As acting Leader of the Opposition, I want to make one thing clear: Labour did not get enough votes to win government, and we need to fight to regain your trust. That is what I will fight to do. Pledging listening exercises or reviews isn’t enough, we need to act now to craft a new agenda that will be relevant to people’s lives and will win the trust necessary to get into government.
I look forward to supporting whoever is elected leader to do that.
I’m glad to hear the Liberal Democrats have been instructed by their leader to give glowing reviews of the coalition agreement to the press. It would be nice if the people of Britain could actually see such an agreement too.
While the Queen’s Speech will set out the government’s agenda in the coming year, coalition governments require compromises and sacrifices from all the major parties. To that end, no one in the country knows what the government intends to do over the next five years unless a coalition agreement is reached. That uncertainty is bad for accountability and bad for Britain.
I called on the government to craft and release a coalition agreement so the British people can be given a clear plan for the next five years – not just this year. Such an agreement would promote more stable, accountable government. I am glad there seems to be some progress in the government releasing one since I had called for it.
Cut-off before next round of marking
This round of the GPC in the aftermath of the general election was almost entirely Labour-dominated and focused on three key issues, namely the formation of the coalition government, the ennoblement of David Williams and security services reform.
Labour get some nice shots in about the Foreign Secretary being elevated to the Lords despite having been defeated by the voters, which appeals to their base even if largely it’s a Westminster bubble issue rather than one that damages perception of the government. In the attacks, Ruan Preston and William Black combined righteous criticism with one-liners and these cut through the most.
Murphy also had a nice debut as Acting Leader, going after the coalition agreement and outlining where the party will go during her brief tenure.
1XP for Black, Preston and Murphy
With Lady Deighton’s appointment, the government needs to be transparent on what its next steps are for the people of Hong Kong. Whatever those next steps are, I wish the government and Lady Deighton the best of luck – Hong Kong’s and Britain’s success depends on it.
Her Majesty’s loss is devastating, and the Labour Party sends its condolences to a family, nation, Commonwealth and world in mourning: we mourn with you. In this mourning period, the NEC and I have agreed that we would suspend our leadership election and any political activity.
All of us could see the values that bound us together and that we aspired to in Her Majesty, whatever our background. I have no doubt she will be remembered the Great Queen of Great Britain.
The government has the up most commitment to ensuring peace and stability in Northern Ireland. The troubles have last over two decades and unlying causes stretch back generations if not centuries. We in government are under no illusion and know that this is a marathon not a sprint. Their is no coup de grace or magic stroke of a pen that will settle this conflict over night, but we will put best foot forward and work tirelessly to bring about the peace and stability the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland desire with all their hearts.
No matter what stage of the process we are at, we will always be steadfast in our determination to maintain law and order in Northern Ireland and will provide the resources needed to ensure the scourge criminality and banditry is extinguished.
Today I had the privilege to announce before Parliament that the Government has started the process for a comprehensive and wide-ranging strategic defence review, to be done within a year. In doing this not only we fulfil a key manifesto promise, we also undertake an ambitious step that will build on the successful record on defence and on the Armed Forces of previous Conservative governments. This will be a defence and foreign policy led review, guided by principles like modernization, support for British industry, cooperation with international partners, support for our nuclear deterrent, adherence to our commitments and obligations, and the importance of expert opinion. We take our duty to protect the British people with the outmost seriousness, and we have every expectation that this Defence Review will keep Britain safe and the Armed Forces strong in this decade and in the early 21st Century.
.
It was also a privilege to announce to Parliament that, as we had outlined in the past, an order has been placed for the construction of the fourth Vanguard-class submarine in Barrow-in-Furness. This comes after an explicit mandate both by the previous Parliament and in the General Election, being on by itself a necessary step to ensure we have the four boat operation we need for our nuclear deterrent to function with the highest efficiency and flexibility. Not only that, it will also continue to be a source for thousands of jobs, it will help keep Britain safe for decades to come, and it will send a clear message: the Government's commitment to our nuclear deterrent is unyielding and unwavering.
Bibi Bonaparte may not be much of a stateswoman, but her empire does at least extend to Lib Dem HQ. The Cardigan/Lauria Surrender lists u-turn after u-turn on the part of the Liberal Democrats that it will be a miracle if their frontbench don't suffer from dizziness and whiplash. From a pathetic capitulation on the House of Lords, allowing an Hereditary Peer to serve in a Great Office and then committing to only implement reforms that both parties agree to, to their selling out on the Assisted Places Scheme and NHS Internal Market Bill (both of which have been opposed explicitly in manifestos that Mr Cardigan stood on) this really is the nadir of the Liberal Democrats. The public deserve answers from their MPs, the Lib Dems can start by explaining what principles, if any, they have left for the next Tory sell out.
I fully accept the Speaker’s decision to suspend me from Parliament, as what I said was unparliamentary. I do not blame the Speaker for this, she is doing her job, and a fantastic job, too. The term unparliamentary doesn’t mean that what was said is not true. Margaret Thatcher is a wicked woman whose policies have led to the destruction of communities across Britain. The mining and shipbuilding industries have been absolutely destroyed in regions like mine. These are the results, the direct results of Thatcherism, and most worryingly, these are the results that Margaret Thatcher wanted to see.
Also, worryingly, the Tory Party under Bibi Napoleon is embracing the continuation of Thatcherism, but this time they can only do so with the support of the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems are now nothing but a Tory-Lite Party.
Look at the issue at hand. I was questioning the Prime Minister on her refusal to support a minimum wage. Her response? She was paid £1.09p per hour between 1973 and 1980. I do not doubt this, but my point is that the Prime Minister thinks that because she was paid this little sum of money up until the start of the 1980s, she thinks that it is fine for companies to pay people that now, almost 15 years later! This is the debate we need to have, around the Prime Minister’s heartless words, how we need a minimum wage to give people a decent living, and yet the Tories and the Lib Dems would rather spend Parliamentary time whinging about the term wicked witch, defending Thatcher and opposing the minimum wage!