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:

The Afghanistan family reunion pathway still hasn't been implemented - this has to change

On the 19th of September 2023 Barry called on the government to implement the Afghanistan family reuinion pathway.

This is a “matter of honour” and a “matter of huge personal commitment” Barry told the House as he called on the Minister to “please increase the number of officials dealing with family reunion.

The people of Damask Court have been let down - When will the government act?

“When will the government act to end this misery?” This is the question that Barry asked Ministers in a speech to the commons on the issue of unsafe housing.

“The government knows that thousands of families are going to sleep tonight in unsafe apartment buildings” and yet they are taking no action. Something has to change.

Climate change isn't just damaging the environment- it's damaging our security

On the 13th of July 2023, Barry asked Rishi Sunak a question in response to the Prime Minister’s statement on the NATO summit.

475 new military sites and 50 major new military bases have been built by Russia on its northern frontier, its northern flank, in the past six years. Barry explained how this demonstrates why the melting of the arctic, caused by climate change, is damaging the enviornment and our security.

Barry expanded on this issue in the Guardian back in June, which you can read here.

The Government's anti-BDS legislation would have prevented protest of Apartheid South Africa

On the 3rd of July 2023 Michael Gove introduced his anti-Israel boycott bill, designed to stop local councils introducing their own “BDS” — boycott, divestment and sanctions — measures against Israel.

In an intervention on Lisa Nandy’s speech, Barry asked the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities whether she thought that this Bill would have restricted the boycotts of Apartheid South Africa, which had real impact at the time - so much so that Nelson Mandela included local authorities in his thanks to the UK.

Barry is proud to have been one of 10 Labour MPs to vote against this Bill.

The truth is we are not on a path for Net Zero

On the 6th of June 2023, Barry made a speech during the Westminster Hall debate on Government Policy on reaching Net Zero, where he argued that more needs to be done to achieve 2050 targets.

Barry specifically took aim at the Government’s “market led and technology driven” route to Net Zero, arguing that this is merely the Tory cover for a voluntarist, business-as-usual system, which lacks any of the incentive or enforcement that we need.

There is a fundamental incoherence to the Government’s approach to climate change, with huge differences in what they promote abroad and what they do at home.

Without a clear and structured plan to achieve Net Zero, our targets will never be met.

Barry grills Environment Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, on rising food prices

“it is your responsibility to regulate the market”, Barry told Environment Secretary as he interrogated her on rising food prices.

In the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on 28 March 2023, Barry questioned Thérèse Coffey on food price inflation and what the government are doing to help families suffering food poverty.

Barry presented Coffey with the statement by John Allen, the CEO of Tesco, that supermarkets were partaking in “excess profiteering”.

When Coffey demanded that Allen provide “evidence for his assertions”, Barry made clear that is in fact the Minister’s responsibility to regulate the market.

Budget 2023

On 15 March, Barry spoke in the debate on the 2023 Spring Budget. He took this opportunity to challenge not only the Chancellor’s speech, but speeches from other members as well. Barry also expressed his disappointment at the lack of environmental policies in the Chancellor’s speech and called for a “Green filter” to be placed on the research and development tax credit. See Barry’s full speech here:

Illegal Migration Bill Statement

Barry rose in the Statement on the Illegal Migration Bill to challenge the Home Secretary on the failure of the safe route for Afghani migrants and the intention to criminalise migrants for their choice of transportation. Watch Barry’s question here:

Leaseholders and Managing Agents Westminster Hall Debate

On February 28th, Barry held a debate in Westminster Hall on Leaseholders and Managing Agents. He took the opportunity to raise the profile of leaseholders who are faced with exorbitant service charges from dishonest managing agents. Barry also took the opportunity to name and shame some of the organisations involved. You can watch Barry’s contributions to the debate below:

Speaking out against Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Barry intervened three times in opposition to the Third Reading of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. He raised the point that strikes have led to a variety of Health and Safety legislation being brought in that has made the workplace safer. Barry also raised issues surrounding existing legislation, that the Government is attempting to give employers the power to force employees back to work, something that not even the Courts can do, and forcing Trade Unions to expel members that vote to withdraw their labour.

Criminal Building Companies

Barry questions Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, about the Government’s plans to thwart building companies from re-starting up under new names to avoid accountability for illegal activities.

Power in the Union: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

During the second reading of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, Barry pointed to the Bill’s constitutional significance and impact on devolved nations. Barry highlighted that legislating powers to Ministers to override devolved legislation passed by the Senedd and Scottish Parliament would only provoke and better equip those who seek the dissolution of the United Kingdom.

MPs speak on Iranian Human Rights Violations

“Whether or not I sign the confession papers, they will kill me”.

Today in the Commons, Barry read the emotional testimony of Mr Hassan Firouzi, who has been sentenced to death in Iran.

Barry and many other MPs have committed to speaking out on the Human Rights violations perpetrated by the Iranian government.

Listen to Barry’s question during the Urgent Question on the execution of Alireza Akbari, and the Foreign Secretary’s response:

Linking Stamp Duty to Energy Efficiency rating

Barry intervened during the debate on the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Reduction) Bill to question Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Victoria Atkins, over the possibility of linking Stamp Duty to the Energy Efficiency rating of properties.

Watch him ask this question below:

UK's rate of emissions cutting "not sufficient"

Barry intervened during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons about the COP 27 climate summit to point out that while it may be true that the UK is reducing emissions faster than other countries, it is not sufficient to meet the targets.

He asked the minister what the government was doing to ensure there was enough “new money” - not previously announced “old money” - to fund the Glasgow Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) adequately going forward.

How profiteering, not workers' pay claims, is fuelling inflation

“Workers’ wage demands are not fuelling inflation, they are following it, and responding to it in desperation as they see their living standards eroded - first by genuinely inflationary pressures and then by company profiteering.”

Barry intervened in the House of Commons in the debate on the Autumn Statement by highlighting how profit margins for the UK’s biggest listed companies are now 73 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

A survey of retailers earlier this year revealed that firms are actively using inflation to boost their profits by increasing prices more than the increase in their costs - an act of gouging which then creates further waves of inflation.

Barry called on the Labour front bench to do more to make the case that workers are not causing inflation.

“When companies themselves tell us they’re ripping us off, it’s time for politicians to listen and to act.”

Watch Barry’s speech 🔽

Safer Neighbourhoods Police time

Barry called on the Home Secretary to commit to publishing figures on the “abstraction” (taking) of Safer Neighbourhood Police Team hours, after it was revealed that Brent has seen 320 hours abstracted in the last three months.

He said it was important that the figures are made public as communities need to be able to access the information to know if the teams are there, acting for them.

Watch him ask the question 🔽