2018 July

I was delighted to be able to join Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP in Birmingham on 24 July where I chaired a Q&A session at the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF). 

As Shadow Leader of the House, I responded to the following urgent question asked on 23 July 2018: “to ask Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) if he will make a statement in relation to Government policy and practice with regard to pairing arrangements, especially as they relate to members on maternity, paternity or adoption leave.”

I raised with the Leader of the House that the Government’s position on the White Paper on Brexit is quite confusing. There was an agreement and then a White Paper over which two Cabinet Ministers resigned because they did not like it. The Prime Minister has now agreed to the amendments, so it is not clear where that leaves the White Paper. If it is the same White Paper, why did the two Cabinet Ministers resign? Should we not have a second White Paper, the miserable Brexit plan mark II?

I attended an event in Speaker’s House on 18 July 2018 where a picture of Constance Markievicz, the first woman elected to the House of Commons, was gifted to the UK Parliament by the Irish Parliament (Houses of the Oireachtas).

As Shadow Leader of the House, I responded to the following urgent question asked on 18 July 2018: ‘to ask the Leader of the House if she will make a statement on arrangements for Members on maternity, paternity or adoption leave and proxy voting’.