jonesjb

Crime and Policing Bill Committee Stage Day 8

Published on January 8, 2026January 14, 2026 by jonesjb

I am furious that we are in this position, that we actually have to do this, and that it is not obvious to any Government that in a democracy we need the right to protest to be protected. To engage in peaceful protest means irritating other people. Over recent years, we have seen a real erosion of protest rights through one Bill after another. I sat here and watched it all and protested at every single move. Each was justified on a narrow, technical or operational point but, taken together, they amounted to a clear political direction—making protests harder, riskier and much easier to shut down. Continue reading “Crime and Policing Bill Committee Stage Day 8” →

Flooding Interventions

Published on January 7, 2026January 14, 2026 by jonesjb

I intervened in this debate last week to say: Some floodwater is highly toxic and dangerous to humans, particularly if it comes from a sewage treatment works or from farms. What extra interventions are done on such floodwaters? Continue reading “Flooding Interventions” →

Sentencing Bill Report Stage

Published on January 7, 2026January 14, 2026 by jonesjb

It seems that we are here trying to correct an injustice: that vulnerable women and children are put into a prison where they are clearly not safe is horrendous. It really does not fit with a decent society Continue reading “Sentencing Bill Report Stage” →

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Committee Stage Day 2

Published on December 11, 2025 by jonesjb

There is no such thing as sustainable aviation fuel. Too often, we have these grand promises that are never backed up— I would argue that carbon capture and storage is another one. But if the Government are to press ahead with so-called sustainable aviation fuel, the very least we should expect is full transparency about what is being produced, where it is coming from and what the real impacts are Continue reading “Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill Committee Stage Day 2” →

My debate on Drax

Published on December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 by jonesjb

I asked HMG what assessment they have made of the environmental credentials of Drax in view of the new investigation by Stand.earth which reported that Drax had purchased logged trees from old growth forests in British Columbia in 2024 Continue reading “My debate on Drax” →

My debate on Facial Recognition Technology: Safeguards

Published on December 10, 2025December 11, 2025 by jonesjb

I tabled a Topical Oral Question in response to reports last week of built in bias in the FR software resulting in women and individuals from ethnic minorities being much more likely to be misrecognised by it: because the software is much better at recognising white men they are less likely to be misidentified and negatively affected by it. The Financial Times reported on it here Continue reading “My debate on Facial Recognition Technology: Safeguards” →

Autumn Budget 2025 – Where is Labour?

Published on December 5, 2025December 15, 2025 by jonesjb

A Green Budget would be the beginning of the end for a system of privatised utilities fleecing bill payers and the ultra-rich getting away with not paying their fair share. Where is Labour? Where is its vision? Continue reading “Autumn Budget 2025 – Where is Labour?” →

Sentencing Bill Committee Stage Day 3

Published on December 4, 2025December 15, 2025 by jonesjb

Although I very much support the intentions of the Sentencing Bill, we cannot avoid at least acknowledging the strain already placed on the Probation Service. If we are going to put new demands on the service, we must first be confident that it can meet them. Continue reading “Sentencing Bill Committee Stage Day 3” →

Phase out crates and cages!

Published on December 4, 2025December 15, 2025 by jonesjb

Green MP Adrian Ramsay wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about our poor animal welfare standards and the need for funding to transition away from them. The letter was co-signed by Irene Campbell MP and another 34 Parliamentarians

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Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill

Published on December 3, 2025 by jonesjb

We need to ensure that our Government listen to a range of experts, not just to those people with loads of cash who can use money and personal contacts to gain access to the detailed discussions. My biggest concerns are monitoring and enforcement: I simply do not understand how those two things will happen in any sort of efficient way. I would like us to become a world leader in pushing for the establishment of marine protected areas in places beyond national jurisdiction. While I am sure that most here would like this Bill to pass so that we can sign up to international law, I would say that it does not go far enough to protect our ocean.

Continue reading “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill” →