As I pointed out earlier in a post on CentreRight, all but nine Conservative MPs were present yesterday to vote in the crunch division – defeated by four votes – which sought to allow the Speaker’s committee investigating the raid on Damian Green’s office to be set up along the lines that the Speaker originally […]
My ConservativeHome colleagues have already covered yesterday’s debate on the Damian Green affair. But such is its significance that it is worth recording contributions from other Tory MPs. (The motion was introduced by Harriet Harman, the Leader of the House of Commons.) Shadow Home Secretary made a crucial point, albeit that Sir Gerald Kaufman didn’t […]
The Government has just defeated an attempt by a cross-party group of MPs to widen the remit of the committee investigating the circumstances of the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green and the search of his office by a mere four votes. The amendment – moved by Sir Menzies Campbell – was also signed by […]
Yesterday it emerged that the committee the Speaker announced he was setting up to consider the issues surrounding the arrest of Damian Green would not only have a Government majority, but that he would not be able to select its membership either. The Lib Dems have since announced their intention to boycott the committee. Now, […]
Yesterday saw the second day of debate on the Gracious Speech. The Home Secretary was in action again straight after fielding questions about Damian Green. Unfortunately, very few MPs were present for much of what went on. Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve, who is on fire at the moment, spoke very persuasively. "On the substance […]
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith came before the House of Commons yesterday to make a statement on the Damian Green arrest. She was very much on the defensive: "As the statement issued by Sir David Normington on 28 November made clear, he was informed by the police at about 1.45 pm on 27 November that a […]
Two developments this morning: The 7-member committee announced by the Speaker yesterday may now not in fact meet for months, until after the police inquiry has finished – rather than being the "speedy and immediate" inquiry that was expected. The membership of the committee will not after all be the decision of the Speaker, but […]
Hansard has the full report of the Speaker’s statement on Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green and subsequent contributions from MPs here. There will be a debate on the issue on Monday. Some highlights from yesterday are reproduced below. The Speaker is to be commended for one thing: offering no public comment before addressing Parliament: "In […]
In the latest copy of Hansard, several more written questions have been inadequately answered. There will be times when the Government really can’t answer a question, or when it would be undiplomatic for it to do so, or when pulling the information together would be excessively costly. But those occasions are comparatively rare. This post […]
In contrast to the Government in recent days (and indeed years), Damian Green has outlined a clear strategy on immigration on behalf of the Conservatives. Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday in an Opposition Day debate, he highlighted the confusion caused by Phil Woolas over the weekend. He also made some specific proposals: "A […]
Damian Green, Shadow Immigration Minister, notes the Government’s abject failure to provide backing for an assertion by the Prime Minister. Honesty in politics should involve a good deal more than the employment practices of MPs. It should also encompass Government obeying the rules, including the vital one for effective Parliamentary democracy, of answering Parliamentary questions. […]
Damian Green MP begs to move: "That this House believes that human trafficking is the modern equivalent of the slave trade, and, while welcoming the Government’s commitment to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, regrets that this commitment has been delayed for more than a year since the […]
Damian Green is the Shadow Immigration Minister and the Conservative MP for Ashford. Now that all good Conservatives have returned from the beach fully equipped by their summer reading list to nudge, worry about choice architecture and practise libertarian paternalism, it is time to take the intellectual battle to Labour. In particular it is worth […]