My suspicions proved correct and yesterday's newspaper headlines were premature. Parliament may need to change the law before Chris Bryant can celebrate his civil partnership in the House of Commons.
As things stand, the Commons is not licensed for civil weddings or partnerships. If it were to obtain a licence, as the law stands, then the venue would have to be available to ordinary members of the public for a certain time. (The Prince Charles/Windsor Castle problem)
The Speaker is keen on opening up his State Rooms for ceremonies for MPs but is not convinced Parliament should go into the mass wedding and civil partnership business.
So it will be up to Parliament to decide whether or not to change the law to allow private ceremonies in the same way only parliamentarians and senior officers can tie the knot in the Chapel of St Mary's Undercroft.
Either way, Chris Bryant and his partner might be advised to sound out an alternative venue or two if they hope to marry next March.
Showing posts with label Chris Bryant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Bryant. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Monday, 2 November 2009
Wedding Bells
Is Parliament about to host its first civil partnership ceremony? Readers of today's Independent may have rushed out to buy a hat in anticipation of Chris Bryant's nuptials.
Congratulations are due to the Rhondda MP and his partner Jared Cranney. Mr Bryant told the paper: "Jared and I are engaged and we hope to have a civil partnership – or a marriage is what it feels like – in March of next year. "We'd like to do it in Parliament if possible."
I checked with the Speaker's office to see how far he had gone down the road of obtaining a licence to hold civil ceremonies in his official residence.
"It is something the Speaker is keen on," confirmed a spokeswoman. "Discussions are under way."
Obtaining a licence for a traditional wedding is not always straightforward. You may recall how the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles had to switch their venue from Windsor Castle to the local Guildhall.
The reason? Any licence for the castle would allow the public to marry there for at least three years.
There's no news yet on whether Mr Bercow would be happy to open up Speaker's House to punters although it could prove a nice little earner to defer the cost of MPs' expenses and would certainly cement his reputation as a modernising Speaker.
Should a Westminster wedding prove problematic, Chris and Jared could marry closer to home. Several Rhondda venues now host civil partnerships and with a March date in mind guests could fit in some pre-election canvassing after the ceremony.
Congratulations are due to the Rhondda MP and his partner Jared Cranney. Mr Bryant told the paper: "Jared and I are engaged and we hope to have a civil partnership – or a marriage is what it feels like – in March of next year. "We'd like to do it in Parliament if possible."
I checked with the Speaker's office to see how far he had gone down the road of obtaining a licence to hold civil ceremonies in his official residence.
"It is something the Speaker is keen on," confirmed a spokeswoman. "Discussions are under way."
Obtaining a licence for a traditional wedding is not always straightforward. You may recall how the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles had to switch their venue from Windsor Castle to the local Guildhall.
The reason? Any licence for the castle would allow the public to marry there for at least three years.
There's no news yet on whether Mr Bercow would be happy to open up Speaker's House to punters although it could prove a nice little earner to defer the cost of MPs' expenses and would certainly cement his reputation as a modernising Speaker.
Should a Westminster wedding prove problematic, Chris and Jared could marry closer to home. Several Rhondda venues now host civil partnerships and with a March date in mind guests could fit in some pre-election canvassing after the ceremony.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Twitter ye not
Is this the week we should feel sorry for MPs? Er, possibly not, although lots of them are feeling very sorry for themselves. You can see their point, even if you don't share it.
Sir Thomas Legg's retrospective rules on what was reasonable for MPs to claim for gardening and cleaning have understandably annoyed those who thought they led squeaky clean lives and had all their expenses agreed by the Commons authorities.
Even Gordon Brown's greatest enemies would struggle to argue that he went into politics for financial or even horticultural reasons but the Prime Minister now faces a bill of £12,415.10 for over-claiming on cleaning and gardening.
As you might expect, we started ringing round Welsh MPs yesterday to see if they had received their Legg letters - and what they said. Even hard-bitten hacks felt a bit sheepish ringing some of the more notable "saints" on the backbenches to ask whether they'd been accused of fiddling their expenses.
With all this focus on MPs' allowances, other stories may not have received the coverage they otherwise would have. But you can read here about David Blunkett's plan to donate his brain to dementia research (after he dies) and Chris Bryant's Twitter reshuffle.
Just as many politicians donate their papers to the Welsh Political Archive at the National Library, so I trust that the new Europe Minister's tweets will find a permanent if virtual home for future historians.
Sir Thomas Legg's retrospective rules on what was reasonable for MPs to claim for gardening and cleaning have understandably annoyed those who thought they led squeaky clean lives and had all their expenses agreed by the Commons authorities.
Even Gordon Brown's greatest enemies would struggle to argue that he went into politics for financial or even horticultural reasons but the Prime Minister now faces a bill of £12,415.10 for over-claiming on cleaning and gardening.
