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Mon, 20 May 2024

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Articles tagged with: Parliament
MPs Vote To Reverse Conservative Plans To Reform Parliament's Standards Committee
Political parties
MPs Vote To Reverse Conservative Plans To Reform Parliament's Standards Committee
MPs have voted to rescind Conservative plans to reform parliament's watchdog and delay approving a report on the former parliamentarian Owen Paterson, who was found guilty of breaching lobbying rules.
There should be far more rigorous financial rules for MPs
Parliament
By Alistair Carmichael MP
There should be far more rigorous financial rules for MPs
Last year I fought to ensure that MPs for rural and island communities would be able to participate remotely in Parliament during the height of the pandemic. I did so to ensure that our communities got the same representation as anywhere else, regardless of geography or personal circumstances.
We need to strengthen accountability for MPs who abuse their staff
Parliament
By Jenny Symmons
We need to strengthen accountability for MPs who abuse their staff
Parliament can be a fantastic, thrilling, dynamic place to work. When Gemma White QC’s report on Bullying and Harassment of MPs’ Parliamentary Staff came out in 2019, I was comfortably naïve to the significant problems with bullying and harassment she found. Through my involvement in the GMB Branch for Members’ Staff in the two years since, it’s fair to say my bubble has been burst.
The Commons standards system must be reformed to ensure confidence of Members – and the public
Parliament
By Dr Hannah White
The Commons standards system must be reformed to ensure confidence of Members – and the public
The Owen Paterson affair has created the opportunity to reform the Commons Standards system, but, unfortunately, in the most unpropitious of circumstances.
Exclusive: The Secret Restoration Of The Big Ben Clock In The Lake District
History
By Kate Proctor
Exclusive: The Secret Restoration Of The Big Ben Clock In The Lake District
A tiny Lake District village kept one of Britain’s most precious national symbols safe and sound for three years, hidden from view in a converted cow shed. Now the Big Ben clock has made its return to Westminster, Kate Proctor meets the restoration team that gave the 162-year-old timepiece a new lease of life and are taking us a step closer to hearing the famous chimes once again.
How the Home Office became a top performer for upholding parliamentary scrutiny Partner content
Home affairs
By Fivium
How the Home Office became a top performer for upholding parliamentary scrutiny
The Home Office has undergone a recent transformation that has seen it turn around its Parliamentary Questions (PQs) performance with a regular on-time response rate of 90-100%.
Lords Diary: Lord Clement Jones
Economy
By Lord Clement-Jones
Lords Diary: Lord Clement Jones
Down the corridor in the Commons, early November was dominated by No 10’s Owen Paterson U-turn and in Glasgow by events at COP26 – but for me it was an opportunity to raise a number of issues relevant to innovation and the development of technology and the future of our creative industries. It started with the great news that Queen Mary University of London, whose council I chair, after many trials and tribulations, has agreed a property deal next to our Whitechapel campus with the Department of Health and Social Care. It paves the way for the development, with Barts Life Sciences, of a major research centre within a new UK Whitechapel Life Sciences Cluster.
People Overwhelmingly Believe MPs' Second Job Earnings Should Be Capped
Parliament
People Overwhelmingly Believe MPs' Second Job Earnings Should Be Capped
Exclusive: More than two thirds of people believe there should be a limit to how much money an MP can earn in their second jobs outside of parliament, new polling has revealed.
AI-pocalypse Now
Culture
By Noa Hoffman
AI-pocalypse Now
The late Stephen Hawking warned “creating effective AI could be the biggest event in the
history of our civilisation. Or the worst.” As the artificial intelligence revolution gathers
pace, government must plot a safe and successful digital pathway for the UK. Noa Hoffman reports.
Medically Vulnerable MP Accuses Geoffrey Cox Of 'Disgraceful' Abuse Of Proxy Voting System
Home affairs
Medically Vulnerable MP Accuses Geoffrey Cox Of "Disgraceful" Abuse Of Proxy Voting System
Former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has been criticised by Labour's shadow disabilities minister for abusing a system designed for vulnerable MPs shielding from Covid-19 when he voted by-proxy from the Caribbean while working on a lucrative legal contract.
MPs And Local Tories Are Divided Over Geoffrey Cox's Caribbean Job Scandal
Parliament
MPs And Local Tories Are Divided Over Geoffrey Cox's Caribbean Job Scandal
Anger is mounting in Parliament over Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox's second job which saw him undertake lucrative legal work in the Caribbean during lockdown, but his local association have thrown their full support behind him.
