Gordon Brown's appearance before Labour MPs this week didn't go quite as well as planned.
A couple of senior backbenchers questioned the PM on this week's changes in income tax.
Nia Griffith, who as a parliamentary aide is a junior member of the Government, warned that the abolition of the 10p in the pound tax rate would affect the less well-off among her Llanelli constituents.
The encounter came during a private meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday night.
At least Mr Brown is spared a public inquisition by MPs this week. He's at a NATO summit in Romania, so Harriet Harman is standing in for him.
I'll let you know if she wears the stab vest that is apparently de rigeur in her Peckham constituency.
Showing posts with label Nia Griffith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nia Griffith. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Best of enemies
What a week. All those figures. Numbers swirling in front of my eyes. Not only the Barnes Runners draft accounts, but also my conference expenses. Apparently there was a spending review and a row over compensation for farmers too.
Enough of numbers. Back to the Punch and Judy show.
Labour and Plaid Cymru may have put aside their enmity in the Welsh Assembly but the entente cordiale has yet to reach Westminster.
Labour backbencher Nia Griffith was swiftly on her feet in the Commons today to raise the issue of advertisements placed by Plaid MPs at taxpayers' expense in newspapers shortly before the May Assembly elections.
(You remember, the one where Plaid promised to "kick New Labour into touch" before they realised the Welsh economy is actually quite "dynamic").
The electoral commission says Plaid should declare the adverts, paid for from House of Commons allowances, as election expenses.
Plenty of ammunition then for Labour MPs to throw at their coalition partners, sorry Westminster enemies.
Nia Griffith didn't get very far before the Speaker intervened.
Michael Martin told her: "In future it's best not to use business quesitons to attack an honourable member."
He wouldn't even let Leader of the House Harriet Harman respond:"I think I would rather leave this matter".
Enough of numbers. Back to the Punch and Judy show.
Labour and Plaid Cymru may have put aside their enmity in the Welsh Assembly but the entente cordiale has yet to reach Westminster.
Labour backbencher Nia Griffith was swiftly on her feet in the Commons today to raise the issue of advertisements placed by Plaid MPs at taxpayers' expense in newspapers shortly before the May Assembly elections.
(You remember, the one where Plaid promised to "kick New Labour into touch" before they realised the Welsh economy is actually quite "dynamic").
The electoral commission says Plaid should declare the adverts, paid for from House of Commons allowances, as election expenses.
Plenty of ammunition then for Labour MPs to throw at their coalition partners, sorry Westminster enemies.
Nia Griffith didn't get very far before the Speaker intervened.
Michael Martin told her: "In future it's best not to use business quesitons to attack an honourable member."
He wouldn't even let Leader of the House Harriet Harman respond:"I think I would rather leave this matter".
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