ToryDiary: Nadine Dorries attacks "McCarthyite" tactics of Telegraph Nick de Bois on Platform: We now need the spirit of the Great Reform Acts to rebuild trust in politics Local government: Three local government by-elections Two more Tory MPs feature in expenses-gate "The daughter of Conservative MP Anne Main has been living rent-free in a flat that her mother claims second home expenses on. The MP for St Albans has claimed £64,586 over three years on the flat in her constituency, even though daughter Claire Tonks has lived there during that period." - Daily Mail "A Tory MP spent £17,000 of taxpayers' money on decorating his two homes - swapping his second home designation to allow him to keep shopping. Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire, spent the money on furniture and other items for his two homes during a four-year period." - Daily Mail "A Labour MP says he will stand down at the next election if his constituents demand it, following allegations over his second home expenses claims. The Daily Telegraph says Dr Ian Gibson, Norwich North MP, claimed for a London flat while his daughter and her partner lived there rent-free." - BBC "Why won't Brown slap down Hoon and Purnell like Blears?" - Daily Mail "The Liberal Democrat chief executive and election strategist will step down this autumn, days after questions were raised over his House of Lords expense claims." -Times | Guido yesterday "Asked on BBC One's Question Time whether criminal prosecutions should be brought against some MPs, Mr Hague said: "In all probability, yes"." - BBC Ben Chapman, MP for Wirral South, will resign at next election - Telegraph Membership of the Conservative Party's scrutiny committee The Times sets out a reform agenda for politics "Voters want smarter MPs, greater transparency, civilised politics and more control" - Times leader We should be able to sack MPs mid-term - Matthew Elliott in The Telegraph The Economist: Where are the brave politicians? "Westminster loves the language of gore. People talk of “back-stabbings” and “assassins”; of electoral “massacres”; of paths to power “littered with corpses” and of “bloodbaths” if the powerful are crossed. In this sanguinary lexicon MPs are accounted “brave” and “heroic” for drafting a motion that calls for a parliamentary official to resign, or for writing newspaper articles that are codedly critical of their leaders. They aren’t. It is brave to attend a protest rally in Burma. It is brave to be an independent journalist in Russia. It is brave to be a human-rights monitor in Syria. In Britain heads roll or are impaled on spikes only metaphorically. Only ink actually gets spilt: there will not be blood. The costs of sticking out a neck are pifflingly low. Ordinary Britons might well wonder why in these febrile times so few politicians, whether commanders or foot soldiers, are willing to make a stand." - The Economist's Bagehot Honesty isn't a political manifesto "Honesty may be called the best policy, but it isn't actually a policy at all as far as governing a country is concerned; it is just a moral principle for individual conduct. It isn't one of the principles that determine how political decisions are made. We have political parties in order that people can rally round a set of such governing principles and act collectively to put them into effect." - Alexander Chancellor in The Guardian John Bercow: My manifesto for the Speakership Mr Bercow also writes an open letter in The Guardian. Ann Widdecombe is the people's choice to be the next Speaker - Andrew Pierce in The Telegraph Richard Reeves of Demos sets out "progressive austerity" "Capital gains tax should also be introduced on the sale of primary residences. This would raise at least £5bn a year and damp house price inflation when the upturn comes. This will not be popular. But it is easier to introduce when house prices are flat and voters know the Treasury is broke. Progressive austerity means vigorously defending the spending that helps the poor, ruthlessly cutting elsewhere and taking the opportunity presented by the crisis to build a fairer tax system." - Richard Reeves in the FT also commends saving Sure Start; the Family Nurse Partnership, targeted child trust funds but cuts in arts funding Ex-Tory Shaun Woodward tipped for another promotion in Cabinet reshuffle - Times And finally...
Friday 22nd May 2009Britain's leading conservative blogWATCH:
Anthony Steen MP: Voters are only envious of his big house - Independent | Daily Mail | Yesterday's Seats & Candidates
"If the House expects to gain the respect of others, it has to start by showing some respect for itself. This means asserting the duty of Parliament to scrutinise the executive and to hold the government of the day to account. This should include radical reform of the way we operate – from the management of House business to the composition of committees, from the level of scrutiny to the opportunities for backbench members to take part in key debates." - John Bercow MP in The Independent
Lord Ashcroft rumoured to be losing interest in Watford FC -Guardian
Friday, 22 May 2009
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