Speech below: 

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It is an honour to represent the Cities of London and Westminster, a constituency with such historic ties to the European Union. Our city was founded by Europeans, more precisely the Romans, in the first century, with ancient Roman walls extending from Ludgate in the West to Newgate in the East, locations still familiar to my constituents today. Visitors to London are still able to see the remains of these early civilisations at the London Mithraeum, the Barbican Amphitheatre, and remnants of the ancient Roman wall are still visible in places, which I would heartily recommend to all across the House.  

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I would like to take a moment to celebrate the work of the Museum of London in documenting this ancient history. Situated in the heart of the historic City of London, the museum has been in operation since 1965, and has one of the finest collections of archaeological finds from across London’s long history. While many of us across the constituency, myself included, are sad to see the museum leaving its current site and its historic building set for demolition, I wish it the best for its reopening in 2026 as the London Museum. 

 

My constituency has long been a site of settlement and migration in the centuries since the Romans left Britain.  

In the 16th century, Dutch and Flemish artisans fled religious persecution to the City of London, bringing with them a passion for trade and commerce which continues in the city today. The Royal Exchange, key to the City of London’s architecture today, was in fact build by a Flemish architect, Hans Hendrick van Paesschen, and Dutch eels were a staple of Billingsgate fish market for centuries.  

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In the 17th century, French Huguenots also moved to London in the face of religious persecution at home, and became a key staple of London’s legendary silversmithing and silk weaving trades, settling across the City, Soho, and Spitalfields. One descendent of these Huguenot refugees, Samuel Courtauld, would go on to found the Courtauld Institute of Art, home to one of the finest collections in my constituency.  

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The 18th and 19th centuries would see Italian, Greek, German, and Jewish communities settling across Soho in particular, contributing to the modern day melting pot which it continues to be today. London’s oldest delhi, Bar Italia, was founded in 1949 to cater for the Italian community in the area, and family institutions such as Pasta Brown continue to recognise this rich heritage.  

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Many of the children of these families were taught at Soho Parish Primary, which has been on its site on Great Windmill Street continuously since 1872, but whose existence goes back to St Anne’s school, founded in 1699. In the 19th century, the school provided regular medical and dental checks, an essential and rare service for many of the poorer families in the area. The school continues to this day and is supported by an active and passionate community of parents, who fundraise for the school’s continued existence. I pay tribute to the work of these parents, in particular David Barrett and Lucy Head, in continuing to be so involved in the school’s future and the broader Soho community.  

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The Greek community’s contribution to Soho has been long-recognised, with a Greek chapel built in Soho in 1677, leading to the street it stood on being renamed to Greek Street, a name which survives to this day. Britain’s long-standing ties with the Greek community were part of the reason that the country was one of the principle backers of the Greek War of Independence, with volunteers funding and fighting in the movement, including most notably Lord Byron.  

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At this time, Fitzrovia was also home to a burgeoning community of German intellectuals and artisans, particularly along Charlotte Street, a street my constituency shares with that of the Right Honourable Member for Holborn and St Pancras. Charlotte Street was also home in the 19th century to Christina Rossetti, who composed ‘in the bleak midwinter’ in 1872.  

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Moving into the 20th and centuries, and these same communities became the basis of the UK’s fight against fascism. In 1924, the same year that openly fascists were elected to local government, the People’s Defence Force was launched in Soho, supported by the rich communities there I have already mentioned. After the Second World War, and a social housing revolution took place with the construction of Churchill Gardens and Lillington and Longmore Gardens in Pimlico, the area became home to a wide variety of communities, including Irish and Italian families who moved into the area.  

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The rich faith landscape across my constituency is testament to the historic ties with various European communities of faith which have settled there. Bevis Marks synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Britain and the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Europe, was founded by Jewish migrants from Spain, Portugal, and Amsterdam, and remains to this day a pillar of the worship of the Sephardi community. I pay tribute to the work of Rabbi Shalom Morris in championing the work of Bevis Marks and wholeheartedly support the community’s continued worship at the site, which has recently come under threat due to potential obstruction by a 43-floor tower which would overshadow the building.  

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This landscape of faith is reflected in a number of historic churches in my constituency, including St Patrick’s catholic church, the French Protestant church in Soho, Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, which was originally built as a chapel for the local Bavarian Catholic community. I pay tribute to their work and contribution to the local communities.  

I am also proud to have a number of embassies of EU countries in my constituency, including those of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. 

With this context in mind, I believe that it is crucial that we maintain a close relationship with Europe. Many have noted today that Europe is our closest trading partner, but families across the country have such close ties to the continent. While we may be outside of the EU, we are still proudly European.  

I believe that we can, and should take lessons from the continent as we tackle the big issues facing us today. One of the biggest issues facing my constituents is the proliferation of and disruption caused by pedicabs. The previous government let this problem continue unabated, and residents have had to endure loud, garish vehicles blaring noise into the middle of the night, getting into dangerous accidents, and ripping off tourists and locals alike. It was left to my predecessor, Nickie Aiken, to pass a Pedicabs Act to crack down on this menace, and since the election I have been working with Transport for London to implement it. In this process I have been looking at other cities which regulate pedicabs, and have been impressed by a number of European examples including Berlin and Barcelona, who have cracked down on rogue operators and promoted a culture of more reasonable pedicab usage.  

