frankly—this is why this question is so relevant—the threats to our national life have changed. They are not simply the threats we are used to from the past; hybrid warfare is the modern threat, and we will absolutely counter it.
Let me deal directly with the most substantive part of the hon. Member’s question. I think it is a view shared across the House that the ill-gotten gains of Russia and Russian oligarchs must be used for the right purposes, not the wrong purposes. On the question he raised about Chelsea, I will be careful what I say because of legal processes, but we are absolutely determined to take action on that. More broadly, we will be urging in the coming months that our EU partners, along with Britain, move on Russian sovereign assets more generally, because we know that one of the most important things we need to do is give proper support to Ukraine through this winter and beyond, and Russian sovereign assets are an ideal way to do that.
On 8 September I announced new measures to tackle settlement expansion, including a sanctions regime to target those who support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlement activity. We are doing everything in our power to stop the prospect of a two-state solution being destroyed by the expansion of illegal settlements.
My hon. Friend asks an important question. The UK has stepped in to support Palestinian farmers who lost their work permits in green line Israel, but her broader point is the most important one. I am very conscious that today is election day in Israel and that these are matters for the Israeli people. Whichever Government—it is their choice—are elected today, I hope that we can work with them to counter the settler terrorism that we see, because it is in nobody’s interests, not least in the interests of the security of Israel.
Let me join you, Mr Speaker, in wishing my hon. Friend a happy birthday. May I say how well informed you are? I credit your staff, myself.
In all seriousness, the situation in the west bank is horrifying. We are witnessing unprecedented levels of violence, including settler terrorism and ethnic cleansing in some areas. I am not going to speculate on future designations of specific individuals, but we have laid legislation this month to expand the global human rights sanctions regime to target those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law, and we will use those powers.