Showing posts with label Queen's Speech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen's Speech. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

So which sensible measures will the Tories vote against...?

Just back from two weeks holiday in Kenya, no internet, no telly, no papers!

First news I hear on arrival back in UK is Tory Michael Gove complaining that the list of bills in the Queen's Speech - the Government's legislative programme is political and designed to ensure Labour wins the next General Election...

Politicians being political...? Heaven forbid!

After hearing the Speech live, I'm interested to see which bills Mr Gove and the Tories actually object too...

Will they vote against new measures announced to crack down on bankers’ pay in the Financial Services Bill...?

Most sensible people are rightly angry at the way bankers who almost brought down our economy have now been rewarded for their poor decisions with fat cat bonuses.

Will the Tories be mad enough to vote against Labour's new measures to ban cluster munitions - or will they vote to continue the horror these weapons can cause.

Labour led the way in banning landmines, and for my money, banning cluster bombs is the next sensible move on this front.

Maybe the Tories will vote against the new measures on green energy which are needed to cut carbon emissions and encourage new, greener forms of energy...

Tories in the Lords have already threatened to block Labour's measures on fuel poverty announced in the Energy Bill to help pensioners and families struggling on low incomes.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Royal game sparked Skinner's 'who shot 'arriers?' Queen's Speech quip

The Queen's Speech wouldn't be the same without a prepared aside from stalwart Labour MP Dennis Skinner. But commentators seemed non-plussed by today's offering from the so-called 'Beast of Bolsover'.

In a pregnant pause as Black Rod relayed Her Majesty's summons for her MPs to attend her in the Lords, the unmistakable voice of former working miner Dennis Skinner chirped up:

Who shot the 'arriers..?
It seemed an obscure comment which totally missed its target...

But a couple of hours later the mystery seems to have been solved with this story about a police investigation into the shooting of two 'protected' wild birds on the Royal Sandringham Estate.

Prince Harry, a mate and a local gamekeeper were on a shooting party on the same day as the birds were shot. Allegedly.

The Royal party say they didn't shoot the 'arriers.

And police say there is not enough evidence to bring charges against anyone. Anyone convicted of shooting the protected birds risks a £5,000 fine or six months clink.

Seems we'll never know the answer to Dennis's rather timely intervention...