Contributions
1,177 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)It is a pleasure to see you in the chair, Dame Siobhain. I was going to resist the temptation to have another say on voting systems in local government, but I saw this new clause…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)In part, because the Liberal Democrats put out six leaflets a year that do not tell the truth about what is actually going on, and make a mockery between the relationship between…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)Dame Siobhan, the answer to that is no and if you Google it you will see the relationship. I have a lot of respect for Councillor House. We just have very big political…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)The Liberal Democrats and Greens want to bring in a vast array of different voting systems, in different stages of elections, but residents locally expect to have one vote, one…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)The hon. Lady explains perfectly; I disagree with her. We absolutely agree on the geographical link for super-councils—I have already said that I do not believe that the…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)The Minister has gone further than I was expecting her to. I think it is now up to my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight East to table the new clause again on Report,…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Twelfth sitting)No, I do not; we should keep the current system in place. I believe that, even though we are essentially going from three to two tiers, we are not actually going to one tier in…28 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)I was going to stay quiet, but unfortunately for the Minister I was inspired by her speech, so I hate to disappoint the Government Whip by speaking very briefly. The Minister,…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)I will respond briefly. The Minister is entitled to say that she does not want to accept the amendment, but I ask her to look not at the logistical and legal arguments of the…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)Well, there we have it: the mask has slipped—23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)We are content with that answer, so I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Question proposed, That the schedule be the Twenty Third schedule…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady in that we need responsibility, bearing in mind that amendment 51 would give the Secretary of State the power in this case to enforce that…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)Fine. I thank the Minister for her intervention, but the point I am about to make still applies: the people who currently serve have a stake. The people who send those people to…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)I genuinely hate to detain the Committee—I do not just say that out of politeness—but I believe that we should press new clause 24 to a Division, when we come to that point.23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)Forgive me, Ms Vaz; as the Committee can see, I got rather carried away and I forgot to speak to new clause 24 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)I beg to move amendment 45, in schedule 24, page 247, line 38, at end insert— “(aa) after subsection (3), insert— ‘3A The Secretary of State may not in any case make an order…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)I am grateful for your indulgence on this, Dame Siobhain, because I know that we have had a very long debate on the substantive clause to which it relates. I want briefly to speak…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Tenth sitting)I will speak briefly to clause 57. The Opposition recognise why the Government are bringing in this system. As I have said before, I was a councillor in a unitary with a leader…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)I feel very reassured that the Government are following the excellent judgment of the last Conservative Government. On that note, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.…23 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Ninth sitting)I beg to move amendment 308, in schedule 23, page 237, line 30, at end insert— “Functions moving from mayors to deputy mayors and strategic authority members 5A (1) Regulations…23 Oct 2025