On July 25th 2024 Barry held an adjournment debate on Biological Diversity, in which he argued that more must be done to not just protect nature, but to save it.
The UK has the lowest taxes on oil and gas profits in the whole world
On the 22nd of July 2024 Barry asked the Chancellor Rachel Reeves if she will look at the UK’s taxes on oil and gas profits. The UK has the lowest tax in the world, at 38%, the average being 74%.
We cannot forget the crumbling concrete in our schools, homes and hospitals
On 19 July 2024 Barry called on the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden to extend his talk of resilience to the RAAC scandal, where buildings faced potential collapse due to crumbling concrete.
Pat McFadden reassured Barry that, whilst this issue ahs dropped down on the news agenda somwhat, it has not been forgotten by this new Labour Government.
What are the government doing to pressure the Israeli government on human rights?
On 19 July 2024 Barry welcomed the government’s reinstatement of funding for aid organisation UNWRA.
Barry reaffirmed his belief in the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, whilst also calling on the recently appointed Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, to outline what leverage he will use to push the Israeli government to end the violence.
Fighting climate change by protecting our Oceans - Ratifying the Global Oceans Treaty
On 25 April 2024 Barry spoke in a Westminster Hall debate ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty.
“I don’t know how much you think about whale poo” said Barry, “but understanding the importance of it for life on our planet is quite sobering”.
The government are making decisions based on politics, not on reality
On 23 April 2024 Barry grilled Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries and Greg Hands MP, Minister for Trade Policy on UK trade policy for food and agriculture.
Barry questioned the two Ministers on the government’s “political” approach to food labelling standards.
We cannot forget the palliative wraparound care that hospices to families affected by serious illness
On 23 April 2024 Barry intervened on a debate over hospice funding to emphasise the important role that hospices play in palliative care for children and for their families.
Crisis in Gaza: Since when did the Tories become the Party of appeasement?
On 17 April 2024, there was an Urgent Question on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Barry asked: “Since when did the Party of Edmund Burke become a Party of complicity and appeasement?”
In the words of Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
If the government can legislate that Rwanda is safe they may as well legislate that sugar will no longer damage health
On April 15 2024 Barry intervened to ask his colleague Steven Kinnock if he shared his “marvel” at the government’s ability to simply rule that Rwanda is a safe country.
Will the government use its amazing power to legislate that “CO2 no longer causes global warming and that sugar, fat and alcohol will no longer damage human health”.
The price for the government's failrue will be paid for by hard pressed families
On 16 April 2024 Barry asked the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho to “fess up” and tell the truth that the price of her failure “will be paid for by hard pressed families”.
Independent analysis says that Labour’s plans will reduce families’ energy bills by £300 a year.
What will the UK do if Israel chooses to retaliate further to Iran?
On April 15 2024 Barry asked the Prime Minister:
“Iran sought to justify its unjustifiable attack on Israel on the basis that it was retaliating for Israel's attack on its consulate. I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister has said that in his telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu later today, he will be urging de-escalation. In that telephone conversation, will he set out the measures the UK will take if, in fact Israel seeks to retaliate further?”
"Racism and anti-Jewish hatred must not be allowed to hide behind any political mask"
On the 19th of February 2024 Barry asked the Minister of State for the Home Department that, “whatever one believes about the actions of Israeli government, racism and anti-Jewish hatred must not be allowed to hide being any political mask”.
This came after a student outside of JFS was attacked outside of the school, the perpetrators goaded the student about the situation in Palestine.
The Conservative's Leasehold Reform pretends to solve the issue - it will fail
On the 27th of February 2024 Barry made a speech in the 3rd reading of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill in which he stated that whilst it “pretends” address the issues" it will “fail”.
“The proposals put in front of us today do not liberate leaseholders… it will be left to a future Labour government to do so”.
"I will not vote to make Britain colder and poorer"
On Tuesday the 20th of February 2024 Barry spoke against the Conservative government’s Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill which would make Britain “colder and poorer”.
Barry described the bill as a "20th century piece of legislation” stating that it will be left to a future government to fix our “broken energy system”.
The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill represents a "terrifying future" for our children
On the 22nd of January 2024 Barry made a speech into the House against the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill, describing it as a “sad attempt to sow division and polarise our politics.”
Barry argued that this Bill is a demonstration that the government has “given up governing” and is “out of step with the British people’s priorities”.
“The government is failing to understand that to transition away from fossil fuels, you have to stop producing them”.
Barry is proud to condemn this Bill to the same fate as this Conservative government, “a vote of no confidence”.
Barry intervenes in Post Office scandal statement
On 8 January 2024, Barry intervened in the statement on the Horizon compensations and convictions. He challenged the Minister to confirm that the maximum punishment for public servants who willingly knowingly caused harm or financial damage to an innocent party is life imprisonment.
You can watch Barry’s intervention below:
Food banks deserve our praise and thanks, it's the job of the government to make them redundant.
On the 14th of December 2023 Barry asked the Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, to join him in thanking food banks for all the work they do. In particular mentioning the amazing support that the London Community Kitchen and the Sufra Food Bank provides the Brent community.
Barry called on Penny Mordaunt to host a debate in the new year, not just to praise food banks but to make them “redundant”.
Barry schools former Tory Minister on leasehold history
Barry intervened on a speech by former Housing Minister Rachel Maclean to correct her on the history of leasehold legislation in the UK.
Maclean claimed that Labour had failed to introduce leasehold legislation as they “bowed to pressure from the freeholder”, claiming that “we will never know why”.
Barry corrected her, pointing out that it was in fact the House of Lords at the time in the early 2000s, the filled with a majority of Conservatives, that blocked Labour’s leasehold reform. Barry also points out that at this time, 66% of Lords listed on the register of interests that they earned the “majority of their income from the management of land”.
This Government offers "no hope" to battle pensioner poverty
Winter is coming, the government must get help to those who need it, to our most struggling fuel poor citizens.
On the 9th of November 2023 Barry made a spoke up for those suffering from fuel poverty in the King’s Speech debate on Energy Security.
If we levelled tax on oil and gas at the global average we would have “an extra £14 billion into the public purse” - how can the Government explain this to the 4706 families who lost families to excess deaths during winter? It’s simple, she can’t.
Create safe asylum routes for Afghan refugees now
On the 17th of October 2023, Barry introduced a Westminster Hall debate on the subject of Safe asylum routes for Afghan refugees.
“We had 540 government staff working on the Homes for Ukraine scheme… the number of full time staff handling the Arab scheme was just 36… I do not want the Ukrainians to get fewer resources, I want the Afghans to get as many”. The government must explain this disparity, Barry argued.
“The government know how to decrease small boat crossings… establish safe asylum routes for Afghan refugees”, Barry stated, as he made clear that in the first 8 months of 2023 1/5 people crossing the channel in small boats were Afghan.
You cant watch Barry’s full speech and Minister Robert Jenrick’s response below: