R v Chaytor

There have been some minor amendments to the copy of the R v Chaytor ruling. Follow this link to the revised version.

JFK's Secret Service Agents

I subscribe to a number of C-SPAN podcasts - including "Q & A". I will listen to them while I walk, whilst washing up, in the early hours of the morning and so on. This weekend I listened to a programme which featured two of the secret service men who were with Kennedy in Dallas when he was assassinated. It was a very interesting programme. The video is available below.




The book is -

Think Tanks - get one thinking!

A number of think tanks exist both in the UK & USA. Some deal with a very specific field, others are general. They can provide food for thought when walking or taking the train. Podcasts are particularly useful. I subscribe to the Center for American Progress Podcasts. I enjoyed an interesting debate on whether "living wage" agreements in public contracts lead to a general increase in wages - or chase jobs out of the locality. A good way to get the brain in action on a very cold, early morning train ride.

Opposition Day

While the Government normally controls time in the House of Commons, certain days are allocated to the Opposition and backbenchers (See S.O. 14). Today the Labour Opposition has a "day's" debate. This could start at 3.30pm, though any Ministerial Statements and other urgent business could, and probably will, eat into the time. The debate will finish at 10.00 (the moment of interruption), or earlier if everyone who wishes to speak has spoken.

The subject chosen is "Unfair distribution and impact of cuts to local government funding". The following motion will be put forward -

"That this House notes with concern that local councils will lose, on average, 27 per cent. of their funding over the next four years, compared to 11 per cent., on average, for Whitehall departments; regrets the frontloading of reductions in funding which means that the heaviest cuts will fall in the first year; believes that the unexpected severity of the cuts will result in substantial job losses in the public and private sector, undermine the voluntary sector and hit frontline services; regrets the inadequate level of capitalisation available to local councils to deal with redundancy costs of up to £2 billion; further notes the commitment in the coalition agreement to ensure that fairness is at the heart of decisions and that those most in need are protected; is disappointed that the most deprived areas will be hit hardest by the reductions in funding; and calls on the Government to revise its proposals before making the provisional finance settlement to ensure that any reductions in funding are more evenly spread over four years and do not fall disproportionately on the most deprived communities."

The Government will no doubt put down an amendment - replacing the criticism of the Government with congratulations. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs will ensure that the amendment passes.

The Week Ahead

The House of Representatives will not be sitting on Monday - but the lame duck session continues on Tuesday. The "Weekly Leader" from the current Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer - is available here. The Senate looks as if it will continue to be deadlocked by the minority Republicans policy of threatening to filibuster everything until the majority (yes, the Democrats still have a majority) capitulates.

In the House of Commons an Opposition Day on Monday will consist of a debate on local government finance. Tuesday will see the 2nd Reading of the European Union Bill , so expect to see the temperature rise! On Wednesday, after PMQs (Prime Minister's Question Time) there will be the 1st Estimates Day, which will involve debates on (i) Police Funding 2011/12 (ii) Department for International Development’s Assistance to Zimbabwe. The big day at Westminster will be Thursday - where two contoversial motions will be discussed and voted on

1 To approve resolution on increasing the higher amount which is to be applied under the higher Education Act 2004
2 motion relating to the draft Higher Education Basic Amount (England) Regulations

These would increase tuition fees. A day of protest is planned - and tempers are likely to flare, both within and outside the House of Commons.

The Lords plans to hold two further days of the committee stage of the controversial Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill . On Tuesday 2nd Reading of the Savings Accounts and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill is due. This was declared to be a money bill, which severely reduces the role the House of Lords can play. So some of their Lordships will be an angry mood.

Labour gets two debates in the Lords on Thursday (each party is allocated a particular Thursday for debates)

1 The role of sport in the health and wellbeing of children and young people - Lord Pendry
2 The impact of cuts in grants to local authorities on the provision of social care and other public services - Baroness Thornton