In Parliament - Holly Lynch

Halifax MP Holly Lynch was elected to Parliament at the 2015 election. In her maiden speech she stated her priorities as being Human Rights and the protection of the A&E department at Calderdale Royal Hospital. She has launched a campaign to oppose the Government’s decision to exclude under-25s from the new National ‘Living Wage’. She has also launched a campaign to ensure harsher sentences for those who assault emergency service workers which lead to the creation of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Holly was appointed to the Labour front bench in July 2017 taking on the role of Shadow Flooding, Fishing & Coastal Communities Minister within the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs team. She later joined the Home Office team as Shadow Minister of State for Immigration before being appointed a Shadow Minister of State for Crime Reduction & Courts and is currently the Shadow Minister of State for Security.

Holly has previously sat on the Home Affairs, Women & Equalities, Environmental Audit and Procedure Committees.

You can see her latest appearances, including written questions and speeches, below.

Mental Health: Emergency Services

Department of Health and Social Care

Holly Lynch received a response to a question they put to the government

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he received the letter from the hon. Member for Halifax and the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton of 12 May 2022 on the Gratitude...

Mental Health: Emergency Services

Department of Health and Social Care

Holly Lynch received a response to a question they put to the government

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he received the letter sent by the hon. Member for Halifax and the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton of 12 May 2022 on the...

Clause 24 - The foreign power condition

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I will speak to clauses 24 and 25 and, having heard the contribution from the hon. Member for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, about his amendment 54. Clause 24 provides for the...

Clause 23 - Offences under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

My hon. Friend makes the point that, while we will get into the detail of reasonableness and the concern that it is potentially untested in these circumstances, it is a well-established principle...

Clause 23 - Offences under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. As a lawyer, she has a great deal of experience navigating some of this legislation, and she makes a powerful point about the reasonableness defence. In addition,...

Clause 23 - Offences under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

My hon. Friend makes an important point, which I will explore in more detail in a second. I go back to the point that the security services have conveyed to us that their caution is having an...

Clause 23 - Offences under Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

It will come as no surprise to the Minister—we have had the opportunity to discuss this—that we are extremely concerned about clause 23, which amends the Serious Crime Act 2007. We...

Clause 22 - Border security

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

The drafting of clause 22 is complicated and I have had to speak to a number of experts to try to unravel it. It amends schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, as the...

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I want to conclude some earlier remarks that I made as part of the discussion on amendment 45 and the discussion on some of the Government amendments. There is an awful lot going on in schedule...

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

Having heard the Minister’s detailed explanation for this group of Government amendments, I will come back to the issues in the slightly wider discussion on schedule 3, which is the next...

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I am very grateful to the Minister for the spirit in which he has responded, taking our concerns about this element of the Bill seriously. I am reassured by his commitment, that he understands...

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

Of course, Ms Ali—I will wait until I am invited to do that.

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. I was just about to say that operational need provided a reason for the appalling asylum accommodation provided by the Home Office during the...

Schedule 3 - Detention Under Section 21

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I beg to move amendment 45, in schedule 3, page 70, line 27, at end insert— “(1A) A place designated by the Secretary of State under sub-paragraph (1) must be subject to an...

Clause 21 - Arrest without warrant

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

The clause provides a power of arrest without warrant and includes provisions about subsequent detention. The explanatory note explains that the provisions are modelled on those in section 41 of...

Clause 20 - Powers of search etc

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I thank the Minister for his explanation. Clause 20 and schedule 2 deal with the power of entry, search and seizure in relation to the new offences created by part 1 of the Bill. There are a...

Clause 16 - Aggravating factor where foreign power condition met: England and Wales

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Ms Ali. I very much welcome your early judgment call on jacket wearing; we are all eternally grateful. Clause 16, as the Minister outlined, inserts new...

Asylum

Holly Lynch received a response to a question they put to the government

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for asylum seekers to be invited to a substantive asylum interview after arrival in the UK.

Clause 14 - Foreign interference in elections

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

I listened carefully to the Minister. The Opposition welcome those measures in clause 14 that will bolster the UK against acts of foreign interference in our elections that are committed on our...

Clause 13 - Foreign interference: general

National Security Bill

Holly Lynch made a speech in a committee scrutinising a proposed law

Clause 13 is quite substantial, and creates a new and general offence of foreign interference. Under the clause, someone who behaves recklessly but for whom an intention to aid a foreign...