They Blog For You

Dominic Grieve welcomes views as to how the system should be changed [...]

Theresa is continuing to press the Government and administrators Ernst and Young for a fair deal for ex-Nortel employees. Theresa said, “I am furious that more than 100 people made redundant from Nortel without consultation have still not seen any redundancy pay. This is an appalling way to treat ex-employees, [...]

This is the full text of the article I wrote for Comment is Free on the current Labour leadership debacle, which is summarised in the main Guardian today. What have they done to our party?Ambition and self-interest have become more important to many in the Labour hierarchy than the [...]

At 10pm on Thursday the minister I shadow in Parliament, James Purnell, announced his resignation. For a few hours it looked as though the dam had broken, other frontline ministers would follow suit, and the Prime Minister would have to go. But, after a night's sleep, the major [...]

Theresa May is backing this year’s Carers Week (8-14 June) in support of carers in the Maidenhead area, who are among the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid care for a loved one who is ill, frail or disabled. Theresa’s support comes as new research reveals that [...]

Gerald welcomes fellow BFF Trustee to the House [...]

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I have written an article for the Guardian's Comment is Free today and issued the following press release.Labour Left threatens 'Candidates for Change' slate if policies don't change The Labour left refused to be dragged into either the plotting to oust Brown or the positioning by others seeking to fill [...]

This is the Guardian Comment is Free I wrote yesterday, still running on its website today.We need change now, GordonThe Campaign Group had nothing to do with the coup attempt, but if Brown does not offer real change, I will back a challenge About a month ago the weekly discussion [...]

2004-2008 [...]

Members’ Additional Costs Allowance (ACA) 2008-09, Members’ Incidental Expenses Provision (IEP) 2008-09, Members’ Staffing Allowance 2008-09 [...]

Gerald Howarth MP calls for needs of local residents to be balanced against the economic case for expansion at Farnborough Airport [...]

In the Commons this afternoon to hear new Secretary of State Ben Bradshaw launch the final report on 'Digital Britain'. Among many important matters, the report dealt with the issue of access to broadband - both at current speeds and at proposed 'next generation' speeds. The key points [...]

The decision to publish MP expenses with large swathes of black ink is yet another own goal by the Parliamentary establishment. A day that could finally have lanced the boil of this issue by bringing everything into the open has instead created a new wave of resentment and cynicism. Even [...]

Choosing the next Speaker is always a great responsibility but, in the current climate of hatred and suspicion of MPs, it is particularly important that we get the right person this time.Current favourite, according to the Bookies, is John Bercow and he is the person I am publicly backing. In [...]

Memorial Centre, East Common, Gerrards Cross [...]

Theresa May is encouraging all local residents to respond to a new public consultation on aircraft noise from Heathrow Airport. The consultation began last week and gives people the chance to review Heathrow Airport’s Draft Noise Action Plan, which explains how the airport plans to manage noise over the next [...]

Just come from the House of Commons where we've just heard from the ten candidates for Speaker. We have until about ten past four to vote then they reckon it will take about an hour to count the first round of votes. The bottom candidate plus anyone [...]

Results of round 1:John Bercow 179George Young 112Margaret Beckett 74Alan Haselhurst 66Alan Beith 55Ann Widdecombe 44Eliminated are: Parmjit Dhanda (26), Richard Shepherd (15), Patrick Cormack (13) and Michael Lord (9)We now have ten minutes to see if anyone drops out, otherwise a second round of voting.[PS Do I get a [...]

So, it looks like its down to two: John Bercow 221 so far, and George Young 174; roughly 200 votes up for grabs; if they split 40:60 Bercow:Young (as happened in the last round of transfers) it would end up Bercow 301, Young 294 or thereabouts - incredibly [...]