Online and in the comments on my last article, members of the public are raising legitimate questions which were, I think, answered in last night’s debate. To read the media, one would think we had voted for a general war: we did not. The motion, as I reported, was tightly […]
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Why I am supporting the extension of military action against ISIL/Daesh to Syria
In a previous article, I said I would decide whether to support the Government in extending military action against ISIL/Daesh into Syria once I had seen the motion. The motion is here and it is as follows (layout and emphasis my own): That this House notes that ISIL poses a direct […]
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The attacks on Paris and potential action in Syria
The atrocity in Paris last weekend has horrified people across the globe. It is clear this barbaric attack has underlined all decent people’s rejection of terror and violence and reaffirmed their commitment to live in an open and free society. It has reinforced everyone’s intolerance of violence and extremism. The freedoms we […]
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Exploring the risks of EU mis-regulation with Sparks e-cigarettes
The EU Tobacco Products Directive looks set to seriously damage the development of the e-cigarette industry. That is likely to diminish the prospects of helping people quit smoking and lead far healthier lives. Researchers from University College London (UCL) have said that: For every million smokers who switched to an e-cigarette we […]
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Debate on Superfast Broadband
On Monday 12 October, I attended a debate in the Chamber regarding the variations in effectiveness of roll-out of fixed and mobile superfast broadband in different parts of the UK. I was unable to speak during the debate due to it being heavily over-subscribed, with a 4 minute time limit on […]
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Government commits to fight to end ‘tampon tax’
Yesterday, the House of Commons debated Finance Bill New Clause 7, an amendment to force a negotiation with the EU for a reduction in the 5% VAT rate on sanitary items. The Hansard record of this debate is available here. VAT on tampons and other sanitary products should be zero […]
Read MoreA Parliamentary question on Urgent and Emergency Care
Yesterday, I had the opportunity in the House to ask Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, a parliamentary question. Mr Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): What progress has been made towards the implementation of the Keogh review of urgent and emergency care? Mr Hunt: We are making good progress and we expect to […]
Read MoreWestminster Open Day for Constituency Staff
My caseworker, Tim, recently attended a Constituency Staff Open Day at the House of Commons, where he gave a presentation about the life of a caseworker to new starters. His experience is as follows: I was really pleased to have the opportunity to discuss my role as Caseworker to colleagues […]
Read More Westminster Hall debate on Tamil rights in Sri Lanka
Yesterday I attended a Westminster Hall debate on Tamil Rights in Sri Lanka where the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office said the following: …there is now a Tamil leader of the opposition for the first time in more than 30 years. We have a real window of opportunity […]
Read MoreThe Assisted Dying (No. 2) Bill
On Friday, the Commons decisively rejected the Assisted Dying (No. 2) Bill. It was “A Bill to enable competent adults who are terminally ill to choose to be provided with medically supervised assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes.” The Bill attracted huge interest among MPs and voters, […]
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