Tag Archives: james gray

Paul Walter

PMQs: Hattie tries to throw a “stinger” in front of voting reform

By Paul Walter | Wed 9th June 2010 - 4:20 pm

Prime Minister’s Questions is definitely becoming more subdued these days. The bellowing and ya-boo atmosphere has reduced by about 80% since the election. The Cumbrian shootings have dominated both sessions so far, which has added to the quietish feeling.

Harriet Harman has suddenly developed an interest in the electoral roll and the fact that “3.5 million people” who could be on it, aren’t. Fascinating. She seems to have suddenly come up with this as a reason to throw a sort of police “stinger” in front of voting reform – or at least constituency boundary re-drawing. She seems to have forgotten that her party was in power for thirteen years. Why didn’t they do something about electoral registration then? And, as David Cameron retorted, the last election was fought on recently redrawn boundaries anyway – which rather kiboshed Hattie’s argument.

Harman then had a go about CCTV. David Cameron went off on one, ending up about rights to enter people’s houses. He did make some good points about civil liberties during which Nick Clegg nodded very strongly. Harman raised an estate on her patch where they want CCTV coverage. Cameron said it was all about proportionality. If only he could say that about voting reform.

Good joke from Cameron:

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Tory MP faces de-selection after being unfaithful to cancer-stricken wife

By the founding editor | Fri 17th November 2006 - 10:42 am

The BBC reports:
Conservative MP James Gray is fighting for his political career after losing a deselection vote.

The local party executive in Chippenham voted against the 52-year-old North Wiltshire MP continuing to represent them in the next election.

The vote follows criticism that he had an affair while his wife Sarah was being treated for cancer.

There will now be a postal ballot of local Conservatives which Mr Gray says he is “hopeful” of winning.

Mr Gray has been the MP for North Wiltshire since 1997.

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