Westminster Hall — sitting of 6 July 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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Westminster Hall

6 July 2026

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Contents updated on 6 Jul 2026

Initial debate on the petition to bar convicted terrorists from elected office sets out current electoral law, the Shahid Butt case, and the petitioner’s arguments on balancing democratic rights with safeguards against extremist abuse and reliance on overseas convictions.

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Terrorism petition — legal context and petitioner case

15:20

Terrorism petition — opening, legal context and petitioner case

15:20

Opening and petition context — terrorism and candidacy

15:20

Chair opens — petition on terrorism and candidacy

15:20

Terrorism as democratic threat and Birmingham case

17:53

Lamont — risks to Parliament and proposed legal ban

21:34

Lamont — terrorism convictions and democratic trust

21:34

Lamont — proposed legal ban and overseas safeguards

25:32

Turner — democratic participation, overseas convictions and Birmingham case

27:45

Chair and Turner — motion stated and overseas conviction risks

27:45

Turner — Birmingham case, Butt and local electorate response

32:58

Terrorism petition — MPs’ proposals, Government response and close

35:32

MPs’ proposals on permanent bans and eligibility rules

35:32

Conservative and NI unionist arguments for permanent UK‑wide bans

35:32

Robbie Moore — support for permanent disqualification

35:32

Jim Allister — Northern Ireland terrorist office-holders

39:24

Allister — sanitisation, incentives and UK‑wide ban

43:46

Opposition parties — tighter eligibility rules on extremists

48:28

Liberal Democrat spokesperson — conditional support for stronger bans

48:28

Opposition frontbencher — Birmingham case and local extremism risk

53:41

Opposition frontbencher — balancing rights, integrity and Northern Ireland lessons

58:02

Opposition frontbencher — options for terrorism and overseas conviction tests

01:01:39

Government position and conclusion of terrorism petition debate

01:02:47

Minister — response on terrorism convictions and candidacy rules

01:02:47

Minister McGovern — response, petition context and Defending Democracy Taskforce

01:02:47

Minister — current disqualification rules and proportionality concerns

01:06:34

Minister — counter-terrorism powers and Representation of the People Bill

01:08:43

Minister — public scrutiny, terrorism and standards

01:11:05

Minister — strengthening local government conduct regime

01:13:35

Terrorism petition debate — closing positions and formal conclusion

01:15:46

Lamont — winding up and call for absolute ban

01:15:46

Chair — petition question put and sitting suspended

01:18:15

Ceramics petition — sector context, energy costs and trade defence

01:45:19

Opening of petition and sector context

01:45:19

Opening of ceramics petition debate and sector crisis

01:45:19

Chair opens second petition debate on ceramics

01:45:19

Robertson — petition demands, Supercharger and targeted £120m

01:49:13

Robertson — soft power, procurement and decarbonisation support

01:53:30

Robertson — soft power, procurement and ‘Made in Britain’ bill

01:53:30

Robertson — SIC code reform, decarbonisation and gas support

01:56:27

Ceramics petition, energy costs and trade defence

01:59:35

Petition put, energy costs and Denby closure

01:59:35

Chair — petition question and time limits

01:59:35

Backbencher — identity, energy costs and gas exclusion

01:59:52

Amber Valley — Denby closure, £120m package and unfair imports

02:04:05

Sector overview — regional ceramics and trade defence

02:08:34

Scottish constituency — small ceramics firms and regional development

02:08:34

APPG chair — national footprint, CBAM and trade remedies

02:11:35

Commons debate — support for UK ceramics sector

02:15:26

Backbench MPs — regional ceramics and energy pressures

02:15:26

Staffordshire MPs — £120m fund, skills and procurement

02:15:26

Newcastle-under-Lyme — £120m fund and Buy British asks

02:15:26

Stoke-on-Trent Central — safeguarding skills and public procurement

02:18:28

Stoke-on-Trent South — anti-dumping, energy innovation and fund design

02:21:35

MPs — constituency impacts of energy costs on ceramics

02:24:28

Mid Cheshire — energy costs, hydrogen and net zero industry

02:24:28

Studio pottery — small makers, tax and skills support

02:27:43

Broxtowe MP — manufacturing, energy costs and grid capacity

02:31:01

North West Leicestershire — Denby, bricks and construction linkages

02:34:15

Cornwall MP — China clay supply chain and eligibility

02:37:31

Backbench and Opposition positions on ceramics support

02:40:08

Liberal Democrat spokesperson — bricks, carbon rules and support request

02:40:08

Liberal Democrat spokesperson — bricks, carbon accounting and imports

02:40:08

Liberal Democrat spokesperson — modern slavery, energy trap and Supercharger ask

02:43:04

Opposition — cheap power plan and challenge to government policy

02:45:52

Opposition spokesperson — cheap power plan and net zero critique

02:45:52

Government response, industrial strategy and debate close

02:52:12

Minister — sector support schemes and energy pricing framework

02:52:12

Minister — industry heritage, Denby closure and £120m scheme

02:52:12

Minister — Clean Power 2030 and wind auction pricing

02:58:47

Minister — Supercharger coverage, non‑electrifiable kilns and unfair trade

03:02:29

Minister — reindustrialisation vision and debate closing remarks

03:19:20

Minister — reindustrialisation vision and manufacturing focus

03:19:20

Robertson — closing thanks and identity, exports themes

03:20:41

Westminster Hall

6 July 2026

Westminster Hall Mon, 6 Jul 2026 Actual start 16:15 House of Commons

15:19 - 15:22

Speaker 1

Order. John Lamont to move the motion.

15:22 - 16:54

Speaker 2

Thank you, Dr. Alan-Khan. It's a pleasure to serve with you in the chair. I beg to move that this House has considered e-petition 759385 relating to disqualification from election candidacy for terrorism convictions. I begin by thanking Richard Donaldson for creating this petition and the more than 200,000 people across the United Kingdom who have signed it. I also thank the 205 people from my own constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk who have added their names.

As members will know, my role today is to introduce the petition and to facilitate this debate. However, having considered the evidence before us and having spoken with the petition creator, I believe he raises an important point that Parliament should not dismiss. At its heart, this debate asks a simple question. Should someone who has been convicted of terrorism offences be entitled to seek public office?

For me, the answer is no. Not because I reject the principle of rehabilitation, not because I believe people cannot change, but because holding elected office is not an automatic right. It is a privilege. It is a privilege bestowed by the public and with that privilege comes an expectation that those who seek to represent our communities demonstrate respect for the democratic institutions they wish to serve. For most people, the current law simply does not pass the common sense test.

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