"I was surprised to have
been given the privilege of seconding the Loyal Address this afternoon. I am
not, for example, the son of a bus driver, although my father did once drive a
milk float in the constituency
of my hon. Friend Mr Baker.
Just as an aside, why is it always the case that we have to wait so long for
these sons of bus drivers, and then two come along at once?
It might be my
education. I am, like the Leader of the
Opposition, an ex-grammar school boy and like him, I gather, I
rather screwed up my A-levels, so perhaps there is hope for me yet. Or it might
be my extensive experience of PR
before entering politics. As the House knows, I am a practising doctor.
Unfortunately, in a medical context, PR does not stand for public relations,
but is shorthand for the type of examination that involves putting on rubber
gloves, applying gel and asking a man to cough. May I give my right hon. Friend
the Prime
Minister a little advice? If, in the future, he finds himself
speaking at a medical profession dinner, under no circumstances should he tell
the audience that in his life before politics he was into PR, and that he found
the work very stimulating.
Many of my predecessors
in this role have had a reputation for humour, so I think that it was
courageous of the PM
to ask a doctor to second the Loyal Address. As the House can already tell,
medical humour is a famously acquired taste, and it would be all too easy to
share some of the stories of which every doctor has an infinite supply—many may
not be appropriate for this place and its refined audience.
However, I can perhaps report on the lady who complained of, as she put it, a
history of “erotic” bowels. I resisted the temptation to ask whether her erotic
symptoms were erratic in nature. Or the elderly man who said that his secret
for looking so healthy was to do Kama Sutra exercises every
morning, only to be corrected by his wife: “Gareth, I think you mean Tai Chi!” If colleagues do
not think that I deliver this speech very well today, just be grateful that we
are not holding this debate at a weekend, when I understand from some that
doctors do not perform as well.
I had hoped that my
medical background would be an advantage in politics, but I have been
disappointed. My first disappointment came when I stood for election as the
Conservative party’s candidate in Blaenau Gwent. I am not
sure that Nick Smith
is with us today, but I am sure he would agree that sporting a blue rosette
outside the Tredegar Kwik Save takes a certain type of character: mostly
delusional, and perhaps even masochistic. In fact, the president of my
constituency association, Mr Rob Stanton, was elected to Wokingham
Borough Council with more votes than I received at that election.
However, I was able to comfort myself with the fact that my modest 816 votes
nevertheless represented the biggest swing to the Conservative party of any
candidate in Wales that night. In retrospect, I should have taken more note of
the lady in Abertillery market who, when I asked her why she supported Labour,
replied, “Don’t you get complicated with me!”
Delivering this speech
is, of course, really an honour for the constituency of Bracknell, which I am
privileged to represent. It is a particular honour in this year of Her
Majesty’s 90th birthday. The constituency has long-standing royal links. It is
proud to host the Royal
Military Academy Sandhurst, which celebrated its bicentenary in 2012
and has trained successive generations of British, Commonwealth and
international officers serving in Her Majesty’s Army and elsewhere around the
world. My constituents also enjoy access to the extensive woodland of Swinley
forest, which is wonderfully maintained by the Crown Estate. With its
vibrant economy and town centre regeneration, the Bracknell constituency has a
very bright future.
This is the 63rd
Gracious Speech that Her Majesty has given since her accession to the throne.
On this occasion, it is apt to look back to Her Majesty’s first Gracious Speech
and at the changes that there have been since. The preservation of peace was
the first emphasis in 1952. Our country was still recovering from war. The
grandfather of my right hon. Friend Sir Nicholas
Soames was Prime Minister.
The nationalisation of iron and steel was the subject of heated debate. Slums
had to be cleared and people housed. This led to the creation of new towns, of
which Bracknell was one. Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis challenged
our young health service. Abroad, closer unions were foreseen to cement the
ties on which peace depended: with the United States of America, with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation, with the Commonwealth and with a
recovering Europe.
