As summer fast approaches it finally feels like after about two years of electioneering, zombie parliaments and a lack of any real legislation of substance, we’re finally getting back into the swing of things.
#Sturgeonfever continued as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon began her stadium tour of America, beginning with an excellent interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where she was compared with Saddam Hussein and billed as a comedian. She stood her ground well, and in subsequent interviews in the States proved that the First Minister is probably the UK’s most impressive political leader right now. We’re lucky to have her. It just a shame she doesn’t want us.
The Labour leadership election is still being overshadowed by the incessant need to criticise the Miliband leadership – it’s times like this when you realise how easily loyalty is won and how quickly it fades in politics. Almost everyone now criticising Ed said he had the right approach before the election, now it sounds like everyone knew he was on the wrong course but just humoured him. It’s hardly surprising, but it’s certainly depressing.
The Second Reading of the EU Referendum Bill took place on Tuesday, the highlight of which seemed to be the SNP MP Angus McNeil accidentally getting stuck in the wrong division lobby and hiding in the loos. This seems to happen surprisingly often. There was significant debate about whether to expand the franchise to include 16- to 17-year-olds, as with the Scottish independence referendum. The PM argued that doing so would create pressure for young people to take part in General Elections – hardly the strongest argument. Our work with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs this year showed that young people could actually be some of the most intelligent voters. Pressure from Labour and Lib Dem Peers in the Lords is welcome, but will likely be futile ultimately.
PMQs continues to be the slanging match it always was, and will likely be for the next five years. Harriet Harman impressed, slapping the PM down for gloating before the PM rebutted with a gloat. Father of the House, Sir Gerald Kaufman described the PM as a “waste of space” on BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme, and we’re probably already at the point where PMQs is a waste of time. It’s even getting to venerated former Commons clerk, Sir Robert Rogers, who compared the atmosphere of PMQs to crowd violence in football matches.
Michael Portillo did the Riverdance. Enough said.
And finally, the good people of Tower Hamlets finally have a mayor that might have actually been elected fairly. John Biggs’ success – by around 6,000 votes over Luftur Rahman’s successor Rabina Khan – will hopefully draw a line under a torrid time for Britain’s least democratic borough. It remains to be seen whether, with the commissioners still in place for the foreseeable future, Mayor Biggs will be spending most of his time visiting local community centres than actually making executive decisions… at least the weather will be nice for it.