News

Howard's Way.... a weekly column from the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard QC. MP. 

7 May 2009

Last week saw the House of Commons at its best and its worst on two consecutive days.

On Wednesday the Liberal Democrats devoted part of their Opposition Day – when they choose the subject for debate – to a debate on the Government’s decision to refuse most Gurkhas who were discharged before 1997 the right to settle in Britain.

I was fortunate enough to be called to speak in the debate and was able to tell the House how proud we in Shepway are of the Gurkhas who have made their home in our midst. I pointed out that the Second Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles has only just returned from Afghanistan on a tour of duty in which they lost two of their most valued comrades. I also spoke about the moving launch of the appeal for funds to erect a statue in Folkestone in honour of the Gurkhas at which the two surviving Gurkha holders of the Victoria Cross – our highest decoration for valour – were present.

In the vote Conservatives joined with Liberal Democrats and dissident Labour MPs to defeat the Government for the first time since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister.

Since the Government has a majority of over 60 this was no mean achievement.

The next day, Thursday, saw the House at its worst. This was during the debate on the allowances of Members of Parliament.

The debate began with the Government accepting a motion put forward by Sir George Young, the Chairman of the All-Party Committee on Standards and Privileges, and the other members of the Committee, that all these matters should await the recommendations of the investigation being carried out by Sir Christopher Kelly, the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Since I firmly believe that Members of Parliament should not decide their own pay, pensions or allowances, but that these should be decided by an independent body, I was strongly in favour of this motion and delighted that the Government accepted it.

But then, thoroughly illogically, the Government insisted upon putting its other motion – which dealt with matters being considered by Sir Christopher and his Committee – to the vote.

I voted against all these other motions because I want them to be decided independently, not by the House of Commons itself.

The debate was widely, and rightly, described as a shambled. It was yet another opportunity squandered.