Exiting the EU Committee
The Exiting the European Union Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Exiting the European Union and matters falling within the responsibilities of associated public bodies. The membership is made up of twenty one members from a variety of parties and its Chairman is the Rt Hon […]
The Military Covenant
Christmas and New Year are times when we want above all to be with our families. It is therefore all the more important that we remember those who our many thousands of miles from their own loved ones, serving their country in our armed forces. More than three years after John Reid, then Defence Secretary, […]
GM Crops
John writes about GM crops and his views about whether commercial growing should be permitted. I am aware of the level of public concern about GM crops and I believe that there should be a moratorium on commercial planting until scientific tests demonstrate that they do not cause unacceptable harm to human health or the […]
The Way Forward
With Parliament’s return last week, we are now in the final stretch before the General Election which must be held within the next 8 months. And after 12 years of Labour Government, the country is desperate for change. What ever the outcome, the task facing the next Government is immense. A full six months after […]
Budget
In the week since the Budget, there has been plenty of time to look at the small print. As in all Gordon Brown’s budgets, his speech only tells half the story. The good news was largely leaked in advance. The bad news was not even contained in the speech at all. As ever, it is […]
Budget – March 2006
Last week’s Budget was more notable for what it did not say that what it did. While it contained a number of worthy measures to promote micro-generation, to help our athletes prepare for the Olympics and to support those in further education, it did nothing to address the serious economic problems facing the country. The […]
Government spending in Essex
With Council Tax bills landing on doorsteps soon, John sets out the background to local government spending in Essex. I am often asked why, when inflation is only around 2.5 per cent, the average Council Tax for a band D property in Maldon and Chelmsford has gone up from around £640 in 1997 to around […]
Third Reading of the Gambling Bill
John Whittingdale responds to the Third Reading of the Gambling Bill in the House of Commons. We have always made it clear right from the start that there is much in the Bill that we agree with. It contains a number of important measures that will help to introduce controls over remote gambling, for instance, […]