As you might expect, we started ringing round Welsh MPs yesterday to see if they had received their Legg letters - and what they said. Even hard-bitten hacks felt a bit sheepish ringing some of the more notable "saints" on the backbenches to ask whether they'd been accused of fiddling their expenses.
With all this focus on MPs' allowances, other stories may not have received the coverage they otherwise would have. But you can read here about David Blunkett's plan to donate his brain to dementia research (after he dies) and Chris Bryant's Twitter reshuffle.
Just as many politicians donate their papers to the Welsh Political Archive at the National Library, so I trust that the new Europe Minister's tweets will find a permanent if virtual home for future historians.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Colonial corner
Most Westminster reporters are spending today working our way through MPs' expenses, or at least the heavily-censored version available on the parliamentar website.
While there, why not drop into Hansard for this written exchange between Plaid Cymru's Adam Price and the new Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant.
Price: "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the addition of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to the UN's list of territories in the process of decolonisation."
Bryant: "The arrangements of Chapter XI of the UN Charter (Declaration regarding Non-Self Governing Territories) relate to former colonies for the purposes of domestic and international law. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are part of the UK.
"As far as the overseas territories are concerned we remain committed to modernising our relationship with them, while fully taking into account the views of the peoples of the Territories."
While there, why not drop into Hansard for this written exchange between Plaid Cymru's Adam Price and the new Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant.
Price: "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek the addition of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to the UN's list of territories in the process of decolonisation."
Bryant: "The arrangements of Chapter XI of the UN Charter (Declaration regarding Non-Self Governing Territories) relate to former colonies for the purposes of domestic and international law. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are part of the UK.
"As far as the overseas territories are concerned we remain committed to modernising our relationship with them, while fully taking into account the views of the peoples of the Territories."
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Clerical corner
William Hague's suggestion that Lord Mandelson could be made an archbishop met this response from former vicar Chris Bryant: "I am sure that he would not suffice with an archbishopric; after all, archbishops can be fallible."
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
A volunteer no more
No wonder he's smiling. Having toiled as Harriet Harman's 
deputy for the past eight months, Chris Bryant has finally been put on the Government payroll.
The newly-promoted Foreign Office Minister will be around £30,000 a year richer after Gordon Brown completed his reshuffle of junior government posts.
Although once known as an ultra-Blairite, the Rhondda MP was among those involved in the coup against Tony Blair in late 2006.
Others involved in the coup against Blair, such as Wayne David and Mark Tami, have prospered in a Brown Government, although Mr Tami also had to get by on his backbencher's salary for a while.
Another who resigned as an (unpaid) parliamentary aide in the Blair administration, Ian Lucas, was today promoted from assistant whip to junior Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills under the unofficial deputy PM Lord Mandelson.
As the Wrexham MP puts it: “It will be very exciting to work with Lord Mandelson and other colleagues in the department."
deputy for the past eight months, Chris Bryant has finally been put on the Government payroll.
The newly-promoted Foreign Office Minister will be around £30,000 a year richer after Gordon Brown completed his reshuffle of junior government posts.
Although once known as an ultra-Blairite, the Rhondda MP was among those involved in the coup against Tony Blair in late 2006.
Others involved in the coup against Blair, such as Wayne David and Mark Tami, have prospered in a Brown Government, although Mr Tami also had to get by on his backbencher's salary for a while.
Another who resigned as an (unpaid) parliamentary aide in the Blair administration, Ian Lucas, was today promoted from assistant whip to junior Minister in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills under the unofficial deputy PM Lord Mandelson.
As the Wrexham MP puts it: “It will be very exciting to work with Lord Mandelson and other colleagues in the department."
Monday, 27 April 2009
Sore points
Political blogging may be a little light over the next day or so. I've stepped off the news treadmill for 36 hours.
I'm also recovering from the London Marathon. I ran, should you be interested, 3hrs 12mins 08secs, finishing 1,782nd behind Tarzan and Elvis but in front of most of the 35,00 runners.
I am now officially "good for my age". Alas, I am also feeling my age and can now only go up or down stairs with the speed of a dalek. (A sunburnt dalek at that, it was quite warm out there)
The London Marathon is the most democratic of sporting events - today's politicians would probably call it "inclusive".
I can't have a kickabout at Old Trafford with Ryan Giggs but I can take part in a race alongside Olympic champions on the same course before the same cheering crowds.
My time qualifies me for a guaranteed entry for next year. Er, thanks but no thanks. I'll be joining the crowds in 2010 to cheer on the runners.
It will also leave the field clear for Chris Bryant to storm to victory. I'm not too much of a gentleman to point out that I beat the Rhondda MP by more than half an hour, although he had rather more money for a good cause dependent on his run.
