Note: I was allowed 5 minutes My Lords, I do not know whether it is a punishment or a privilege to be put last in the list of Back-Bench speakers, as I invariably am when it comes to a debate on Ukraine. The noble Lord, Lord Coaker, was powerful and eloquent in opening, and it … Continue reading My speech in the House of Lords on Ukraine – 31st of October
Category: House of Lords
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Debate – House of Lords – 16th of October 2025
Link: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-10-16/debates/CD9953E1-3AFE-436A-BBD6-D170F107AE02/ShanghaiCooperationOrganisation I may have a closer connection with Tianjin than any Member of either House having gone to school there nearly 80 years ago. I hope this will not in itself cause me to be thought of as a security risk. I agree with the noble Baroness that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation poses challenges … Continue reading Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Debate – House of Lords – 16th of October 2025
Strategic Defence Review Debate – House of Lords
22nd of July, 2025 Note: I post below my speech of 18 July in the House of Lords on Britain’s Strategic Defence Review. (The section in brackets was left out due to pressure of time. Backbenchers were allowed 5 minutes each). I was the only one of 39 speakers to have any substantial criticisms of the … Continue reading Strategic Defence Review Debate – House of Lords
Lord Skidelsky to ask His Majesty’s Government what is their policy with regard to the Ukraine war following the new policy of the government of the United States of America.
18th of March 2025 My Lords, last Thursday, the noble Lord, Lord Howell, asked the House to take note of the UK’s international position. My purpose today is narrower but more urgent; to ask the Government what their Ukraine policy now is. It is urgent because the Trump Administration have torn up the familiar script. … Continue reading Lord Skidelsky to ask His Majesty’s Government what is their policy with regard to the Ukraine war following the new policy of the government of the United States of America.
House of Lords Speech – Ukraine: “A wake up call” (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)
6th of March 2025 My Lords, I will not speak directly to the proposals of the report to improve our military capabilities but will consider the framework in which they are set. The report’s underlying assumption is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Europe a much more dangerous place, against which we have to … Continue reading House of Lords Speech – Ukraine: “A wake up call” (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)
Speech in the House of Lords – Conduct Committee
5th of March 2025 My Lords, like other noble Lords, I commend the efforts of the noble Baroness and her committee to shorten and simplify the code and guide. That they have not altogether freed themselves from the bureaucracy involved in all this is more a sign of the times than of any lack of … Continue reading Speech in the House of Lords – Conduct Committee
Speech in the House of Lords – Autumn Budget 2024
11th of November 2024 My Lords, there are many things to welcome in this Budget, particularly on the spending side. I am less keen on some of the tax proposals, which seem to be mean-minded and counterproductive, such as the tax on knowledge. The spending commitments are important because they reverse the disastrous policy of … Continue reading Speech in the House of Lords – Autumn Budget 2024
Speech in the House of Lords – Ukraine
Below is my speech on Ukraine in the House of Lords on the 25th of October. Unfortunately, time constraints forced me to leave out two bits of my argument which I will put in brackets in the text. "My Lords, I am usually put last on the speakers’ list in any debate on this topic, … Continue reading Speech in the House of Lords – Ukraine
Speech in the House of Lords Conduct Committee: Code of Conduct Review – 8th of October
"My Lords, in taking part in this debate, I must declare an interest: recently, I was a victim of the committee chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Manningham-Buller. Although this is not the kind of interest a Member is normally obliged to declare, I believe that my personal experience has given me a certain insight … Continue reading Speech in the House of Lords Conduct Committee: Code of Conduct Review – 8th of October
Speech at the Foreign Affairs debate – Tuesday 5th March 2024
My Lords, it is a rare privilege for us to have the Foreign Secretary wind up a debate on foreign policy in this House. Such are the quirks of politics, I suppose. I shall concentrate on one topic, and that is economic sanctions. The sanctions regime has emerged as one of the most important tools … Continue reading Speech at the Foreign Affairs debate – Tuesday 5th March 2024
Robert Skidelsky 