The triumph of Whatsapp and trouble for the whips

Groups of MPs are able to beat their jungle drums into a frenzy. And the powers-that-be have limited capacity to quieten them.

The middle way on free and fair trade (and the only practicable one)

People cannot simply be viewed as consumers or producers – there are other dimensions to policy, including the stewardship of the countryside.

Neil Parish: A strengthened Environment Bill can build on our record for cleaning up the nation’s air

I am tabling vital amendments to the Bill. Efforts to reduce toxic pollution should not be on the backburner.

Select Committee chairmanships announced

Ellwood to chair the Defence Committee. Tugendhat to chair Foreign Affairs. Hunt to chair Health and Social Care.

Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: Dodds looks as if he wants to push the delete button on May

The Prime Minister clearly thinks she can talk her own backbenchers into supporting her deal, but could find no way of conciliating the DUP.

Tugendhat, Morgan, Halfon elected. The new power of the Select Committees.

They already elect their chairmen and there will be fewer trips abroad – at least when the Commons is sitting. That means more scrutiny of what Ministers are up to.

20 Conservative MPs revolt over tax credits. Five of them are 2015 intake members.

The number of rebels has risen; it is concentrated among post-2005 intake Tories, and in seats that are either marginal or were until recently.

Blunt’s victory is an emphatic win for the pro-Palestinian cause

Jesse Norman wins Culture, Julian Lewis Defence…and Meg Hillier is the new Chairman of the Public Accounts Committtee.

Zahawi should be free to speak his mind

Members of the Policy Board aren’t members of the Government.

The case for free school co-operatives is set out by Steve Baker

The Telegraph’s report of his view is a sign of rising media interest in the Chairmen of the ’22’s Policy Committees. Expect to see more it.

The key role of the ’22’s five policy committee chairmen

Robert Buckland has replaced Eleanor Laing as Chairman of the the Home Affairs Committee. There could be fresh elections for all Chairman posts.

70 Tory MPs vote to repeal the Human Rights Act

By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Yesterday in Parliament, Richard Bacon, a Conservative backbencher, tried to introduce a Bill which would… Read more »

The 118 Tory MPs the Daily Mail lists as being opposed to gay marriage

By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. The Daily Mail this morning reports on the 118 Conservative MPs who have written to… Read more »

Who are Conservative Friends of Israel? A profile of the Conservative Party’s most populous grouping

By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Conservative Friends of Israel is an influential affiliate group of the Conservative Party which… Read more »

80 Tory backbenchers voted for Lords reform last night. 110 did not.

By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. We know that 91 Tories voted against the Lords Reform Bill last night. That's… Read more »