Following the attack on the Animals in War memorial and the Bomber Command memorial in London this weekend, the RAF Benevolent Fund has appealed to the public to support them in the maintenance of the Bomber Command Memorial for which … Continue reading Bomber Command Memorial damaged – appeal for funds from RAF Benevolent Fund
Following this afternoon’s vote in the debate on the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, Christopher Lovell has expressed his disappointment at Tim Farron’s “abstention” today. It seems that Mr Lovell who lives in Leeds, not in Tim’s constituency, feels that because there is no vote recorded by Tim Farron in today’s debate, Tim abstained. I counter that this is not true. Tim did in fact, quite clearly not vote. It has been suggested by Erskine May that there is a procedure in Parliament to register an abstention: voting in both lobbies (Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 23rd edition, 2004, p412).
A House of Commons Briefing Paper, Divisions in the House of Commons, SN/PC/06401 states
If fewer than 40 Members, including the Speaker and the tellers, participate in a division, it does not meet the quorum required. The House then moves on to the next business, and the subject of the division is postponed until the next sitting day. Members who wish to defeat a particular item of business may engineer a division and then stay out of the lobbies, as they can thus render the division inquorate. Continue reading “Disappointed with Tim Farron or Naomi Long? I’m not…”
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will see the funeral of one of the greatest Prime Ministers of our history unfold from the first movements at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster along the streets of Whitehall in the city of Westminster into the City of London, pausing at St Clement Danes, the Central Church of the Royal Air Force where her coffin will be transferred to the gun carriage for the final procession to the Cathedral Church of St Paul, where the Funeral Service will take place. Birth date: … Continue reading A lion’s heart of gold: Baroness Thatcher LG OM FRS 1925 – 2013
Ed Vaizey MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, has placed a temporary export bar on the seven hangings which lasts until 20 May 2013 but may be extended to 20 August 2013 if … Continue reading £120k needed to stop Jewish religious silk hangings from leaving the UK
Earlier this evening Sir Kenneth Branagh presented the honorary award to Her Majesty the Queen at a reception for the British film industry hosted by Her Majesty at Windsor Castle. The award from the British Academy of Film and Television … Continue reading HM The Queen gets a BAFTA
On 20 October hundreds of thousands of people will gather in central London to march for a future that works. [Here in Belfast there is a march as well.—Ed.] They’ll be taking to the streets because they believe that government … Continue reading March for a future that works (via Unison)
So HM’s Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department has decided to ban all marches in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and four neighbouring London Boroughs for a period of 30 days. Why is this felt necessary? Because the Metropolitan Police applied for this ban as they consider that it would result in serious public disorder and that placing restrictions or conditions on such a march – for example its duration, location and size – would not be enough to prevent the disorder Will this really make a difference? And with it all marches are banned because the … Continue reading Is banning all marches really justified? Why not learn from N.Ireland?
Just after comparing Boris Johnston to Hitler, Ken Livingstone, as an atheist, unsurprisingly gets his archangels muddled up. Michael clears up the muddle. Continue reading Gabriel is not Michael – it’s simple really @ken4london
@gray suggested that #prayforlondon is an empty twitter gesture. Michael suggests that those involved in #riotcleanup could do with the support of the heavenly armies. Continue reading #prayforlondon to help with #riotcleanup: prayer is useful
We’ve all watched the horrendous images from across our country’s capital, London, and from other cities in England. The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. David Cameron MP has declared that he has spoken to the Speaker of the House of Commons so that the House is recalled on Thursday so that he can make a statement. What will this statement be? I suspect that I was not the only person re-reading the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (c.36). The Act states that 27. (1) Where emergency regulations are made– (a) a senior Minister of the Crown shall as soon as is … Continue reading Parliament Recalled: will Emergency Regulations have been made by Thursday? #londonriots
Gyronny Herald 