By Tim Montgomerie Yesterday I highlighted an attempt, led by Douglas Carswell, to reduce Britain's contribution to the EU. The following Tory MPs voted for his amendment*: Baker, Steve Baron, Mr John Bebb, Guto Bingham, Andrew (not on yesterday's list) Binley, Mr Brian Blackman, Bob (not on yesterday's list) Bone, Peter Carswell, Mr Douglas Chope, […]
By Tim Montgomerie In the Commons yesterday the Home Secretary explained to MPs why the Government was adopting the European Investigation Order. Posted below are key highlights from her opening statement: The need to deal with cross-border crime: "To deal with cross-border crime, countries enter into mutual legal assistance-MLA-agreements. Those agreements provide a framework through […]
Conservative MPs lined up yesterday to oppose Labour's plans for a £80m referendum on introducing the Alternative Vote system for electing the House of Commons. Shadow Justice Secretary Dominic Grieve led for the Conservatives. Richard Shepherd on how AV elects the least objectionable candidates: "I know that the Prime Minister has abolished boom and bust, […]
John Redwood has been MP for Wokingham since 1987 and chaired the Conservative Party's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group. He has held a number of ministerial and shadow cabinet roles and as well as writing a regular blog, he has just co-authored, with Carl Thomson, a new Bow Group pamphlet, More for Less: Cutting Public Spending, […]
Michael Brown has written a thought-provoking piece for The Independent. One of his most interesting observations is this: "Assuming a Tory victory with an overall working majority, Mr Cameron will be faced with a parliamentary party numbering 350, or thereabouts, of whom only just over 100 will be previously sitting MPs. By comparison, when Margaret […]
9pm update: Junior frontbencher David Jones has posted on his blog in support of John Redwood's call for a recall of Parliament. He is specifically concerned that the Commons gets the chance to question ministers about the release of the Lockerbie bomber: "We need to learn the truth about the discussions that took place between […]
Update: Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Clark has issued a press release on this story. Rather like rock stars who take a private jet to play at an event condemning the evils of climate change, Whitehall departments sometimes fail to practice what they preach, as John Redwood has uncovered: "To ask the Secretary […]
We've already covered David Cameron's brilliant speech elsewhere on the blog, but it is well worth having a look at what John Redwood had to say in Budget debate yesterday. "This is really the Damian McBride memorial Budget. It is a Budget of the spinners, by the spinners, for the spinners. It is a Budget with […]
From John Redwood's blog. Tim Montgomerie
John Redwood has been MP for Wokingham since 1987 and was invited by David Cameron to chair the Conservative Party's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group. He has held a number of ministerial and shadow cabinet roles and writes a regular blog. The G20 agenda was always going to be a bizarre mixture of items reflecting the […]
The House of Commons debated the Banking Bill yesterday. A number of Conservative MPs spoke out against the Government’s plans. The most telling contribution came from John Redwood. "This is the biggest, most important and most dramatic money resolution I have ever seen in the House of Commons. It has taken 1,000 years to amass […]
Yesterday the House of Commons had Work and Pensions questions. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans asked what can be done to make parents take responsibility for their children: "Poverty for youngsters is often reinforced when a married couple separates by a missing parent who refuses to take their responsibility. The Child Support Agency is often […]
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith came before the House of Commons yesterday to make a statement on the Damian Green arrest. She was very much on the defensive: "As the statement issued by Sir David Normington on 28 November made clear, he was informed by the police at about 1.45 pm on 27 November that a […]
John Redwood has been MP for Wokingham since 1987 and chaired the Conservative Party's Economic Competitiveness Policy Group. He has held a number of ministerial and shadow cabinet roles and writes a regular blog. We need some common sense over global warming. The failure of the world’s leaders to agree a target based approach in […]