Mark Harper

Member @UKHouseofLords | MP for the Forest of Dean 2005-2024 | Former Transport Secretary, Govt Chief Whip and Minister in DWP, Home Office & Cabinet Office

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

Britain cannot afford a summer of chaos.

Andy Burnham should delay the summer recess, come to Parliament, and tell us his plan for this country.

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

To our brave Armed Forces: Thank you for your service.

[James Cartlidge MP 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 @jcartlidgemp]

A message from the Shadow Defence Team on Armed Forces Day. #ArmedForcesWeek

[Conservatives @Conservatives]

Thank you to our brave Armed Forces.

Today, and every day, we stand with you. 🇬🇧

[Claire Coutinho @ClaireCoutinho]

The Conservatives in the Lords just defeated the government on Ed Miliband’s new Net Zero targets.

These stringent targets allow Ministers to push costs on to consumers and businesses across the economy.

Well done Lord Moynihan. The Party is changing under Kemi Badenoch.

[Conservative Peers @HLConservatives]

The House of Lords just voted to regret Ed Miliband’s obsessive net zero policy, which has been criticised by Tony Blair, GMB and Unite the Union, because it is leading to higher energy costs and lower economic growth.

Tonight’s vote sends a clear message that the next Prime Minister must urgently reassess our approach to energy policy, focusing on lower bills, higher growth and licensing of oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

[Dan Hitchens @ddhitchens]

Andy Burnham, 2024: “You can’t have this law change [AD] with an underfunded hospice movement.”

Lord Falconer, 2026: “I don’t accept the argument that the inadequacy in some parts of the country of palliative care is a reason for delaying the AD bill.”

[Nikki da Costa @nmdacosta]

Yesterday the BMA annual conference voted, in effect, against the Leadbeater/Edwards Bill - and against the Parliament Acts plan. The bill is fundamentally flawed.

They say assisted dying legislation MUST include at least six safeguards missing from the Bill.

1⃣Specify that assisted dying is not a medical treatment

2⃣Must not alter the fundamental principles of the NHS (Clause 41 explicitly permits this)

3⃣Require an opt-in model for all providers (not in the Bill)

4⃣Requires that resident doctors are to be specifically excluded from formal involvement (not in the Bill)

5⃣Requires that any doctor must undergo specific training and national accreditation (Bill gives ministers close to carte blanche)

6⃣Requires that the “co-ordinating doctor” for patients undertaking assisted dying must be on an assisted dying specialist register (not in the Bill

[Conservatives @Conservatives]

Complicit.

[Claire Coutinho @ClaireCoutinho]

We just forced a vote in Parliament to stop the Puberty Blocker trial.

The Government voted it down.

These children are perfectly healthy. They need our care and support - not to be experimented on with life-changing drugs.

Expertly argued by my colleague @drcarolinej

[Conservatives @Conservatives]

We cannot let Labour launch a dangerous medical experiment on vulnerable children.

[Conservatives @Conservatives]

With Keir Starmer gone, Andy Burnham wants you to think he's going to change things.

Here’s the truth ⬇️

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

Reform would not have won Makerfield even if every other party on the Right stood down.

Meanwhile, in Aberdeen, the Conservatives took half the votes despite Reform being on the ballot paper.
We united the city behind a genuine offer.

Had I done a deal, our emphatic victory in Aberdeen would have been diminished. People would have sneered that we only won because Reform stepped aside. A win 'helped' by Reform would have been no win at all.

That’s why I am not doing any deals. If you want the Right -Vote Conservative

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

The argument sounded clever: Conservatives have never won in Makerfield. Do a deal with Reform. Stand down and they’ll do the same in Aberdeen “Unite the Right”.

I decided it was more important to Unite the Country. That’s why we won in Aberdeen.

My piece in Daily Mail below 👇

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

It is NOT ok to experiment on kids as young as 11 and make irreversible changes to their bodies.

We must protect children from dangerous ideology.

Conservatives will not just sit back and let this happen. I refuse to believe MPs, if given the chance, would let this continue. That is why we will force a vote, not just to pause this trial but to stop it completely.

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

This is what it feels like when common sense wins.

Aberdeen backed oil and gas, jobs, energy security and a local champion who will fight for the city he calls home.

Congratulations @DLumsden_MP. Let’s get Britain working again.

[Conservatives @Conservatives]

Conservatives win Aberdeen South from the SNP!

Watch @KemiBadenoch’s victory rally with @DLumsden_MP in Aberdeen👇

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

While the Press will be focused on the battle for the Labour leadership and Conservatives celebrating our win in Aberdeen, there are two people I want to pay tribute to.

The first is @Winstamike who was an excellent candidate for us in Makerfield. He represented our party with grace, dignity and competence. The result was no reflection on him but on the circumstances of a peculiar by-election where the question was not “who would be the best representative?” but “should Andy Burnham challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership?”

The second is @j_cruickshanks whose valiant efforts in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry took us from 3rd behind Labour to 2nd place, increasing the Conservative vote share.

By-elections can be more intense than general elections because of the focus and scrutiny. I am proud of all our Conservative candidates this morning. Part of a strong, united team.

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

This is a significant result, and I want to start by congratulating @DLumsden_MSP on becoming the new Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South and the newest Conservative MP!

Makerfield was about one man’s job.

Aberdeen South was about thousands of jobs in oil and gas across our country and the future of an entire city.

Yesterday, the people of Aberdeen sent a message on behalf of the whole country. Energy security is national security. They know it is common sense to use our own oil and gas rather than importing it from overseas. They know it is madness to make ourselves poorer, weaker and more dependent at a time when even the government’s own intelligence says we are under threat. The first duty of any government is to keep its people safe. The Conservative Party will always put Britain’s security first.

What makes this result particularly significant is that many people who voted Conservative today have never voted Conservative before. I want to thank every one of them.

Many will have voted for us because they care deeply about Aberdeen and its future. Many will have voted for us because they are sick of the SNP’s shenanigans. Others because they are worried about what Labour’s policies mean for their jobs and livelihoods. Many voted for us because they wanted a strong local champion.

Douglas is that champion. He has lived in Aberdeen all his life. He spent two decades working in the oil and gas industry. He knows this city, he knows its people, and throughout this campaign he brought energy, optimism and a genuine belief in Aberdeen’s future. Wherever he went, he had a smile on his face and a positive message about what this great city can achieve.

The Conservative Party is working to earn the trust of the country again. I am grateful and humbled that Aberdeen looked at the choice before them and decided that the Conservative Party was the party that would fight for families, workers and business.

Thank you, Aberdeen. I will never stop fighting for you. Douglas will never stop fighting for you.

The Conservative Party will keep fighting for common sense, a stronger economy and a stronger country.

[Conservative Peers @HLConservatives]

Today, Lord Roborough challenged the Government on Natural England's policy on commons grazing which risks a cull of up to 90 per cent of Dartmoor's ponies.

The Minister said Dartmoor ponies "are safe under this Government" but failed to say how ministers will stop the cull.

Sign the petition to keep the pressure up.