Courts and Tribunals Bill

Debate between Lord Stace and Lord Evans of Rainow

2nd reading
Tuesday 27th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Stace (Lab) (Maiden Speech)]

My Lords, it is a profound honour to address your Lordships for the first time. I am incredibly grateful to noble Lords across the House for their warm and generous welcome. I thank all the staff of the House for making my arrival so enjoyable: the doorkeepers, the clerks, the catering staff, Black Rod and Garter Principal King of Arms. Their help and humour have carried me through to this moment. To my supporters for my introduction, the Leader of the House and my noble friend Lord Timpson, as well as the Chief Whip, my noble friend Lord Kennedy, I echo publicly what I have said privately: thank you for your kindness, your friendship and your encouragement, and for reminding me that my imposter syndrome, including at this particular moment in time, is perfectly normal—perhaps even desirable, if that means we are humbled by the importance of this place.

I am keen to address certain aspects of the Bill, but first I want to share the journey that led me here, which I hope will give your Lordships some clarity on how I will spend my time here in this House. I strongly believe that where we come from matters, because it shapes what we believe is possible. I grew up in Brighton, or, as the Housing and Communities Secretary called it recently, “Manchester Southeast”—seagulls, summer crowds, crashing waves on pebble shores, and, most autumns, party conferences; a local comprehensive, a tough school and a loving family.

I was the first of my family to go to university. At Hull University, I learned a lot from the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, about the importance of politics, and that it can and should be an honourable profession. Apparently, he also knew a thing or two about the constitution, and I now wish that I had paid slightly closer attention to those lectures. After I graduated, it was wonderful to see my mum Irene go through the Open University, and today my wife Emma works for the Open University.

I pause to commend Michael Young, the late Lord Young of Dartington, and Jennie Lee, the late Baroness Lee of Asheridge, and all the other pioneers of the fantastic, life-changing Open University. Michael Young also founded Which?, where I was deputy chief executive, before running the Australian equivalent, called CHOICE. No matter where in the world, no matter which sector, I have tried to improve the lives of those who are most vulnerable: something which I know stemmed from my upbringing.

From an early age, I knew that my mum, Irene, and my dad, Tim, were a political odd couple: Irene, at times, only a cigarette paper’s width from being a communist; Tim, a devout Thatcherite.

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

Oh!

[Lord Stace (Lab)]

Tim may well be listening and may well be embarrassed or perhaps emboldened by that cheer from the Benches opposite.

For me, over breakfast, there was a choice to be made: should I read the Daily Mail or the Morning Star? Of course, I read both. Both parents in their own way were passionate about improving the lives of others, and I learned that you can argue about means while agreeing about ends, without falling out too much. It is why I have always enjoyed good relations with people with different ideas, perspectives and politics, and I hope to continue that here.

Our personal histories shape us in ways we welcome, and in ways we do not. I have spent my career working with people whose circumstances narrowed their options and squandered their talents: young people without work, people in prison, people whose livelihoods are being destroyed by war or climate change. The people I encounter, whether in Kyiv or Coventry, are not weak people; often they have huge inner strength. But they lack the conditions to allow them to flourish. Many feel that our system is something done to them, not something they belong to. Changing those conditions, building those platforms so that everyone can thrive, is how I want to spend my time here.

I have worked for much of my career supporting young people. I was the chief executive of the Prince’s Trust, now the King’s Trust—His Majesty’s charities are truly life-changing—and I have set up three charities to help young people. Today, I lead on global impact for Howden Insurance Group. In 18 months, we have helped to create a public/private philanthropic solution called Humanity Insured, which is already supporting 2.6 million people, including smallholders across Africa and Asia. That is just in the last 18 months. As an insurance business, we are also helping to make the circumstances possible for the reconstruction of Ukraine: giving confidence to investors to pump billions into schools, hospitals and homes; rebuilding lives and livelihoods.

From the breakfast table to world affairs, I have come to realise that solutions to the greatest challenges our world faces seldom lie with one sector or one immutable ideology over another. From the rehabilitation of prisoners to tackling youth unemployment to rebuilding Ukraine, I have learned that the answers lie in partnership and pragmatism, innovation and inspiration.

I will now turn to the Bill before us. I thank my noble friend the Minister and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, for arranging a prior briefing on the Bill. It is so important that we tackle the inhumanity of a system that allows victims to wait for many years for a court listing and a resolution. As my noble friend the Minister said, justice delayed is justice denied, and the Bill is a welcome step in bringing about greater efficiencies. But I know my noble friend the Minister will agree with me that we must also develop a more ambitious, systems-wide approach to reform; otherwise, we risk shifting the problem, not solving it. Given my background, it may not surprise your Lordships to hear that I am an advocate for doing everything we can to prevent people offending or reoffending in the first place, which, in itself, will relieve pressure on the court system.

At the King’s Trust, it was our mission to help young people find their purpose, to provide hope and to seek to divert them from what, for some, can be an inevitable pathway to prison. As chair of the Prison Reform Trust, I see our brilliant work in helping to create the environment where prisoners can leave prison as productive and successful members of society.

As our Prime Minister said recently:

“You don’t make Britain safer by leaving a younger generation without hope, stuck at home, looking at screens. You do it by giving young people hope again”.


Alan Milburn’s review is a generational moment to make our society happier and healthier, with hope for the next generation. If we do that, our criminal justice system will be more efficient and fair.

At this stage of my speech, I am reminded of advice to speech-makers attributed to Franklin D Roosevelt:

“Be brief, be sincere, be seated”.


The House mandates that I be brief. I have been, and will always be, sincere. And now, I shall be seated.