John Redwood

Latest speeches

1. House of Lords · House of Lords · 17 September 2026

   • Statement: Education and skills reform: curriculum, pathways and devolution

     “Given the need for more work experience and more apprenticeships and other support from the private sector, will the government look again at the very damaging tax rises and regulatory changes it's introduced, which have driven down vacancies in a…”

     Watch from 1:31:00

   • Urgent Question: Closure of Saudi East–West oil pipeline and UK energy security

     “This is another proof of the disruption in the Middle East. We need to get the Jackdaw gas out as quickly as possible for domestic use. And doesn't that bring a tax bonanza, which surely the government needs?”

     Watch from 1:50:30

   • Main debate: VAT, business rates and tax changes on independent schools

     “My Lords, I should declare that my son does teach in the private sector, but I won't be drawing on his experiences or the views of his school in my remarks. I wish to be broader than that. Jealousy is…”

     Watch from 2:15:50

2. House of Lords · House of Lords · 16 September 2026

   • Fiscal rules, QE losses and public sector productivity

     “Since September 2022, there's been a big sales program of longer-dated bonds by the Bank of England to drive up longer-term interest rates. Can the minister tell us how much over the last two years the government and Treasury have…”

     Watch from 30:05

   • House size, appointments and crossbench/specialist representation

     “Well, well, my Lords, I've always believed in the supremacy of the House of Commons and I've therefore always favored an unelected upper house. And I've always thought it right that this House should concentrate on two things: it should…”

     Watch from 3:03:08

3. Environment and Climate Change Committee · House of Lords · 16 September 2026

   • Equity, rationing and acceptable reliability risks

     “Yes, I'd like to ask a question which bridges into the next group of questions but arises directly out of the fascinating testimony by Professor Bell. Because Professor Bell told us that when there are these problems of windless and…”

     Watch from 43:19

   • Beyond storage: thermal, marine, bioenergy and waste options

     “Well, I'd like an update on the Swansea tidal barrage scheme because my understanding was the public sector scheme didn't have numbers that added up and part of the problem was the design life of the barrier. And that I…”

     Watch from 1:11:04

   • Closing remarks, data needs and next steps

     “Briefly, I think it would be very helpful to the committee if we could have into the evidence what is the current gas dispatchable capacity which we rely on to keep the lights on, and what is the current view…”

     Watch from 1:33:43

4. House of Lords · House of Lords · 15 September 2026

   • Private Notice Question – China’s financial influence over UK water

     “My Lords, given the very big capital requirements the minister's rightly identified, and given the need to pay compensation to existing shareholders if the government wanted to buy it out, isn't it the case that the country cannot afford nationalisation…”

     Watch from 1:08:07

   • Batteries (Northern Ireland) Regulations – Windsor Framework and union concerns

     “My Lords, I thank Lord McCrea for putting this amendment so that we can again debate this crucial constitutional matter, and I have every sympathy with the points he made. Because what we face again this evening here is legislation…”

     Watch from 4:38:10

5. House of Lords · House of Lords · 10 September 2026

   • Fiscal outlook debate: Bond markets, tax levels and ministerial defence

     “My Lords, the Conservative government was swept from power firstly because it did not deliver on immigration control in the way that it promised, but secondly because it presided over a very major surge in inflation in the early 2020s,…”

     Watch from 1:56:38

6. Environment and Climate Change Committee · House of Lords · 9 September 2026

   • OEP impact example: combined sewage overflows

     “Yes, Dame Helen, you described three areas, very general areas as aims, which I would have thought would have had policy work led by accountable ministers, by a range of departments, policed by independent regulators. So I think it would…”

     Watch from 16:07