Nineteen Conservative backbenchers spoke against the policy. It’s doubtful whether a top-down targets system will pass the Commons.
Meanwhile, the Government has quietly been appointing more trade emissaries during the last few months.
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. 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 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against reform of the Lords than for – perhaps because pro-reform Tories knew, the programme motion having been withdrawn, that they would win the Second Reading vote easily (thanks to Labour votes). […]
Gareth Johnson is the MP for Dartford I am delighted that Kent County Council has voted to allow the first expansion of a Grammar School in this country for around fifty years. It makes complete sense to allow good schools to expand whether this is on a "satellite campus" as in this case or on […]
Tim Montgomerie In Westminster Hall yesterday, ahead of the binding Commons vote, Philip Hollobone instigated a debate on voting rights for prisoners. Mark Harper MP for the Coalition is proposing that prisoners with sentences of four year or less should get the vote. Labour will seek to amend that proposal, limiting voting rights to one […]
By Tim Montgomerie Over the last 48 hours – on LeftWatch – I've been documenting the zero to 100mph rhetorical overkill of Labour MPs and left-wing commentators. The infection spread to Labour's frontbench yesterday when the always partisan Chris Bryant put this question to Nick Clegg at Deputy PM's Question Time: "It is estimated that […]
Further to Andrew Bridgen’s speech, which I noted earlier, there were four more maiden speeches which addressed the European issue in last Thursday’s debate. Mark Garnier, who gained Wyre Forest from the Independent MP Richard Taylor, said he ”could be persuaded“ of the case for coming out of Europe: “I was keen to speak in […]
Gareth Johnson is the Member of Parliament for Dartford. This week I am presenting my Ten Minute Rule Bill to the House. It is entitled “Unduly Lenient Sentences (Right of Appeal) Bill”. It seeks to tackle one of the most unjust aspects of the entire Criminal Justice System. The purpose of the Bill is to […]