Clash of the Titans it aint! Teignbridge MP Richard Younger Ross on his week in Parliament

By PRSD, on Thursday, October 29, 2009

Teignbridge MP Richard Younger Ross’s column on his week in Parliament. Privitisation, Equitable Life and Climate Change. What else goes on in Parliament? Oh yes, Double Talk.

Double Talk
One piece of curious double-talk last week came from Gordon Brown himself when he told Nick Clegg that the UK would make a profit when it sold off its past ownership of the banks. If we are going to make money out of this then why is he selling off the remaining ‘silver’ at knock down prices? Of course, this is the same man who sold off our gold reserves for a song. I disagreed with the Conservative’s wholesale sell off of the UK’s assets, particularly rail and water, but at least they generally made a profit for the exchequer even if they often left a mess.

A Clash of Titans
In days of Blair and Hague, Prime Minister’s Questions used to be a clash of Titans. No matter whether you loved them or loathed them, on the floor of the House of Commons they could cut the mustard, exchanges would be sharp and witty. I cannot say that is the case now. Brown and Cameron just do not compare. Last week Cameron attacked Brown on the Royal Mail strike and seemed to blame the Government backing down on part privatisation as the cause! But Brown’s responses were even worse and he received very little support from his own side. In the end, of Cameron’s six questions, he won 5 to 1 but it was an episode of Hector’s House!

Equitable Life
Certainly the main two debates of the day followed PMQs. Both were Liberal Democrat led. The first on Equitable Life and the second on Climate Change. It is also the first time that I have been lobbied by constituents to attend both opposition debates on the same day.

Vince Cable led for the Lib Dems claiming that the Government’s response was inadequate and that he had major concerns “for human welfare and the individuals who have lost from the disaster”. There were one million Equitable Life policyholders; some 400,000 policies are still managed by the company and 600,000 by other insurance companies. Around 30,000 of the original policyholders have died since the collapse, 6,000 since the Ombudsman’s Report and every day that passes before justice is obtained another 15 die”. What Vince and other MPs from all parties wanted to know is when John Chadwick would report. Eventually the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liam Byrne said it would be in the spring. He was then pressed as to when in the spring, as the season runs until June 20, and that after the report is published, when would compensation be paid? There was no answer to this and members suggested it could be as late as 2011. On my calculations, another 7,500 policyholders will have died by then. Funny kind of justice.

Climate Change
Simon Hughes kicked off the debate on Climate Change charging the Government with a lack of leadership. Carrying on the sombre note set by Vince, he said that “a UN report this year stated that 300,000 deaths a year are all attributable to climate change; that 325 million people are seriously affected at a cost to the global economy of $125 billion a year and that four billion people are vulnerable to climate impact. He wanted the Government to show more leadership and commit the Government and all public bodies to the objectives of the 10:10 campaign. I have personally committed to this and I will cut my carbon emission by 10 per cent by the end of next year. Many MPs have signed up to this, but sadly not the Government, who rejected the Lib Dem motion.

Surgeries
Friday, October 30: St Paul’s Church Room, Church Road, Starcross. 5pm – 5.45pm

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