Conservative MPs secured all the top four places in the ballot for Private Members Bills, which has just taken place. Top of the pile was newcomer Nick Hurd, followed by Tim Yeo, Caroline Spelman and Gary Streeter. No Liberal Democrats were successful, nor were any members of the other minor parties. The list comprises 11 Tories and nine Labour MPs.
The successful 20 are:
Nick Hurd (C Ruislip-Northwood), Tim Yeo (C Suffolk South), Caroline Spelman (C Meriden), Gary Streeter (C Devon South-West), Graham Stringer (Lab Manchester, Blackley), Robert Walter (C Dorset North), Sir John Butterfill (C Bournemouth West), Paul Farrelly (Lab Newcastle-under-Lyme), Martin Caton (Lab Gower), Richard Ottaway (C Croydon South). Roger Godsiff (Lab Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath), Shailesh Vara (C Cambridgeshire North West), Alan Duncan (C Rutland and Melton), John Hayes (C South Holland and The Deepings), Barry Sheerman (Lab Huddersfield), John McDonnell (Lab Hayes and Harlington), Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Lab Portsmouth North), Michael Meacher (Lab Oldham West and Royton), Emily Thornberry (Lab Islington South and Finsbury), and Francis Maude (C Horsham).
Nick Hurd has already announced he will be backing a Bill - which has been published by Tory leader David Cameron - designed to transfer power from central government to local communities.
Id like to see the Tory MPs who have won introducing some real Tory legislation - bringing back hanging etc etc...
ReplyDeletePerhaps Tim Yeo, who chairs an Environmental Audit Committee that regularly rails against the iniquities of air travel but who, on the evidence of his FT golf column, spends most of his time flying long haul to far flung golf clubs, should promote a Bill requiring all MPs to offset their flights out of their own pockets even if they are on a freebie?
ReplyDeleteSo how does this all work?
ReplyDeleteHow many of the 20 are guaranteed time?
Delighted that the first bill (Hurd's) is inspired by thoroughly laudable conservative philosophy to empower the individual, or at least a local body, at the expense of the idle, obese Westminster couch-potato state.
ReplyDeleteWhich powers to be transferred from central government to which local communities (whoever they may be)? What of all the various powers that come from the EU and our government or parliament can do nothing about? Is Nick Hurd aware of that particular difficulty?
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope Hurd's bill permits the abolition of the wretched Cabinet system which is destroying local government.
ReplyDeleteAt a recent reception David Cameron said that a Conservative government would allow Councils to chose the system most suitable to them including the restoration of the old committee system.
Having said that, I appreciate that expecting councils to abolish the cabinet system is a bit like "turkeys voting for Christmas", but one can always hope and it can be done if a ruling group's backbenchers are prepared to take on it's own cabinet.
Transfer of power? It'd be cosmetic only, at least for as long as Whitehall doles out the money.
ReplyDeleteNot too sure about this - where do these putative Bills come from? Does the proposer think it up all on his little lonesome, or is there a pre-prepared list (from eager lobbyist groups, no doubt) that he/she can pick and choose from? 'Cos I can think of a good few Acts that'd benefit the public a damn sight more than the transferring of power from one jobsworth to another.
The first name in the Private Members ballot often has a pretty good chance of getting something through, provided she/he can get a bit of cross-party support. There are lots of useful measures out there that are not high up on the government's radar. A Bill on local government powers, a matter of dispute between the parties, isn't going to get anywhere. So Hurd and Cameron are opting for "gesture" politics rather than trying to get something useful done. Even as a gesture it's a waste of time as there's a major programme Bill on local government this session when the Tories will have plenty of opportunity to set out their stall, through amendments, debate etc.
ReplyDeleteSo, all pretty meaningless, and unfortunately all of a piece with Cameronian Conservatism. And I speak as a p**sed off small c conservative seriously thinking about not voting next time - a first for me.
All contributors to this site who "are seriously thinking of not voting Tory next time" should piss off now to ConservativeHome, from whence, I suspect you came.
ReplyDeleteTo Bebopper @ 12.02
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, some of us come from the real world, you know, voters, workers and other alien beings. We're not interested in the puerile "civil wars" of internal party politics (turns us off in fact, unless it's about real principles). We'd rather like someone to rescue us from the ghastly Blair experience.....but are still waiting.
But I'll bear your persuasive argument in mind.
bebopper -
ReplyDeleteYour phrasing is illuminating. "....thinking of not voting tory next time.." assumes that we voted tory in the past. Too true - 40 years of voting tory in my particular case, through thick and thin, in good times and bad. No more.
The bunch of f*ckwit microcephalics currently engaged in focussing' the party just make me puke. And the fact that it's highly unlikely that their pathetic little agenda would ever get a clear endorsement from the paid up members tells one everything one needs to know. They're transient opportunist parasites infecting the conservative body.
Or at least I hope they're transient. But while they're around they no longer get my vote.
Iain's blog is, I understand, a 'conservative' blog. Well, I'm a conservative. Such a pity the party isn't.
The conservative party had 4 opportunities to elect a good leader, and has failed each time.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many members who voted cameron as leader regret their choice now.
In fact, Nick Hurd's Sustainable Communities Bill already has the support of a majority - 363 MPs from all parties - and is the result of four years of campaigning by a variety of different organisations, from the National Federation of Women's Institutes through to CAMRA. See http://www.localworks.org/.
ReplyDeleteJames, thank you. I stand corrected; and that should teach me to sound off without knowing the full facts as I did yesterday(but that is what blog response is all about!).
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to seeing what the Bill is about.
anyone know of anybody in the top 6 still looking for a bill?
ReplyDelete