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Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the Festival of Lights in Britain, and to Hindu, Sikh, Jain and some Buddhist communities all over the world. Diwali is a multi-faith festival spread over five days and is celebrated differently by different faiths. In Hindu mythology, Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his

There was a further debate on the Bill in a Committee of the Whole House on Monday 20 October 2025. The Bill seeks to implement the Treaty between  Mauritius and the UK concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, terminating UK sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in domestic law and amending legislation

I was delighted to host an event in Parliament on Thursday 16 October 2025 with Garikapati Narasimha Rao, the spiritual scholar and speaker, renowned in the Telugu-speaking communities for his discourses on Hindu epics, scriptures, and philosophy.  He has spent over 50 years of his life meditating, memorising a large number of poems that reflect

The Bill passed its second reading on 16 September 2025 and came before a Committee of the Whole House for further debate and votes on 21 October 2025. The House considers the Bill in the same way as a Public Bill Committee, but does not take evidence. The Sentencing Bill aims to ease prison overcrowding

I chaired the 6th sitting of the Public Bill Committee on 16 October 2025, scrutinising the Bill line by line. This Bill reforms local government in England and gives communities the right to shape their local areas. It will also restore the supplementary vote system for mayoral elections in England, and police and crime commissioner