Over a third of those who asked a question during a Hancock statement yesterday were to some degree resistant to such shutdowns.
The Prime Minister’s decision to publish his tax return has big knock-on implications for his colleagues, and perhaps for himself too.
Downing Street announces the ministerial changes resulting from Mark Harper’s resignation
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 Lots of Tory MPs reacted angrily yesterday to the decision of the PCS union to disrupt border control on the eve of the Olympics. Here's a selection of what they Tweeted: My hope is that the anger that we felt yesterday and today is not forgotten. We need to […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter My series profiling the backbench groups of Tory MPs has usually featured groups with general ideological goals. Groups representing the traditional right or Thatcherite wing of the Party cannot be said to focus on a single area of political life. Nor can newer groups like the Free Enterprise Group, or […]
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter In yesterday's Adjournment debate before the start of the Christmas recess, a mix of topics were raised by MPs. Chris Skidmore MP (Kingswood), who also wrote on ConservativeHome yesterday about making history a compulsory subject for under-16s, spoke of the study of history reaching a record low. Skidmore said that […]
By Joseph Willits Follow Joseph on Twitter Phillip Hammond, the Defence Secretary has said in the Commons yesterday that "all submariner roles will be open to women" in response to questions from Tory MPs Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) and Harriet Baldwin (West Worcestershire). Hammond was asked by the MPs what the role of women would be on submarines, including on […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter Yesterday saw the Second Reading in the Commons of the Pensions Bill – the legislation currently in the news which accelerates the existing timetable for increasing the State Pension age to 66. This will mean the pension age will be increased from 60 to 65 for women by 2018, before being […]
by Paul Goodman Nick Clegg's Commons grilling yesterday over social mobility has grabbed the media's fancy this morning. His stalling on the Government's commission on the West Lothian question has got less attention – Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (Lab): As well as being responsible for having probably destroyed the electoral hopes of the […]
By Jonathan Isaby The fact that Scotttish and Welsh MPs can still vote on matters pertaining to English health, education etc, whilst the devolved bodies in Edinburgh and Cardiff have exclusive responsibility for those matters in their jurisdictions riles a considerable number of Tory MPs, especially the 2010 intake. And at Scotland Office questions yesterday, […]
by Paul Goodman The second reading of Harriett Baldwin's Legislation (Territorial Extent) Bill took place in the Commons yesterday. Beneath its unstirring title lurks an emotive subject – namely, how to right the wrongs inflicted on England by Labour's devolution settlement. Baldwin's solution is what she called "a lower-strength version of English votes for English […]
Here is the latest in our series of Twenty Questions with members of the Class of 2010… Harriett Baldwin was elected MP for West Worcestershire with a majority of 6,854. 1. What is your earliest political memory? We were evacuated from our home in Nicosia, Cyprus to the Royal Air Force Base at Dekalia because […]