MPs must start talking to nation at large over Brexit
I MUST get a life. The other night, I started watching the Brexit debate because I thought it would be more interesting – and productive – than another England football friendly.
If only. Even though the future of Britain is at stake, and the country’s departure from the European Union will have profound political, economic, constitutional and legal repercussions, 30 minutes of proceedings did not inspire any confidence.
My misgivings, it should be said, are not aimed at Dominic Raab, the Justice Minister, who put up a spirited performance as he tried to make sense of the minutiae of countless clauses – he is a more than competent communicator.
It was at the Tory backbenchers who sought to make the most impenetrable legal arguments. Behind his left shoulder were Remainers like Dominic Grieve, a one-time Attorney General, while to his right was the considerable presence of Eurosceptic grandee Sir Bill Cash – as the Commons morphed into the High Court.
No wonder Labour’s shadow Brexit Minister Paul Blomfield, the Sheffield Central MP, was relatively brief with his remarks – the Opposition is quite happy to allow the Tory backstabbing to mask its own splits and disagreements on this totemic issue.
Yet, while it’s important that there is full Parliamentary oversight of Brexit, three concerns came to mind. First, Theresa May should have set up a cross-party commission when she first became PM – I’m glad to see someone like the independent-minded Labour MP Frank Field concurs on this. Not doing so enables other parties to abdicate responsibility when most MPs backed with Second World War planes”. After the latter was ruled out because it might have been too jingoistic, Middlesbrough was chosen until the Tories couldn’t find a venue that could handle the Cabinet’s security requirements and also a large number of travelling journalists.
“Only on Wednesday 17 May, the day before the launch, did CCHQ find a conference venue in another apparently random town in the North: Halifax,” discloses the book.
No wonder Theresa May lost her majority – and credibility – after the launch of a botched manifesto at a crowded Dean Clough Court, a converted mill. Not only does this oversight reflect poorly on Mrs May herself, but it beggars belief that the key personnel involved had – or still have – key jobs running the country.
STILL NO explanation from the Department for Transport over the absent Chris Grayling’s whereabouts when the region’s MPs debated their concerns about the North’s road and rail infrastructure on Monday of last week.
Following on from last week’s column, they’ve still not named the Minister, or adviser, who authorised senior press officer Charlotte Bransgrove’s terse email that rebuked for accusing Mr Grayling of snubbing Parliament. And ten MPs from the North-East are still awaiting a reply to a letter sent on July 17 about ageing rolling stock on the Tyne and Wear Metro – it doesn’t bode well for those attending Sir Gary Verity’s Great Exhibition of the North shindig next summer. The DfT has confirmed that it received the missive.
As such, Theresa May was being rather disingenuous when she told Prime Minister’s Questions: “We are seeing billions of pounds going on rail projects and the biggest road-building programme for a generation.” It doesn’t feel like it.
THE PEOPLE of Sheffield Hallam, keen followers of the Brexit debate, will note that their local MP Jared O’Mara, still suspended by Labour for degrading comments against women and others, was absent (again) from this week’s Commons votes on Britain’s exit from the EU.
Sorry, it cannot go on like this. More than five months after being elected and one month to the day since Mr O’Mara last voted in the Commons on any issue, the MP has still to make his maiden speech or ask a single oral question.
NEIL KINNOCK tells a great story against himself in the latest issue of magazine. After buying a new Fiat 500 this year, he was miffed to return to find a traffic warden putting a parking ticket on the windscreen. Harsh words were exchanged before the former Labour leader, short-tempered at the best of times, replied: “I’m terribly sorry. I’ve just realised this isn’t my car.”
A RANDOM promotional email from train operator Virgin Rail East Coast arrived this week advertising its festive fares. It began: “This year, Christmas is once again on December 25.” Really? I’d be worried if it wasn’t. It’s just a shame their website keeps crashing when I try to book a ticket. Still, it may be working again by next Christmas which, for their benefit, will be on December 25, 2018.