Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband and his Shadow Greg Clark enjoyed another outing yesterday, for oral questions. However, it was with a junior minister, Mike O’Brien, that Dr Clark clashed most notably: "Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) (Con): Why do gas and electricity cost more in Britain than on the continent? Mr. O’Brien: All […]
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander introduced a debate in the House of Commons yesterday about the importance of transparency in international aid. Monmouth MP David Davies caused quite a stir with his intervention. It certainly upset Ivan Lewis, a DFID minister. Malcolm Bruce, a Liberal Democrat MP who chairs the International Development Committee, dismissed what […]
The Government’s plans to cover the South East in concrete are a huge environmental concern. Wellingborough MP Peter Bone asked the following written question on the topic: "Carbon Emissions: Construction Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental effects of actions […]
Romford MP and Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Rosindell raised a point of order in the Commons yesterday: "Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Will you undertake to investigate what I feel was an appalling breach of protocol yesterday—Armistice day—when the flag of our country was not flown from all […]
Francis Maude is now Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. (I’m sure he’s confident enough not to ask people to call him "Shadow Chancellor" for short!) Yesterday he raised the extremely important issue of data security. "Mr. Francis Maude (Horsham) (Con): The Cabinet Secretary’s report on data […]
Anne McIntosh, Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is interested in landfill, as evidenced by the following written answer: "Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made to meeting the target to complete the process of closing all landfills by 2009 that […]
Yesterday the House of Commons debated Heathrow. Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon referred to a lengthy public consultation on the matter, for which over 70,000 submissions were received. The three options consultees were asked to consider were, Mr Hoon told the House: "a third runway with a new terminal around 2020; secondly, mixed-mode landing and take-off […]
Former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind made a noteworthy observation about NATO during Foreign Office questions yesterday: "Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington and Chelsea) (Con): Does the Foreign Secretary agree that an urgent priority for the Obama presidency—and, indeed, for that matter, for the British Government—is to ensure that we do not extend NATO membership to […]
Lord Cope of Berkeley raised a thorny issue in the House of Lords yesterday: "Lord Cope of Berkeley asked Her Majesty’s Government: Whether they support the European Commission’s proposal to allow member states to reduce the rate of value added tax on repairs to and the renovation of housing and listed buildings. Lord Davies of […]
David Cameron put down a thoroughly worthwhile written question recently, and has just received an answer: Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much public funding is being provided to each Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 2008-09; and what account is taken of the size of […]
Douglas Carswell, MP for Harwich and Clacton, is introducing another Ten Minute Rule Bill in the Commons today. The Police (Justice Commissioners) Bill would create a directly elected Justice Commissioner for every county and large town in England and Wales. Justice Commissioners would determine local policing priorities. Mr Carswell comments: ‘The public are losing confidence […]
Politics is often compared, clumsily, to reality television. Shows like Big Brother and X Factor are claimed to capture people’s interest more readily than MPs. And sometimes politicians can’t resist the temptation to try to get a piece of the action. Culture Secretary Andy Burnham was so seduced today, during oral questions for Culture, Media […]
If pressed to name one landmark to serve as a symbol of our nation, you might well alight on Big Ben. He’s featured in countless movies, has been the backdrop for momentous news events, and is a major tourist attraction. (Pedants will point out that Big Ben is actually the nickname for the Great Bell, […]
Time was was the House of Commons was populated by large numbers of ex-miners on the Labour side and ex-soldiers on the Tory benches – along with a good dose of lawyers. This week, Hazel Blears has declaimed that it is "deeply unhealthy" that an increasing number of members of the Government are career politicians […]