Starmer has won the Privileges Committee vote 335 to 223. Whipped by No10…
A No10 spokesman said: “This Labour government is delivering for Britain including bringing down energy bills, cutting hospital waiting lists and lifting half a million children out of poverty. The Conservative Party resorted to this desperate political stunt the week before the May elections because they have no answers on the cost of living or the NHS. We will continue to engage with the two parliamentary processes that are running on Peter Mandelson’s appointment with full transparency.” ‘Full transparency’…
15 Labour MPs voted to refer:
Apsana Begum
Richard Burgon
Ian Bryne
Mary Kelly Foy
Imran Hussain
Brian Leishman
Emma Lewell
Rebecca Long Bailey
Andy McDonald
John McDonnell
Graham Morris
Luke Myer
Kate Osbourne
Cat Smith
Nadia Whittome
New Green MP Hannah Spencer has doubled down after declaring over the weekend that MPs and parliamentarians in general should not drink in Parliament. In a post on her Instagram today she declared that she ‘loves a blue WKD as much as the next hun.’ Oh boy…
She said:
“Now, I love a blue wicked as much as the next hun. Try and prize one of them out of my hands on a hot day or a night out. Forget it. No chance. Love it. But there are seriously MPs who are trying to tell us that they have a right to get pissed at work.
And that is why they are so out of touch because the vast majority of us could not get away with that. Imagine working in a school or being a cleaner or driving a bus or doing an operation or working in a lab or working in a care home.
If you turned up to work reeking of booze, you would get sacked. That is how the vast majority of us have to live our lives. Why is it different for MPs? I don’t think it’s much to ask that MPs are sober whilst they make the biggest decisions that affect all the rest of us.
And any of them telling you that they have a right to get pissed at work, they’re taking the piss, babe. Remember that at the next election.”
To be fair to Spencer she is new to Parliament and the rigmaroles of constant late-night voting combined with the mindless walking between rooms that the whipping system creates for MPs. You’re not quite “doing an operation” or “working in a lab”…
Spencer added: “I’ve seen them make all sorts of excuses since I made these comments. Apparently because MPs do ‘long hours, lots of stress, late nights’ they should be able to drink whilst working. Every person reading this will know what it’s like to work long hours with lots of stress and late nights…. But you couldn’t get away with drinking in work. So why should MPs?” The Green Party adds another grinch to its ranks…
Every month, we’ll publish the power rankings of all the leading lights in the party based on our readers’ responses. Click here to fill in the survey, and the results will be published at the end of the week. Here’s how last month played out…
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The FT has published comments made by Peter Mandelson’s replacement as ambassador to the US, career diplomat Christian Turner, which may put a more dour mood on US-UK relations during the King’s visit. Turner said to some visiting British students in mid-February:
An FCDO spokesman said: “These were private, informal comments made to a group of UK sixth-form students visiting the US in early February. They are certainly not any reflection of the UK government’s position.” They are fuming…
Even with a 30-minute sit-down with the PM, Cathy Newman’s debut show on Sky News still recorded lower BARB ratings than GB News Tonight with Martin Daubney. Sky trailed throughout the entire hour, including every minute Starmer was onscreen…
Newman’s show, which aired for the first time at 7pm last night, peaked at 97,600 viewers. In the same slot, GB News Tonight pulled in 160,700…
The average over the hour had GB News at 138,200 and Sky News on 86,175. Starmer is kryptonite to the viewers…
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”