Comment is Free: Heather Brooke: No one can tell if our MPs are upright or utterly corrupt

Posted on 7 March, 2008 by Martin Stabe

Heather Brooke on MPs' expenses: "[E]ven the most successful journalist would be doing well to claim £130,000 in tax-free expenses on top of a £60,000 salary"

House of Commons debates: 25 Feb 2008: Foreign students make a valuable…

Posted on 2 March, 2008 by Martin Stabe

Jim Sheridan MP: "Foreign students make a valuable contribution to many of our disciplines, particularly in manufacturing industry. However, there is one discipline through which they make little contribution to the UK economy: journalism." O RLY?

TheyWorkForYou.com: Written Ministerial Statements: Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (18 February 2008)

Posted on 20 February, 2008 by Martin Stabe

David Miliband: "In accordance with the Information Tribunal's decision of 22 January 2008, I have today released what has been described as John Williams' draft of the September 2002 Iraq weapons of mass destruction dossier."

Your Right To Know: Sack the Speaker

Posted on 2 February, 2008 by Martin Stabe

"There is an obvious conflict of interest when the person deciding on the disclosure of MPs’ expenses is himself receiving quite a substantial amount of this public money himself."

BBC News: MPs call on BBC to open accounts

Posted on 6 December, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"The BBC should fully open its accounts to the National Audit Office (NAO) to prove it is getting value for money from the licence fee, MPs have said."

BBC News: MI5 head to brief MPs’ committee

Posted on 13 November, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"MP Martin Salter revealed [Jonathan] Evans was planning to meet privately with MPs. Mr Salter said he was "frustrated" as Mr Evans had spoken in public to the Society of Editors earlier this month."

New Statesman: Spies and their lies

Posted on 27 September, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"British intelligence has long used clandestine "undeniable briefings" to release information real and false to tame hacks including David Rose..."

Daily Mail: Under-fire Speaker ‘Gorbals Mick’ hires top libel firm at public expense

Posted on 10 August, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"The Speaker of the House of Commons has spent thousands of pounds of public money employing a law firm to defend him from criticism."

International Herald Tribune: British report criticizes U.S. on abductions

Posted on 28 July, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"The Intelligence and Security Committee Report on Rendition was completed and sent to Brown in late June. On Wednesday, the prime minister sent it to Parliament, and it thus became a public document, but has been largely overlooked by the media."

ePolitix.com: Harman: Ministers must address MPs first

Posted on 2 July, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"In her first despatch box appearance in the role, Harriet Harman told MPs on Monday that she and Gordon Brown believe that ministers must make major statements in the Commons before briefing details to the media."

Guardian: Lords warn against curbs on FoI

Posted on 20 June, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"Parliament's reputation is "at serious risk" from attempts to exempt its members from the freedom of information act, [The all-party Lords constitution committee] warned today."

Independent: Freedom Of Information: The end looks nigh for this ‘squalid little Bill’

Posted on 15 June, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"Robert Verkaik, Law Editor, welcomes a second [Private Members] Bill which could make the [Freedom of Information Act] stronger." Too bad it has a snowball's chance in hell...

Thisislondon.co.uk: The Lords destroy bid to keep MPs’ expenses secret

Posted on 14 June, 2007 by Martin Stabe

"Tory MP David Maclean's controversial Bill to exempt MPs from the Freedom of Information Act failed to win the support of a single member of the House of Lords by a deadline of 5pm yesterday."

Iain Dale’s Diary: Maclean FOI Bill Will Die Tomorrow

Posted on 13 June, 2007 by Martin Stabe

I hope Iain's right: "David Maclean's controversial Bill to amend the Freedom of Information Act is likey to collapse tomorrow unless he can find a Peer willint to sponsor it. So far he has failed."

Martin Stabe

A UK-centric look at new media and online journalism

Category Archives: Parliament