The vision of the
post-war political generation was a big vision: of a country that would never
again suffer the insecurity and hardship experienced by those who had to pick
up arms and fight for our existence; of every person being able to get a chance
in life—of health, education and employment; and of a society that is fair,
just and free, in which freedoms are earned because we value our country, our
environment, our world, and in which rights are balanced by responsibilities,
for each other and for ourselves; and, most importantly, to prepare for the
future. Variations of this vision have guided successive Governments ever
since, with varying degrees of success.
The generation Her
Majesty addressed in 1952 had fought for that vision, displaying a deep
consciousness throughout our nation that individual lives are fleeting: that we
must take care of the world we inherit—conserve it—so that we pass something
better to our children; that we achieve more by coming together with our
neighbours, with our friends and with our former enemies by respecting our
riches, and each other; and that humanity is the vital bond without which our
society, globally and nationally, our communities and our families will
disintegrate.
On a personal level, I
am humbled by the experiences of that wartime generation. My grandfather was
under fire at the age of 20, in the tail end of a Halifax bomber. I also recall
caring for an 89-year-old Polish patient who was short of breath and experiencing
angina. He had taken the time to put on a tie and a suit adorned with military
ribbons, and he apologised for taking up my time. I asked him about his
military experience. He told me that his village in eastern Poland had been
overrun by the Soviets in 1939. He was deported to a Siberian work camp and, in
his own words, wore the same socks for two years. He was handed over the
British in 1942 in Baghdad, and fought with Montgomery’s 8th Army across north
Africa and up the spine of Italy via Monte Cassino. When
reflecting on his heroic story, I humbly ask whether my generation would
display the same values, the same stoicism, the same modesty, the same courage,
and the same respect for others, and I recall his loyalty to his adopted
country.
The closest I have come
to fighting has been as a doctor battling ageing, obesity and the challenges of
cultural dislocation. In the course of Her Majesty’s reign, life expectancy has
increased by a decade. The percentage of people aged over 85 has grown by a
factor of five. The world’s population has virtually trebled, and our own has
gone up by a third. The proportion of our population of foreign birth has more
than trebled, albeit from a low base. It is clear that we must not only treat
the symptoms of the challenges that come with such marked change, but strive to
cure their causes. That is why this Government’s commitment to helping to
improve the life chances of those who have the misfortune to be born or raised
in circumstances over which they have no control is admirable and right.
The generation Her
Majesty addresses today must rediscover the values of the past to face an
ever-accelerating pace of change. It is a world that is more connected and more
conscious of its differences, but also more conscious of what we have in common
than ever before. This time, we have the opportunity to rediscover those values
peacefully, and the important legislation outlined in this Gracious Speech will
help us to do so. The challenge of overcoming extremism without compromising
our humanity is one that deserves the support of the whole House. My right hon.
and good Friend the Home
Secretary knows that dealing with our society’s failure to integrate
some communities will be integral.
The space industry
received the attention it deserves as one of Britain’s most successful
industries with a power to inspire that is unmatched. I am sure that all
members of the previous Parliament recall that I mentioned the UK space
industry in my maiden speech
in 2010. As British astronaut Tim Peake
was a graduate of Sandhurst, I am shamelessly going to claim him as having been
educated in my constituency. As such, I am concerned for his welfare. Tim is
due back from the international space station just before the EU referendum
vote, but if he is slightly delayed, and the country votes to leave in June, he
need not worry about getting home, since the European
Space Agency sits outside the European Union. Seriously, though, the
Government’s support of the space industry will help to secure Britain as a
globally recognised centre for high technology, whether we are inside or
outside the European Union.
Finally, some hon. Members
will know that I have kept my own counsel on June’s big European event, but the
time is fast approaching when I feel I should make my position clear, if only
to deal with the alarming possibility that as time moves on, I and other hon.
Members who have taken a similar approach will have to deal with the advances
of two charming men, one with blond hair and one with spectacles, approaching
us in the Members’ Lobby to ask when we are coming out. I can see no good
reason why we should exit—at least not before the semi-finals, and preferably
not after the pain of extra time and a penalty shoot-out.
Keeping up with change
is a tough enough job for any Government. Conservative Governments do not just
want to keep up; they want to do better. That is why I am not only privileged
to represent the good people of the Bracknell constituency, but proud to second
this motion on the Gracious Speech."