Where Are They Now? Former Labour MP Mary Creagh
Brexit
By Georgina Bailey
Where Are They Now? Former Labour MP Mary Creagh
Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield 2005 - 2019
Boris Johnson Refuses To Apologise For His Handling Of The Paterson Lobbying Scandal
Political parties
Boris Johnson Refuses To Apologise For His Handling Of The Paterson Lobbying Scandal
Boris Johnson has turned down an opportunity to apologise for his party’s botched attempt to reform parliament’s standards watchdog.
The standards system for MPs is independent and effective: but it can still be improved
Political parties
By Arun Midha
The standards system for MPs is independent and effective: but it can still be improved
At the heart of the Owen Paterson affair was a dispute over independence. Should MPs’ conduct as members of a sovereign legislature be judged only by other MPs as well as by their electorates, or should their actions be subject also to independent scrutiny?
The government’s utterly shameful attempt to undermine the standards process has damaged the reputation of the House
Parliament
By Dominic Grieve
The government’s utterly shameful attempt to undermine the standards process has damaged the reputation of the House
One of the consequences of the doctrine of parliamentary privilege, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights 1689, is that the Commons has to act as a self-regulator as to the standards of behaviour it requires from its MPs.
Has Boris Johnson Really Damaged His Party With No.10’s Shambolic Handing Of The Paterson Saga?
Political parties
Has Boris Johnson Really Damaged His Party With No.10’s Shambolic Handing Of The Paterson Saga?
When Boris Johnson travelled to Glasgow on Sunday to host the COP26 climate change summit, he probably didn't expect that by Friday, No.10 would be reeling from one of its biggest crises yet.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street 'Heavily Involved' In Plans For New Tory Group
Political parties
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street "Heavily Involved" In Plans For New Tory Group
Exclusive: Andy Street, the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, is playing a leading role in plans to launch a new parliamentary group of Tory MPs in the region.
Minister Admits 'Mistake' Over Botched Attempt To Reform Parliament's Watchdog
Political parties
Minister Admits "Mistake" Over Botched Attempt To Reform Parliament's Watchdog
Nadhim Zahawi has admitted it was a “mistake” for the Conservative party to conflate wanting to reform parliament’s watchdog with the case of Owen Paterson.
‘The Palace needs to be a modern working environment for the future’ - what next for the Restoration and Renewal?
Parliament
By Sarah Johnson
‘The Palace needs to be a modern working environment for the future’ - what next for the Restoration and Renewal?
In the great chambers of the Houses of Parliament, recess is a quieter time, as Members focus on work in their constituencies and there is a break from much of the business of Parliament. As the Speaker calls time and the Lobby is locked, we are ready to make the most of a quieter Palace of Westminster.
Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe Handed 10 Week Suspended Jail Sentence For Harassment
Political parties
Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe Handed 10 Week Suspended Jail Sentence For Harassment
Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe has been handed a suspended 10-week jail sentence and 200 hours of community service.
Owen Paterson Resigns As MP After Paid Lobbying Scandal
Political parties
Owen Paterson Resigns As MP After Paid Lobbying Scandal
Conservative MP Owen Paterson has resigned over his role in a paid lobbying scandal, following a tumultuous 24 hours in which the government made a botched attempt to re-write standards rules.
Business Secretary Has No Shame 'At All' Over Owen Paterson Saga As Government Faces Major Backlash
Political parties
Business Secretary Has No Shame "At All" Over Owen Paterson Saga As Government Faces Major Backlash
Business Secretary Kwasi Karteng has said "I don't feel shame at all" over the government's contentious move to overturn the suspension of a Conservative MP who was found to have breached parliament's lobbying rules.
Maiden Voyages: Sir David Amess
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Sir David Amess
Sir David Amess did not believe that new MPs should rush to make their maiden speech, calming the nerves by getting it out of the way when no one is looking. Rather, they should wait for an occasion with a decent audience. “The only time that the House will really listen to what honourable Members say is when they make their maiden speech,” the Southend MP said in 2001. “So I am not in favour of throwing that opportunity away when there is no one to listen to it.”
Decision to overhaul standards system highlights the need for greater independence for regulators
Parliament
By Alice Lilly
Decision to overhaul standards system highlights the need for greater independence for regulators
In its decision today not to suspend Owen Paterson from the Commons for breaching the rules, and to instead set up a new committee to investigate the standards system, the Commons has highlighted the need for even greater independence for regulators. But the prospects for that are also very unclear.