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Similarly, many of my constituents are fed up of the disruption caused by dockless e-bikes, with reckless behaviour by riders and frequent blocking of streets, pavements, and access points. In this area too, I believe that we have much to learn from our European countries, with cities like Dublin and Prague introducing strict regulation for companies like Lime and Voi. This stricter regulation on E-bike parking, for example, has seen an increase in instances of correct parking – for example with 80% of Lime Bikes in Lisbon now parked correctly, reducing hazards for locals and tourists alike, due to a rise in regulated parking bays.  

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Finally, I am proud to support the Government’s efforts to reform the feudal leasehold system, after previous government watered down proposed changes. As the Government looks to establish Commonhold as a default tenure for new homes, it is vital that we look to international examples for how we can deliver more sustainable existence for leaseholders, in my constituency and across the country.  

Our relationship with Europe is important not only because of our cultural and historic ties to the continent but also because of our economic relationship.  

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Many of my constituents have found trade to the European Union disrupted. Businesses like Panzer’s Delicatessen in St John’s Wood, clothing distributor Rivet & Hide in Fitzrovia, and Broadwick Silks in Soho, have all spoken up about the impact of Brexit for them to export to Europe.  

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I am also proud to represent a number of key UK musical institutions, including the Royal Opera House, the Barbican Centre, Abbey Road Studios, St Martin in the Fields and the Royal Albert Hall, home to world-leading performers like the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  

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The music industry has been vocal on the impact of Brexit upon their ability to tour in Europe, and to recruit European artists. Research by the Independent Society of Musicians has shown that nearly of musicians have had less work in Europe since January 2021, and that 39 percent have had to turn down work in Europe, in large number due to the costs of acquiring visas.  

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The UK’s music industry is a vital cornerstone of our creative services industry, which contribute £124 billion to the British economy. It is essential that we champion their work and work to lower their barriers to travelling in Europe, including striking a cultural touring agreement with our European counterparts.  

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I am unashamed to admit that I campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union in 2016. I believed then, as I believe now, that our membership of the EU had considerable economic and cultural benefits, benefits which resonated in the lives of everyday Britons. It meant reduced barriers to trading which kept food prices low, it meant the ability to start a small business and sell to the continent without fear of needless red tape, and it meant doctors and nurses who travelled to the UK to work in our NHS.  

However, I do not believe in revisiting the wounds of the past. I know that our best days are ahead of us, and that the most important thing to do is to turn the page on the decades of division which previous Governments inflicted with their constant wrangling over the European question.  

I do not need to remind anyone in this place of those times. Of the brinksmanship by prime ministers past, the divisive language of us versus them, and, most shamefully of all, the complete abandonment of the United Kingdom’s obligations to our partners abroad, turning our back on the international order which we helped to set up.  

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And speaking of division, let me turn to the members opposite. I congratulate the Member for North Antrim on his success in the ballot for a Private Members Bill, but I have to ask him – is this really what he wants to be remembered for? He could have opened a debate on a major social issue, as the Member for Spen Valley did last week with her legislation on Assisted Dying. He could have put forward legislation protecting his constituents, as the Member for Luton North has done with her Fireworks Bill, which I am proud to support. But instead he has sought to reopen the divisions of the past, and to demand that the United Kingdom once again renege on its international obligations, putting us back to square one in our relationship with Europe, that supposedly ‘oven ready’ deal from from three prime ministers past. 

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While it is relatively unlikely of me to praise the previous government, I think that the Right Honourable Member for Richmond and Northallerton deserves a great deal of credit for his work putting together the Windsor Framework. After years of seeing politicians at their worst, it represented a moment where our leaders were across the detail, and reached across the aisle to those with whom they might have otherwise disagreed to come together with a reasonable solution. It set aside a uniquely privileged position for Northern Ireland, and would eventually go on to facilitate the return of Government to Stormont. I sincerely hope that the Right Honourable Member considers it a key part of his legacy, and he deserves our thanks for his work on it.  

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Undermining this unilaterally would not just have huge consequences for the people of Northern Ireland, but it would commit the UK Government and the EU to an arrangement which neither party has asked for, and which neither party is prepared to implement.  

On this basis alone I think that it should have no place in this house, and I am happy to oppose it today.  

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Instead, we should work with Europe to forge a common future together. I am supportive of the work of the Government in resetting our relations with Europe, and am hopeful that this will be followed with meaningful actions which will deliver for my constituents. A number of options remain on the table, including a youth mobility scheme, veterinary agreements, and a mutual recognition for professional qualifications. I wholeheartedly support all of these, and look forward to what the coming years of our relationship with the European Union will bring.  

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Whilst many across this place may find it hard to fathom, given that for so many Cities of London and Westminster is a place to visit or their place of work, amid the tourist hotspots, vibrant shopping districts, and financial centres that I’m so proud to represent, we have  vibrant communities at our core.  

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To reflect on the points I made at the start of my speech, I am honoured by the fact that thousands of people from across Europe have, for centuries, made their home in the Cities of London and Westminster, and the vital role they all play in bolstering the communities across our capital.  

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However, Brexit has threatened this.  

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