By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. The Daily Mail this morning reports on the 118 Conservative MPs who have written to constituents indicating their opposition to gay marriage proposals. The Mail says "Their opposition has been expressed in letters and emails sent to constituents who have contacted them with their own concerns", and points out that […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. After today's 1922 Committee elections, Robert Buckland has been elected Joint-Secretary (replacing Karen Bradley, an Assistant Whip) and Simon Hart and Karl McCartney have also been elected to the Executive, replacing George Hollingbery (now PPS to Theresa May) and Simon Kirby (now PPS to Hugh Robertson). A few results of […]
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 Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Yesterday's debate on the Lords Reform Bill was heated, yet relatively polite. I noticed far more speakers against reform of the Lords than for – perhaps because pro-reform Tories knew, the programme motion having been withdrawn, that they would win the Second Reading vote easily (thanks to Labour votes). […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. 5.45pm Update: Expanding upon his earlier remarks, Jesse Norman appeared on The World At One, and described the reform proposals as "a constitutional monstrosity", saying the Bill "should never have reached the House of Commons": "Unfortunately the Conservative manifesto didn’t contain anything like the commitment that everyone’s pretending it […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter I wonder if more loyal backbench Tory MPs are getting a little fed up with their more rebellious colleagues? A couple of weeks ago Conor Burns, PPS to the Northern Ireland Secretary, tweeted his irritation at Peter Bone: Now we learn from the Mail on Sunday that Douglas Carswell was […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Following the resignations of Stewart Jackson and Adam Holloway as Parliamentary Private Secretaries, due to the European referendum vote, the following PPS appointments have been confirmed: Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, will act as PPS to the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland […]
By Jonathan IsabyFollow Jonathan on Twitter I have already covered Conor Burns' sideswipe at Lord Heseltine from the debate on Lords reform, but what else happened during the debate? Overall, one got the impression that (with a few exceptions) the Conservative benches were highly sceptical about an elected second chamber – including many who are […]
by Paul Goodman This morning's reports of Andrew Lansley's Commons statement yesterday haven't missed that he was unsupported in the Chamber by the presence of senior Cabinet colleagues. (The Prime Minister was en route to Pakistan.) What some may have missed is the strong support given to the Health Secretary by Conservative backbenchers. Some it, […]
In a break with convention, Conor Burns – who was elected MP for Bournemouth West at the general election – secured his own adjournment debate at the end of business on Thursday in which to deliver his maiden speech. He chose to raise issues asociated with the many schools across the country (of which a […]