Tag Archives: nicholas soames

Stephen Tall

Proof that not *all* Tories are bonkers on Europe (and nor was Mrs Thatcher)

By Stephen Tall | Thu 17th January 2013 - 9:25 pm

margaret thatcher europeAmidst all the Tory Euro-hysteria (‘Eurotic’, I’ve heard it described as: and I seriously hope I didn’t mis-hear) it’s easy to forget there are a few Tories, a diminishing if stoic band, who have kept tight hold of their senses.

And though it was David Cameron’s desperate last-ditch pitch for the job of Tory leader — his 2005 promise to his party’s Europhobes to withdraw the Tories from the mainstream centre-right EPP alliance, a policy even David Davis wouldn’t touch — which has, slowly but inevitably, dragged the party ever more fringewards, a few of his backbenchers remain hopeful they can persuade him, even now, to do the sensible thing.

Here’s some of what they’ve written to him:

We acknowledge the EU’s shortcomings and understand the desire and, under the Lisbon Treaty the possibility, to repatriate powers. However, we do our nation, as well as Europe, a disservice by not confidently exerting the same level of engagement and leadership as we demonstrate in organisations such as NATO, the G8, the UN Security Council or the Commonwealth.

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Mark Pack

Buckingham Palace, the Bank of England and a donation to the Conservative Party

By Mark Pack | Wed 14th April 2010 - 3:50 pm

UPDATE: Paul Cuttill, the Managing Director of the D Group, has been in touch to say that he is “100% certain” that the D Group has not made a donation to the Conservative Party and that the Electoral Commission’s register of donations is wrong. (The most likely circumstances in which this could happen are if an individual involved with the D Group has made a donation personally but that the donation was wrongly recorded.)

A business networking group that lists amongst its members Buckingham Palace and the Bank of England has given a donation to the Conservative Party.

The D Group …

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Mark Pack

Good news, bad news: Nicholas Soames MP

By Mark Pack | Thu 4th March 2010 - 10:20 am

Good news: the Conservative MP for Mid-Sussex has more than halved the number of outside jobs he does in addition to being an MP.

Bad news: he’s still doing three, paying over £350,000 per year in total.

(Back in December 2005, he had seven outside jobs, but payment for them did not have to be disclosed.)

Certainly can’t be said the jobs are badly paid. They bring in for him over £220,000 which, allowing for tax, means a gross pay of over £350,000 (as his MP salary will have taken up tax allowances and put him in in the top tax band).

He gets …

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  • User AvatarPaul Pettinger 21st May - 6:09pm
    Do I think MPs who vote against the same sex marriage bill are being homophobic? I don't see what Party they happen to be a...
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    It would be useful to consider why, with so many brits of all ages travelling and holidaying in continental Europe, why the Europhobes have so...
  • User AvatarDavid Allen 21st May - 6:04pm
    “Trust the people – when you think they’ll give the answer you want!" I am afraid that is the principle of all the parties, and...
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    James, I think you are being unreasonable. I asked after a discussion had developed on my Facebook wall, if people would mind if their comments...
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    Thanks for your help. Will email to ask for specific contact names.