The Institute of Directors, the Economist, the Centre for Entrepreneurs, the CBI…none of them cared for James Brokenshire’s speech.
Downing Street announces the ministerial changes resulting from Mark Harper’s resignation
In his resignation letter he speaks of holding himself “to a higher standard”
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Yesterday in the Commons, the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 was debated. The 2009 Act created IPSA, the body responsible for regulating the current expenses regime for MPs. Its workings are deeply resented by many MPs – some of whom dislike it in principle. Adam Afriyie, the Chair of the Members' Expenses […]
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 […]
By Jonathan Isaby During the latest proceedings on the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill yesterday, Bill Cash led an attempt to make a pre-full term general election subject to a motion passed by a simple majority of MPs, rather than two thirds of MPs, as the Bill proposes. Moving his amendment to clause two of the […]
By Jonathan Isaby During Tuesday's proceedings on the Fixed Term Parliaments Bill, amendments were tabled by Plaid Cymru – and also backed by Labour and the SNP – that would reduce the proposed term limit of this and future Parliaments to four years, and not five, as the Government proposes in the Bill. Two Tory […]
By Jonathan Isaby During last night's proceedings on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, Tory MP Bill Cash proposed an amendment that the AV referendum should be subject to a 40% turnout threshold. He explained to the Commons: "My amendment is very modest. It simply calls on the Government to agree that we should […]
By Jonathan Isaby This afternoon in the Commons, Cabinet Office minister Mark Harper was summoned to the Dispatch Box to answer an Urgent Question on the decision to grant the right to vote to prisoners. Quite why Nick Clegg could not have done so, given that his is the only of the main parties to […]
By Jonathan Isaby Cabinet Office minister Mark Harper is a busy man at the moment. Not only has he got the bills to introduce fixed term Parliaments, the AV referendum and the reduction in constituencies on his plate right now, but he was back in the Commons this afternoon to make another announcement. The Government […]