Category Archives: Articles

I am relieved that Mr Hesker decided to waive his bonus at RBS. I have been unhappy for sometime about the remit the last government gave to RBS, and the remuneration offered to senior Directors to carry it out. I have been lobbying the Coalition government to change both the task set the Board, and [...]

Last week I met the head of Network Rail for our area. It was the most productive and positive meeting I have had with the railway track operator in my time as MP. For many years I have been urging the case for a new station for Wokingham. I have wanted this new development as [...]

This week we are waiting for the Autumn Statement from the Chancellor, due on Tuesday 29th November. Amidst all the red ink, as the Chancellor accepts there will be less revenue and more public spending than planned, there should be some good news to try to get the economy growing more quickly. I am looking [...]

Things changed after the vote on a European referendum a couple of weeks ago in Parliament. The government recognised the force of feeling amongst Conservative MPs and in the country. Instead of condemning us for disagreeing, they announced they are going to draw up a list of powers and functions they want to get back [...]

No wonder politics has a bad name. This week all three main parties whipped their MPs to stop a referendum on EU matters which many in the public want. In an attempt to make politics closer to people this government launched two excellent innovations. It allowed backbench MPs to choose the business on certain Parliamentary [...]

I don’t know whether you can stand another column on the Conservative party conference. For me it was overshadowed by the gathering gloom. Euroland came  close to acknowledging it has a serious banking crisis on its hands. The Chancellor had to fly out to Brussels in the middle of the Conference, to yet another inconclusive [...]

It’s been a frustrating week at home with no Parliament to go to. Parliament is taking a recess whilst the three main political parties hold their conferences. The trouble is the world does not go away for three weeks whilst UK politicians meet to mull over what they have done and need to do next. [...]

Last week was a hectic one in Parliament, after a needlessly long summer break. There was much to catch up on – the state of the economy, the Euro crisis, the aftermath of the looting, the advances in Libya, the changes in the NHS and even a vote on abortion counselling. I have been preoccupied [...]

There have been some well aired rows in the press over national planning policy. Some in the Council for the protection of Rural England and the National Trust have been implying the new planning rules coming in will make it possible for developers to build on green belt or to erode the other important protections [...]

I was pleased to receive an email from Wokingham police to confirm that no copycat violence had broken out in our area during the disgraceful wave of looting, arson and violence we saw on tv recently. I was even more relieved to see the police decision to put many more officers on the streets of [...]