Blue on blue sniping in the Commons earlier today, as Tory grandee Sir Edward Leigh joined forces with Rachel Reeves to hammer Rishi over his tax hikes. Albeit doing a better job than Reeves herself…
“…The fact remains that Conservative governments that increase taxation during recession, like the first George Bush, or John Major, go down to defeat. And more importantly, millions of families are now desperately worried about how they’re going to pay their bill. So what I’d like the Chancellor now to do is to say his absolute priority, coming up to the budget, is to reduce the overall tax burden on working families.”
Rishi responded with the usual soundbites about tinkering with the Universal Credit taper rate and raising the National Insurance Primary Threshold. Not much on how he’s freezing the income tax brackets as inflation pummels wages. At least he’s promising a 1% income tax cut in two years…
Tory grandee Sir Edward Leigh has posed a novel suggestion as to one possible route to solving the migrant crisis, ensuring the channel is properly policed even in the French waters that surround the beaches that illegal migrants are setting off from. Re-taking Calais…
“Problem with cross-Channel migrants? We should never have lost Calais in 1558.
Why not take it back?
On second thoughts, cheaper to pay the French a few million to stop them on the beaches.”
Perhaps envisioning backlash, within the same tweet, Sir Edward back-peddled into backing the Government’s position. A classic reductio ad absurdum, that makes paying the French coastguard millions more just to do their job a little more reasonable…
Sir Edward Leigh is leading a charge of MPs against parliamentary authorities over the seizure of Library rooms C and D for parliamentary office space. Guido noted disquiet from MPs over the move last year which is coming as the Norman Shaw North office building effectively shuts down for renovation in six months’ time.
In a letter to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Sir Edward has appealed to protect the ‘rich cultural heritage’ of the Library rooms and keep them for MPs. Expect more fuss in the run up to the change…
Read the letter in full below:
The race to be the next speaker is formally on, with a number of candidates now openly campaigning. In truth many candidates have been quietly on the campaign trail for well over a year. Harriet Harman has the most sophisticated operation and the most support from the Labour benches. Another serious contender at this stage is Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. Harman took to the airwaves on The Today Programme to declare that she agreed with Bercow’s flagrant disregard for precedent…
Guido brings you the runners and riders to be the next speaker in full here…
- Harriet Harman (Lab)
- The (self-described) ‘Mother of the House’. Pitching herself as ‘continuity Bercow.’ That will go down well with Remainers but is unlikely to pick up much Tory support…
- Lindsay Hoyle (Lab)
- Deputy Speaker. Good sense of humour with a decidedly smaller head than his would-be predecessor. Seen as less activist with a broader appeal across the House. But will this Remainer Parliament want someone less keen on breaking the rules for their own cause?
- Chris Bryant (Lab)
- Loves Parliamentary procedure so much he wrote a book on it. An also-ran.
- Charles Walker (Con)
- A close friend of Bercow and loyal Theresa May fan. May want to add ‘speaker’ to his title along with his KBE this morning.
- Eleanor Laing (Con)
- Seen as more cooperative in the eyes of Brexiteers…
- Rosie Winterton (Lab)
- Another Deputy Speaker and former Labour Chief Whip under Miliband.
- Meg Hillier (Lab)
- Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
- Sir Henry Bellingham (Con)
- Promised to bring back ceremonial outfits, including wifs for the clerks and speaker. Will go down well with traditional Tories…
- Sir Edward Leigh (Con)
- Certainly the Tory Brexiteer’s favourite… so a no-hoper if Bercow insists on this cohort of MPs voting in the next speaker.
- Pete Wishart (SNP)
- Clearly doesn’t think Scottish independence is likely any time soon…
Expect backroom dealings and grovelling campaigning over the next two months…
UPDATE: After putting his name about, Pete Wishart has sheepishly pulled out
UPDATE II: Election for the next speaker announced for 4th November
UPDATE III: Shailesh Vara (Con) has emailed MPs announcing he is also running for speaker, promising to be impartial and to address “everyone in a respectful and fair manner“.
Theresa May won 165 votes yesterday but has only 118 supporters publicly declared. This means she has around 50 spare backers whom her rivals fear she will employ tactically in order to guarantee her preferred opponent makes the ballot. Naturally Team TM deny they will gerrymander the vote.
Two Fox supporters – David Nuttall and Edward Leigh – have publicly jumped over to Leadsom. Another – Robert Syms – has gone to May. Gove will be working hard stressing his liberal credentials to Crabb backers. The bookies are now offering near enough the same odds for a May-Gove ballot as a May-Leadsom…