I'm also recovering from the London Marathon. I ran, should you be interested, 3hrs 12mins 08secs, finishing 1,782nd behind Tarzan and Elvis but in front of most of the 35,00 runners.
I am now officially "good for my age". Alas, I am also feeling my age and can now only go up or down stairs with the speed of a dalek. (A sunburnt dalek at that, it was quite warm out there)
The London Marathon is the most democratic of sporting events - today's politicians would probably call it "inclusive".I can't have a kickabout at Old Trafford with Ryan Giggs but I can take part in a race alongside Olympic champions on the same course before the same cheering crowds.
My time qualifies me for a guaranteed entry for next year. Er, thanks but no thanks. I'll be joining the crowds in 2010 to cheer on the runners.
It will also leave the field clear for Chris Bryant to storm to victory. I'm not too much of a gentleman to point out that I beat the Rhondda MP by more than half an hour, although he had rather more money for a good cause dependent on his run.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Marathon Men
Rhodri Morgan may not have made it as a Minister at Westminster but he left his mark in other ways.
Not just as the rebel without a pause in the lengthy debates over the Cardiff Bay barrage or his role as an effective opposition frontbencher, but his running has secured him a place in an unusual "hall of fame".
The Welsh First Minister remains the fourth fastest sitting MP in the London Marathon. Morgan completed the 26-mile and 385-yards course in a respectable 3hrs 14mins 44secs in 1988, at the age of 48.
He is 20 minutes faster than any other Welsh MP past or present. Chris Bryant, Alan Howarth, Alun Michael, Stephen Crabb, Albert Owen and Keith Best are among those to have run it.
Their efforts were celebrated at a dinner at a swanky London restaurant in January. Author and runner John Bryant reports: "And there was a toast to Mike Steele, who has run 11 marathons. An Australian who has worked as a journalistin the Westminster Lobby {largely for ITV Wales}, he is always talking another fresh-faced MP into tackling the greatest race on earth."
Mike has acted as unofficial "chief whip" to the running MPs - and also sorted entries for parliamentary hacks like me who lost out in the general ballot.
One of those "fresh-faced MPs", Chris Bryant, is running his third marathon later this month. The deputy leader of the Commons is running this year to raise funds for the Army Benevolent fund and you can sponsor him here.
Fitness permitting, I'll be joining him on the streets of London for what will be my 10th (and, Mrs C tells me, my last) marathon. Next year, by way of mid-life crisis, I'll be saving up for the little red sports car and leather jacket.
Not just as the rebel without a pause in the lengthy debates over the Cardiff Bay barrage or his role as an effective opposition frontbencher, but his running has secured him a place in an unusual "hall of fame".
The Welsh First Minister remains the fourth fastest sitting MP in the London Marathon. Morgan completed the 26-mile and 385-yards course in a respectable 3hrs 14mins 44secs in 1988, at the age of 48.
He is 20 minutes faster than any other Welsh MP past or present. Chris Bryant, Alan Howarth, Alun Michael, Stephen Crabb, Albert Owen and Keith Best are among those to have run it.
Their efforts were celebrated at a dinner at a swanky London restaurant in January. Author and runner John Bryant reports: "And there was a toast to Mike Steele, who has run 11 marathons. An Australian who has worked as a journalistin the Westminster Lobby {largely for ITV Wales}, he is always talking another fresh-faced MP into tackling the greatest race on earth."
Mike has acted as unofficial "chief whip" to the running MPs - and also sorted entries for parliamentary hacks like me who lost out in the general ballot.
One of those "fresh-faced MPs", Chris Bryant, is running his third marathon later this month. The deputy leader of the Commons is running this year to raise funds for the Army Benevolent fund and you can sponsor him here.
Fitness permitting, I'll be joining him on the streets of London for what will be my 10th (and, Mrs C tells me, my last) marathon. Next year, by way of mid-life crisis, I'll be saving up for the little red sports car and leather jacket.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Cock of the south
Gordon Brown's government reshuffle continues. You didn't expect the PM to take Sunday off, did you?
Welsh angles so far: Wayne David replaces Huw Irranca-Davies at the Wales Office. Huw's reward for his on-message blogging is promotion to DEFRA, where his views on hunting might please the odd farmer.
Wayne is replaced as Welsh Whip by Mark Tami from Alyn and Deeside. His job as unpaid assistant whip goes to Ian Lucas of Wrexham. Both took part in the coup against Tony Blair in September 2006 so will need supreme political skills to play the loyalty card with sceptical backbenchers.
Kevin Brennan is promoted to the Cabinet Office and Chris Bryant gets his first ministerial job as deputy leader of the House of Commons.
The Mail on Sunday has lifted the lid on the names of Cheryl Gillan's Buff Orpington chickens.
