The sweeping House of Commons reforms proposed by Green MP Ellie Chowns are evidence that the Mrs Dutt-Pauker types have moved from Peter Simple's columns into public life. We're in for a bumpy ride, says Sean Walsh.
The Speaker's failure to uphold the Parliamentary rule book last week points to a larger problem among those tasked with running our institutions – they've ceased to believe in them, says Dr David McGrogan.
Boris all but ruled out another lockdown in the House of Commons earlier and held out the prospect of a return "closer to normality" within weeks, hinting at the abandonment of 'Plan B' by February.
The Spectator has published a full list of those Conservative MPs who've pledged to vote against the 'Plan B' measures announced earlier this week. There are currently 60, but the number is growing by the day. If the Government is going to get the measures through the House of Commons, it will need Labour votes. Here is an extract: When the Health Secretary Sajid Javid introduced the measures in the Commons this week, he was greeted with jeers and calls for him to "resign" from his own party members. There is now a growing backbench rebellion against the Government’s proposals, with several MPs publicly denouncing the winter restrictions, which they feel are a step too far in a society protected by what Boris Johnson once called the "huge wall of immunity" from vaccines. The full list is below. Steve BakerBen BradleyBrendan Clarke-SmithGraham BradyPhilip DaviesRichard DraxSimon JuppStephen McPartlandJohn RedwoodGreg SmithDehenna DavisonMarcus FyshGary SambrookPauline LathamWilliam WraggGeoffrey Clifton-BrownIain Duncan SmithChristopher ChopeCraig TraceyRobert SymsAnthony MangnallGreg ClarkEsther McVeyLiam FoxDavid DavisMark JenkinsonAlicia KearnsMark HarperDarren HenrySteve BrineCraig MackinlaySimon FellAndrew BowieDavid WarburtonSiobhan BaillieDavid JonesTom RandallBen SpencerAndrew RosindellCharles WalkerDouglas RossKarl McCartney Anne Marie MorrisJohnny MercerTom TugendhatRichard FullerGiles WatlingDesmond SwayneAndrew BridgenAndrew LewerChristian WakefordAdam AfriyieJulian SturdyPeter BoneChris GraylingChris GreenTim LoughtonTracey CrouchMiriam CatesJackie Doyle-Price If you would like to write to any of these MPs to express your support for their stand, ...
A new study reviews 11 cost-benefit analyses of lockdown, all of which find that the policy did more harm than good. Results “strongly suggest that lockdowns do not have a favorable cost-benefit balance”.
'Plan B' style restrictions have been introduced to the House of Commons, including working from home when possible and compulsory mask-wearing for MP staff.
Despite experiencing a moderately high infection rate in the winter, Denmark has had only 1% excess mortality since the pandemic began. This suggests that some degree of focused protection can be achieved.
The House of Commons’ report says that our first lockdown “should have come sooner”. But it ignores the risks of postponing the epidemic. Many countries that missed the first wave got hit even harder in the second.
The Commons report claiming it was a 'big mistake' not to lock down sooner seems to have been written to get Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark on the BBC news rather than get to grips with what went wrong over the past 18 months.
Andrew Bridgen MP has criticised the Government for "trying to aggressively coerce young people" into getting 'jabbed' with threats of vaccine passports, but says the plans would not pass through the House of Commons.
