Picking apart the debate
So it’s been a week since the big House of Commons debate on the Daylight Saving Bill and the dust has settled a little.
Whilst the bill was only 6 pages long it attracted over 100 amendments tabled by a handful of MPs. Many were so barmy they weren’t considered worthy of airtime – renaming the bill ‘Berlin Time Act’ for instance. Out of the 100, 28 made it onto the list for discussion and were grouped into three – so 3 groups of amendments meaning 3 debates.
Even with overwhelming support – over 140 MPs – the chips were stacked against us. Christopher Chope MP, famous for talking out Private Members Bills, took up the whole first hour almost singlehandedly. MPs employed the rarely used Standing Order 29 (the ‘Golding Closure’) which, to cut to the chase, was simply a vote to make him sit down and shut up!
The vote half-an-hour later kicked the first block of amendments firmly to the curb – the second block also soon fell but by the time it came to the third block it was clear that there simply wasn’t going to be enough time! A small number of MPs employed further timewasting tactics which can only be described as mmm arsing around in the ‘noe lobby’. Oh how we could have done with that ‘extra hour’!
In the words of Kerry McCarthy MP (her blog is well worth following) – “It’s taken me seven years and a spell as the duty whip for Private Members’ Bills to get my head round all the technicalities, and I’m still learning”. Us mere mortals have little hope of fully grasping all that went on last Friday. All we can say for sure is that the procedural rules are crazy and the calls for reform of the system are louder than ever.
Time may have run out for this Parliamentary session, but the frustrated mood of the House and of the people who have been calling for clock change has certainly been heard in all the right places.
And now for some numbers …
- Of 160 MPs present, 70% of all words spoken were from 10 MPs.
- The same 10 MPs consistently voted to extend the debate.
- 146 MPs consistently voted to progress the debate.
- 25% of all words spoken at the debate were by one MP (approx 50mins of talking), Christopher Chope, who consistently voted to extend the debate. Ironic that there was so much blatant time-wasting in a debate about wasted time!
Mark D’Arcy over at the BBC blogged events as they unfolded – makes for a good read.
You can check out the full transcript of the debate here.
The votes on Friday were many but we’ve been through the transcript of the debate and the vote registers and pulled out the key names of who was for and against.
The roll call of honor …
Adam Afriyie, Adrian Sanders, Alan Haselhurst, Alan Whitehead, Albert Owen, Alison Seabeck, Alun Michael, Andrew Jones, Andrew Smith, Andy Slaughter, Angie Bray, Annette Brooke, Barry Sheerman, Ben Bradshaw, Ben Gummer, Bob Stewart, Caroline Lucas, Caroline Nokes, Charlie Elphicke, Charlotte Leslie, Chris Bryant, Chris Huhne, Chris Kelly. Chris Leslie, Chris White, Claire Perry. Clive Betts, Clive Efford, Damian Collins, Dan Jarvis, David Davis, David Gauke, David Heath, David Heyes, David Lidington, David Morris, David Rutley, David Tredinnick, Don Foster, Edward Davey, Fiona Bruce, Frank Field, Gavin Barwell, George Hollingbery, Gerald Howarth, Gerald Kaufman, Glenda Jackson, Graham Allen, Greg Hands, Greg Knight, Gregory Barker, Heather Wheeler, Heidi Alexander, Hugh Bayley, Ian Murray, Jack Lopresti, Jane Ellison, Jeremy Corbyn, Jessica Lee, Jim Dowd, Jim Fitzpatrick, Jim Paice, Joan Ruddock, Joan Walley, John Cryer, John Glen, John Leech, John McDonnell, John Penrose, John Randall, John Whittingdale, Jon Cruddas, Julian Huppert, Julian Smith, Julie Hilling, Justine Greening, Karen Bradley, Karen Buck, Kerry McCarthy, Kwasi Kwarteng, Laura Sandys, Margaret Hodge, Mark Field, Mark Harper, Mark Lazarowicz, Mark Pawsey, Mark Tami, Martin Vickers, Mary Macleod, Matthew Hancock, Meg Munn, Michael Fabricant, Mike Gapes, Mike Penning, Mike Weatherley, Nick Gibb, Nick Herbert, Nick de Bois, Oliver Colvile, Oliver Heald, Paul Blomfield, Penny Mordaunt, Peter Aldous, Peter Bottomley, Peter Luff, Philip Hollobone, Phillip Lee, Richard Ottaway, Robert Buckland, Robert Halfon, Robert Neill, Robert Syms, Roberta Blackman-Woods, Roger Gale, Roger Godsiff, Sarah Newton, Seema Malhotra, Shailesh Vara, Simon Burns, Simon Hughes, Simon Kirby, Stephen Hammond, Stephen Lloyd, Stephen Metcalfe, Stephen O’Brien, Stephen Phillips, Stephen Pound, Steve Brine, Steve Webb, Stuart Bell, Tessa Jowell, Tessa Munt, Theresa Villiers, Therese Coffey, Thomas Docherty, Tim Yeo, Tobias Ellwood, Tom Brake, Tom Greatrex, Tom Harris, Valerie Vaz, Zac Goldsmith.
And then in the ‘noe’ camp …
Christopher Chope, Philip Davies, Jacob Rees Mogg, Angus Brendan MacNeil, Steve Baker, Peter Bone, Stewart Hosie, Iain Stewart, Dr Elidh Whiteford, David Nuttal, Iain Stewart, Matthew Offord.