Managing the controversial White Paper through into action is a formidable task for the woman who is mulling a future crack at the leadership.
There were 26 critical questions from Conservative backbenchers on the Government’s EU referendum leaflet yesterday and 5 supportive ones.
While the reshuffle dominated talk in the village, the Data Retention and Investigatory Bill was hurtling through the Commons.
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. Fourteen Conservative MPs voted against David Cameron's proposals on press regulation earlier this evening – or, rather, against the amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill which set out proposals for exemplary damages in relation to newspapers and websites that refuse to be regulated by the new regulator. The […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter For statutory regulation Robert Buckland George Eustice Sir Edward Garnier Zac Goldsmith Against statutory regulation Angie Bray Therese Coffey Damian Collins Richard Drax Kris Hopkins Peter Lilley Jacob Rees-Mogg John Whittingdale This is, as the headline says, a snapshot. It doesn't deal with speeches that didn't touch on the […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. The Daily Mail this morning reports on the 118 Conservative MPs who have written to constituents indicating their opposition to gay marriage proposals. The Mail says "Their opposition has been expressed in letters and emails sent to constituents who have contacted them with their own concerns", and points out that […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. Yesterday's debate on the Lords Reform Bill was heated, yet relatively polite. I noticed far more speakers against reform of the Lords than for – perhaps because pro-reform Tories knew, the programme motion having been withdrawn, that they would win the Second Reading vote easily (thanks to Labour votes). […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. On Friday, 50 MPs, including 34 Conservatives, wrote a letter to the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, expressing their "serious concerns" with the Department of Health’s proposal to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products. The letter stated that: "There is no reliable evidence that plain packaging will have any public health […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter In the Commons yesterday, a debate was held on whether to suspend Sunday trading restrictions for the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. The Bill passed through the House, with only extremely minor rebellion from the Tory benches. This was surprising because there was some consternation felt by […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter As reported last week, this Parliament has seen more rebellions than during the Major years, and in fact, the 2010 intake has been the most rebellious since at least 1945. The last Parliamentary year has seen Conservative rebellions on issues such as European bailouts, recognising marriage in the tax system, or […]
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 […]