Lib Dem MPs secured the top two spots on the Private Members’ Bill ballot.
Red Ken thinks the job is all about self-promotion. Bob thinks it’s about accountability.
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. One of the two biggest political stories today, the summit to consider the next European budget, is opaque. We cannot know what is happening behind closed doors. However, we can know what Tory MPs have made of the other big political story today: the Government's attempt to deal with […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Guido Fawkes has a list of new Conservative members of Select Committees, from Graham Brady's office. Mr Brady explains: "For the following committees I have received the same number of nominations as there are vacancies, the following are therefore elected". The appointments are: Communities and Local Government John Stevenson […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter One of Grant Shapps' first acts as the new Tory Chairman has been to ask for the election countdown clock to be put back on the wall of Conservative HQ. Meeting him yesterday afternoon he told me that there were less than 1,000 days until the next general election […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Yesterday afternoon saw Communities and Local Government questions in the House. Eric Pickles is often a target for sharp Labour questions – because of his combative approach, and the fact that his department is making cuts in one of Labour's bureaucratic strongholds, local government. This belligerent attitude from the […]
By Jonathan Isaby At DCLG Questions yesterday, Andrew Percy, the Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, called for more resource-sharing between the emergency services as a way of saving money. He told the House: "It strikes me as a bit bonkers that many communities have separate fire, ambulance and police stations, many of which have […]
By Jonathan Isaby Yesterday at questions to Eric Pickles and his team of ministers from the Department of Communities and Local Government, a number of Tory MPs took the opportunity to highlight how their local Conservative-run councils are coping with the financial squeeze. Doubtless their local papers will be encouraged to cite the praise heaped […]
One for the localists amongst you: there were oral questions on communities and local government yesterday. Monmouth MP and pugilist David Davies asked about the Government's programme to tackle violent extremism, a topic which Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Paul Goodman has also been pursuing. "David T.C. Davies: When I last raised this […]
Bob Neill, Shadow Minister for London, has posed an intriguing question: "Robert Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission recognises the Church of Scientology as a religion or faith. [264850] Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission recognises all religions, faiths and beliefs in terms […]
It was questions to Communities and Local Government ministers yesterday. Shadow London Minister Bob Neill asked a good question about centralised housebuilding targets: "It is five years this month since the Government’s own Barker review identified the problems that arise from reliance on the section 106 system and its attendant complexities as a means of […]
Robert Neill: "Will the Prime Minister join me in congratulating the Conservative-controlled London borough of Bromley on achieving the highest rate of dry recycling in London and on being recognised as an exemplary authority for garden and home recycling? Would he like to come and see the work that we are doing in Bromley? I […]