Contributions
1,242 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Eighth sitting)I have never felt so powerful as I do right now. I am grateful for the Minister’s response. This was a probing new clause. The issue has dominated my email inbox since I was…30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service Appointmentsindicated assent.30 Jun 2020HANSARD Civil Service AppointmentsDon’t prorogue Parliament as the Supreme Court will find it unlawful. Don’t approve this planning application, Secretary Jenrick, as it will be found unlawful. Is this not just…30 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Eighth sitting)I am listening very closely to the hon. Gentleman. The Committee has talked at great length about the importance of voters having an equal say. Does he accept, however, that until…30 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I hope that Members’ heads have not been hurting too much in trying to understand this new clause, which gives a…30 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Eighth sitting)I am listening to the hon. Member very carefully. It will come as no surprise to the Committee that for me, as a Scottish nationalist, the strength and harmony of the Union is not…30 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)The hon. Gentleman will be aware of amendment 10, which I tabled. He is speaking powerfully about the importance of the boundary commission’s work, in particular its hearings, so…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Sixth sitting)I beg to move amendment 6, in clause 6, page 4, line 36, leave out ‘which exist, or are prospective, on the review date’. This amendment removes the restriction on the local…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Sixth sitting)I rise to speak to amendments 6 and 7, tabled in my name and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Ceredigion. I do not wish to detain the Committee for long, so I will be brief…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Sixth sitting)My intention with amendments 6 and 7 was certainly not to declare war between Norfolk and Suffolk. As I outlined in my remarks, they are probing amendments; my intention was to…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Sixth sitting)I shall speak to amendment 9. During Second Reading, I was struck by the thoughtful approach of the right hon. Member for Elmet and Rothwell, who made a plea—often repeated during…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)I put two points to the right hon. Gentleman. Why, if we have lost 73 MEPs, are we not going up to 673 seats in this House? Secondly, if he is talking about the increased workload…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)It is a great pleasure to see you back in the Chair and in charge, Mr Paisley. I repeat on the record the remarks that I made on Second Reading regarding the view of the Scottish…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)I am grateful to right the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. I would miss these Bill Committees. At the risk of going down a large rabbit hole, I will confine my remarks on…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)I am happy to clarify. I am referring to question 181, which can be found on the last page of Hansard for the public sitting on Tuesday 23 June. I want to ask the Minister to…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)I am immensely grateful to the right hon. Lady for that intervention. It is fair of her to put that on record, but the issue is the change in policy by the Conservative party. She…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)If the right hon. Member for Basingstoke wants to intervene again and explain to me why the Conservative party decided to U-turn on that position, I will happily give way to her,…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)I would never wish to suggest that the motivations behind this Bill are to ensure that there are more Conservative seats. That would, of course, be disorderly.25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)At the risk of comparing majorities, when I was first elected it was with a majority of 75. The hon. Gentleman is right to touch on this point about the need for parliamentary…25 Jun 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies Bill (Fifth sitting)To clarify, I believe the Isle of Man also has unelected clerics, so we are not in completely bad company. That is a constitutional history point.25 Jun 2020