"I called the two hens Marilyn Monroe and Diana Dors because of their blonde feathers and the cock is Boris because one of his tail feathers sticks out like Boris Johnson's hair." Well, that's her explanation.
The Mail also suggests Gordon Brown is considering an unlikely comeback for yet another Minister who have previously fallen from grace - David Blunkett. At this rate, it won't be long before Ron Davies is standing by his phone.....*
*Apologies to Peter Black who thought of that joke 24 hours before I blogged it. I really must spend more of my weekends reading Peter's blog.
Welsh angles so far: Wayne David replaces Huw Irranca-Davies at the Wales Office. Huw's reward for his on-message blogging is promotion to DEFRA, where his views on hunting might please the odd farmer.
Wayne is replaced as Welsh Whip by Mark Tami from Alyn and Deeside. His job as unpaid assistant whip goes to Ian Lucas of Wrexham. Both took part in the coup against Tony Blair in September 2006 so will need supreme political skills to play the loyalty card with sceptical backbenchers.
Kevin Brennan is promoted to the Cabinet Office and Chris Bryant gets his first ministerial job as deputy leader of the House of Commons.
The Mail on Sunday has lifted the lid on the names of Cheryl Gillan's Buff Orpington chickens.
"I called the two hens Marilyn Monroe and Diana Dors because of their blonde feathers and the cock is Boris because one of his tail feathers sticks out like Boris Johnson's hair." Well, that's her explanation.
The Mail also suggests Gordon Brown is considering an unlikely comeback for yet another Minister who have previously fallen from grace - David Blunkett. At this rate, it won't be long before Ron Davies is standing by his phone.....*
*Apologies to Peter Black who thought of that joke 24 hours before I blogged it. I really must spend more of my weekends reading Peter's blog.
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Do as I say......
Gordon Brown will doubtless appreciate today's professions of loyalty from his Welsh flock.
Don Touhig and Chris Bryant are among twenty backbenchers who've signed a letter to their colleagues urging them to stand up and be counted as loyal supporters of the Prime Minister.
Letter-writing is something of a habit for Mr Bryant at this time of year. His last letter was accompanied by a number of resignations from junior members of the Government, among them Mark Tami and Ian Lucas.
Two years on from the coup against Tony Blair, Mr Tami is now one of those in charge of enforcing party discipline and loyalty and Mr Lucas offers his own advice to Government Whips:
"I would hope the individuals trying to create friction will be spoken to very firmly and that is certainly what I will be saying to colleagues."
Don Touhig and Chris Bryant are among twenty backbenchers who've signed a letter to their colleagues urging them to stand up and be counted as loyal supporters of the Prime Minister.
Letter-writing is something of a habit for Mr Bryant at this time of year. His last letter was accompanied by a number of resignations from junior members of the Government, among them Mark Tami and Ian Lucas.
Two years on from the coup against Tony Blair, Mr Tami is now one of those in charge of enforcing party discipline and loyalty and Mr Lucas offers his own advice to Government Whips:
"I would hope the individuals trying to create friction will be spoken to very firmly and that is certainly what I will be saying to colleagues."
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Panacotta and rhubarb
There's no better way to relax after a non-stop 12-hour Budget day than to enjoy a panacotta and rhubarb ice cream in the House of Lords.Well, it worked for me. The ice cream was provided by Mr Creemy of the Rhondda, whose MP, Chris Bryant, was at the hub of a reception in aid of the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation.
Chris is running the London Marathon for Prostate Research. It's a very unwise thing for men in their forties to do, but you can find out more about his efforts here.
His sponsorship has attracted cross-party support, although Lord Kinnock apparently found it difficult to remember panacotta and rhubarb ice cream in the valleys of his youth.
Chris is infuriatingly fit for his age and appears to be devoting far too much attention to beating me to the finish line on April 13.
I wouldn't say he's competitive but last year a text of his time arrived on my mobile within seconds of him finishing. One of his Labour colleagues has offered me an extra fiver in sponsorship to beat him.
Sadly, my efforts to persuade him to eat more Mr Creemy products at the reception fell on deaf ears.
You can sponsor him here. Or better still, buy him a bag of chips and a doughnut and sponsor me too.
Thanks to the generosity of friends, colleagues and politicians of all parties I've reached my self-imposed target of £2,000 for NCH, the children's charity one month before the race.
In the style of politicians everywhere, I feel duty bound to move the goalposts and raise the target, but a big, big thank you to all those who've coughed up so generously.
All I need to do is run the actual 26 miles and 385 yards thing.....
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Swim when you're winning
Readers of The Sun's diary column will already have seen this photograph - as will his friends on Facebook. But that's no excuse for this blog not giving Chris Bryant's fans "another chance to see" this shot from a Commons versus Lords swimming contest - which he won. Your tasteful caption suggestions welcome.
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