TV coverage, Muslim demographics and electoral pressure are helping to move the balance of opinion.
Knighthoods for two outgoing MPs, and much deserved recognition for many others.
Open Primaries are becoming increasingly popular – will it benefit those candidates who’ve already taken part in one?
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter The four in question, as above, were Peter Luff, Tim Loughton, Cheryl Gillan and Nick Herbert. My report on their views of how British government now works – and to what degree it requires overhauling – can be read on the Conservative Intelligence website.
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Even the most cursory glance at today's ConHome newslinks demonstrates that Philip Hammond had a torrid time in the Commons yesterday. I think it is worth listing a selection of the questions he was asked from his own backbenches, and I hope and believe that the one below is […]
By Matthew BarrettFollow Matthew on Twitter. The BBC is reporting that Peter Luff, the Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire since 1997, previously Worcester since 1992, is to stand down. Mr Luff was the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology until this week. In that role, he had responsibility for overseeing defence procurement. Before entering government, […]
By Jonathan Isaby Until yesterday, Gordon Brown had only been spotted momentarily in the chamber of the Commons once and voted in just three of the 102 divisions (all on September 6th). Yesterday, however, he decided to break his post-election silence by seeking to catch the Speaker's eye during yesterday's end-of-day adjournment debate introduced by […]
At questions to the MP representing the House of Commons Commission (Nick Harvey) yesterday, a succession of Conservative MPs raised issues about the cost of the recently refurbished Bellamy's Bar being turned into a nursery for the children of MPs and House of Commons staff… Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): This important issue has not suddenly arisen […]
Peter Luff is Conservative MP for Mid Worcestershire and Chairman of the House of Commons' Business, Innovation and Skills select committee. He recently started Tweeting. We’ve been here before. In the bad economic times of the past, everyone always started saying how much manufacturing mattered, and then, when the good times started rolling again, we […]
Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Paul Goodman made a point of order in the House of Commons this afternoon which is well worth a detailed look. "Mr. Paul Goodman (Wycombe) (Con): On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As you are aware, the preventing violent extremism pathfinder fund distributes more than £70 million […]
It was the second reading of Peter Luff’s Small Business Rate Relief (Automatic Payment) Bill on Friday. It is backed by the Federation of Small Businesses and reflects the fact that business rate relief is not taken up by half the smal businesses entitled to it. Around £400 million earmarked for rate relief for small […]
Select committees are not usually all the rage, but there is widespread media coverage of the Treasury Select Committee’s grilling yesterday of RBS and HBOS bankers. All four men (the former HBOS chief executive and chairman, Andy Hornby and Lord Stevenson, and the former RBS chief executive and chairman, Sir Fred Goodwin and Sir Tom […]
Herewith some interesting recent early day motions. Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff put down EDM 676 to call on the Government to make business rate relief for small businesses automatic: "That this House notes with concern that business rate relief is not taken up by over half of those small businesses eligible to claim it; […]
Peter Luff is MP for Mid Worcestershire and Chairman of the Business and Enterprise Committee. Gordon Brown just loves committees – give him a problem and he’ll establish one (or set up an inquiry), anything to avoid a decision but be seen to be taking action, however ineffective. There is, though, one type of committee […]
On the day Peter Luff tables a bill with measures intended to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientist, he explains the background to his concerns. Peter Luff is Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire; Defence Equipment Minister (2010-2012) and Chairman of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (2005-2010). Follow Peter on Twitter. The […]