The Guardian reports that Hansard – marking their centenary as the official record of Parliamentary proceedings – have published a book of the greatest parliamentary speeches of the last hundred years. Senior figures have been asked to identify their favourite speech of the 1909 – 2009 period. Rather surprisingly, the achingly partisan Gordon Brown has chosen Sir […]
Thursday saw oral questions on Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Rochford & Southend East MP James Duddridge (right) asked about the cost to taxpayers of assuming liability for the Royal Mail pension scheme: "The Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. Pat McFadden): We estimate that the Government will assume total liabilities of £29.5 billion […]
There was an Opposition Day Debate on the Royal Mail in the House of Commons yesterday. Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke moved: "That this House welcomes the Hooper review of UK postal services; and urges the Government to implement rapidly the review’s proposals for the partial privatisation of Royal Mail." But despite this support from […]
Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke was up again in the House of Commons yesterday. He is of course not able to question his opposite number Lord Mandelson in the chamber. He asked about the enterprise finance guarantee scheme, which was launched last month and is open to businesses with a turnover less than £25 million. […]
We were promised that he is still a formidable operator, and yesterday Ken Clarke showed his mettle at the despatch box. Responding to the Government’s announcement (made in the Commons by Lord Mandelson’s deputy Ian Pearson) that it will make up to £2.3 billion available in loans, Mr Clarke said: "May I begin by thanking […]
In the company of his new front bench colleague Ken Clarke, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne responded to the Government’s statement on financial markets yesterday. Alistair Darling announced a new £50 billion Bank of England fund to purchase corporate assets from banks, that Northern Rock may no longer rapidly reduce its mortgage book […]
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 […]
Following Shadow Chancellor George Osborne’s success in securing it, the House of Commons held an Emergency Debate on the Pre-Budget Report yesterday. Mr Osborne was on bullish form: "The public would have found it extraordinary if the House of Commons had not properly considered the huge tax measures put forward by the Chancellor on Monday, […]
Ken Clarke MP explains his opposition to a referendum: "There has only ever been one United Kingdom-wide referendum in this country. I had the pleasure of campaigning hard in that election and of finding myself on the winning side. I very much hope that we never have a second referendum, and I am rather appalled […]
Former Chancellor Ken Clarke, Chairman of David Cameron’s Democracy task force, gave evidence to the Commons’ Justice Select Committee yesterday. The Committee is taking evidence on the impact of devolution. Within his evidence he said that… The Conservatives had been mistaken to oppose devolution in 1997; That an English Parliament was unnecessary; He would be […]