"My Lords, I rise to express my strong opposition to the Marking of Retail Goods Regulations 2025, which I believe constitute a profound assault upon Northern Ireland, representing yet another indictment of EU imperialism tightening its grip around the neck of Northern Ireland.
"My Lords, if such a review were to take place, would the Minister and the Government reaffirm that exercising the freedom to stand silently praying in a public place is not an act of hostility and should therefore not be considered a criminal office within the United Kingdom?..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"My Lords, as a former Member of the other place for 25 years, I was not only a target for IRA murder gangs but actual attempts were made on my life and those of my family. I ask the Leader of the House whether she accepts that this group, named …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"My Lords, in Northern Ireland, the practice is that funerals are held three days after death. Does the Minister think that anything can be learned from that?..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"There are 300 areas of law that apply to people in Northern Ireland over which no elected representative, either here or in the Northern Ireland Assembly, has any control. That has not happened for England, Scotland, or Wales. I cannot understand how the noble Baroness, who has a bright past …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"My Lords, I speak in support of the amendment in the names of my noble friends Lady Hoey and Lord Morrow, having similarly been in receipt of representations from young people in Northern Ireland.
What the Minister for the Constitution, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said is worthy of repeating:
"My Lords, the real backcloth to this debate is that 58% of all murders were perpetrated by republicans and 29.2%, we are told, were carried out by loyalists. We are told that 10% were at the hands of security forces. Whenever you drill down into that figure, however, you will …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"My Lords, I represented this area for 14 years in the other place. On 16 February 1992, four IRA terrorists in a lorry with a mounted heavy machine gun and three other AKM rifles attacked the Coalisland police station, like a scene from the Wild West. After doing so, they …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Foster for securing this debate asking His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to deal with the glorification of terrorism. Page 3 of the helpful House of Lords Library paper outlines the definition of terrorism. It says that the 2000 Act …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech
"Like my colleagues, I support the regret amendment put down by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I preface my remarks by thanking the Minister for the gracious manner in which she has always dealt with concerns expressed by noble Lords, even when those opinions were very different from those of …..." Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown - View Speech