Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jen Craft and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 26th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

We have invested a record £11.8 billion in sustainable farming this Parliament, and we set out a 25-year farming road map focused on increasing year-on-year productivity and profitability in farms, and that is vitally important.

[Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)]

Q12. Last week, the covid inquiry reported that 23,000 deaths occurred in England in the first wave of the pandemic that could have been prevented due to the UK response being too little, too late. Those were not just 23,000 deaths; they were 23,000 people who had family and friends who loved them, and valuable lives that were cut short due to an abysmal failure of leadership by Boris Johnson and his Government. Those people were categorically failed by a Prime Minister who prevaricated, delayed and prioritised political expediency over making the tough decisions that could have averted tragedy. If the Prime Minister were to lead us through the next pandemic, would he value saving lives above all else?

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right; the report is a sombre moment. It is important to remember the scale of suffering and the scale of the loss of life, which is made clear in the testimonies of the families in the report, and to remember the incredible contribution of frontline workers and everyone who focused on protecting others. We are committed to learning the lessons we need to learn from the covid inquiry to protect and prepare us for the future. The pandemic still weighs heavily on our public finances and our NHS. That is why we have already conducted a pandemic exercise to test preparedness, and agreed a historic global pandemic agreement to improve our ability to prevent global disease threats, alongside our partners.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jen Craft and Keir Starmer

Wednesday 16th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Yes—we speak with one voice. The right hon. Gentleman speaks about the record of the last Government. That record was 14 years of failure. Six years of austerity, three years of Brexit logjam, then Johnson, Truss and the present Leader of the Opposition—utter failure. This Government were elected to do things differently, make fairer choices, and most importantly, give Britain its future back. We will fix the foundations, with a long-term plan to grow our economy, protect working people and rebuild our country.

[Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)]

Q8. Two years ago, Thurrock Council was led into effective bankruptcy by the then Conservative Administration, in no small part due to an investment of hundreds of millions of pounds in a solar farm scheme run by a conman. Given the Prime Minister’s commitment to integrity in public life, will he support my call, and those of my constituents, for a public inquiry, so that those responsible can finally be held to account?