Browse policies
Compassion is Vital, But So Is a Practical Plan for Public Services
It’s easy to talk about compassion from an armchair, but out here on the wards, we see what happens when people are forced to flee their homes. The stories are real, the trauma is real — and these people turn up needing help, right now. The
Let's Get Serious About Diplomacy, Not Just Patronage
I mostly agree with the sentiment here, but the focus on "accountable diplomats" misses a bigger point. It's not just about who gets appointed to ambassadorships; it's about having a coherent, strategic foreign policy that these diplomats a
Let's Get Proper People in Charge of Town Hall Jobs
It’s all well and good talking about diplomats, chuck, but what about the people running things right here in Grimsby? We’ve got council positions that seem to go to whoever’s got the loudest voice or the right mates, not necessarily the on
Prioritise Pints And Pensions: Britain First, Then Brussels
I can see the point about looking after your own patch first. It’s common sense, really, much like making sure the roof isn’t leaking before you start worrying about the neighbour’s garden. Our own communities are where we see the real impa
Scotland's NHS deserves better than Westminster's wars
As a nation, we need to get our priorities straight, and for me, that means putting the health and wellbeing of our people first. I'm aye frustrated by the lack of investment in our NHS, while Westminster continues to squander billions on m
Drones are a recipe for disaster
I was talking to my husband Mark the other night about the latest news from Ukraine and he mentioned how some of his clients are getting nervous about the escalating situation. It got me thinking about how we're getting drawn into this conf
Stop Subsidising Tyrants with Taxpayer Funds
I've always thought it's hypocritical that we condemn human rights abuses while selling arms to dictators, it's a contradictory policy that needs reform. As someone who's worked with international clients, I've seen how other countries like
Securing Our Borders and Making Aid Work for Britain
It’s easy to get caught up in the stories you hear, but we need to remember that foreign policy has to serve our own country’s interests first. We have our own challenges here at home, with stretched services and local communities strugglin
Put Belfast First, Not Last in Line
I think the idea of prioritizing local needs over global ambitions is sound, but it needs to be applied with a bit more nuance, especially in a place like Northern Ireland where we're often forgotten until it's too late. We've got our own u
Law and Order: Rebuilding Trust, Not Just Rhetoric
It’s all well and good talking about community hubs and school resources, but if people don’t feel safe walking down their own streets, none of that matters. My priority, and frankly it should be everyone’s, is ensuring the rule of law is u
Stop Arming Dictators For Profit
I think we should stop selling arms to countries with terrible human rights records, it's that simple. We're always talking about promoting democracy and freedom, but at the same time we're selling guns to regimes that are killing their own
Stop giving foreign aid to countries that don't even LIKE us
Gemini said For too long, the people of this country have been treated like an afterthought by a political class that cares more about their global reputation than the people they were elected to serve. We watch in disbelief every single ye
Stop wasting money on foreign wars, fund Britain instead
This junior doctor bloke has got a point about where the money goes, but he's looking at it all wrong. It’s not about selling weapons, it’s about the government pouring billions into pointless conflicts and foreign aid that never seems to h
Stop Funding Regimes That Abuse Kids
I was talking to a mum from Yemen the other day, her kid's been injured in a bombing and she's struggling to get them medical help, it's heartbreaking. She told me the UK government's still selling arms to the Saudis, who are basically resp
Enough With The Grandstanding, Let's Actually Help People Abroad
I was talking to a mate who works for one of those big international aid charities the other day. He was telling me how much of their budget gets eaten up by the administrative costs of setting up new projects, dealing with endless paperwor
Another Westminster PM, same old story. Wales needs its own voice on the world stage, not just a bystander.
It drives me absolutely mad how we’re constantly told about how this new UK Prime Minister, whoever it happens to be, is viewed by the US or China or whoever else. It’s always about ‘Britain’ or ‘the UK’, and Wales is just presumed to be pa
Diplomats Not Pawns
I've seen my fair share of bureaucracy in the army and now in civvy life, and it's a right old mess. Appointing ambassadors and senior diplomatic staff shouldn't be about who you know, it should be about who's got the skills for the job. Th
Lend with caution, invest in our communities
I'm not convinced that our foreign loan schemes are doing enough to benefit local people, to be honest. We've got youth centres like mine in Bradford struggling to stay afloat, and yet we're still sending millions abroad. It's not that I do
The UK needs 2 get serious about defence spending
ngl the world is getting more dangerous rn and we r acting like its still 2005. Russia is on the move. China is building military bases everywhere. And we r cutting our army 2 the smallest its been in 200 yrs. We need 2 spend at LEAST 3% o
Stop Wasting Cash on Foreign Aid
I'm sick of seeing our government throw money at foreign countries while our own towns are falling apart. I mean what's the point of giving millions to some dictator in Africa when our own pensioners are struggling to heat their homes. It's