A raft of new anti-protest measures were added to
#PolicingBill
in the Lords late in the day without MPs debating them. Govt are now forcing us to vote on them late at night in the hopes they’ll win. But we’ve had 9 votes so far & govt has lost them all. More to come.
Today I handed over my phone and sat in a room watched by a govt official while I read the assessment of the main economic impact of the main Brexit options. Let’s just say I emerged very, very worried.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: what a role model. Astrophysicist. Quaker. Failed 11-plus. Discovered pulsars as a student. Nobel prize went to her supervisor but now gets a £3million prize & gives it all away to fund physics studentships for women, & minorities..
Dear
@DWP
, can zero-hours workers who self-isolate get Universal Credit? Αnd if people on UC can’t get to work so don’t get paid: will UC automatically adjust? And those who can’t get to Jobcentres or interviews: will sanctions be suspended till
#coronavirus
outbreak is over?
Just to be clear:
- You don’t need a Queens Speech to introduce Bills.
- Nor do you neeed to prorogue parliament.
- Prorogrations usually last a few days, not 5 weeks.
The Prime Minister just wants Parliament out of the way.
Doing a stint as duty whip in the Lords as we debate the
Medicines & Medical Devices Bill. Amidst all else going on, it’s very moving to hear peers press issues to do with organ harvesting in China. Good work
@LordPhilofBrum
@DavidAltonHL
@Lord_Collins
The House has voted we can take the
#CooperLetwinBill
today! Govt Chief Whip announced we will take 2nd Reading shortly and the remaining stages on Monday. Looks like the filibuster has failed. I am so proud of all my colleagues who stayed and voted down every single amendment.
Hearing Lady Hale read the judgment this morning, I gave thanks that I live in a country where an individual can ask the highest court in the land to require the Prime Minister to obey the law.
On
#BBCR4today
an ex-corona patient said in ICU he had an image of Jesus calming the storm. ‘I like to think that was Jesus Christ coming to me..in my hour of need.’Nick Robinson’s reply pointing to ‘drugs you have to be on which play tricks with the mind’ left me v uncomfortable
The Lords is having a short but interesting debate on referendums.
@GeorgeFoulkes
has just told the House that the Swiss Supreme Court recently overturned a tight referendum result on the grounds that the information given to voters was inadequate.
The Lord Speaker has announced that Royal Assent has been granted to the EU Withdrawal Act which aims to stop a No Deal Brexit without the consent of parliament. 😊
After midnight & the filibuster continues. They lost the first 15 votes by big majorities but still they talk. Very proud that so many colleagues are still here and voting. Fuelled by chocolate.
I can’t summarise
@JustinWelby
’s speech in a tweet. But 2 things stood out to me: his call for reconciliation; & his insistence that the poor should not bear the burden of Brexit on top of the pain already imposed by austerity.
On the way to work, I just slipped off a kerb & ended up flat out in the middle of the road. A young couple stopped their car to help. A passing OT got off his bike to check me over. People are lovely.
The EU (Withdrawal) (No 6) Bill has passed through the House of Lords unamended. The govt has committed to present it for Royal Assent before prorogation. Phew!
Arrived at King’s Cross to find my purse & I had parted company en route. Hearing me call to cancel all my cards, the woman opposite me on the train was kindness itself, even asking if I needed some money. Aren’t people lovely?
So that was my first full week as a minister. I’ve been warmly welcomed & expertly briefed by brilliant
@DWP
colleagues. Learned more than in any week since primary school. Answered Qs from the despatch box for the first time. (It’s easier to ask Qs than answer them: who knew?!)
Amid Brexit madness, today marks 25 years since women were ordained in CofE. I’m so grateful to the trailblazers. My day may not be typical but plenty of us are Ministers in Secular Employment. So here are the two parts of my life.
#JustAPriest25
(
#stilladeacontillJune
)
All of us in politics need to remember that words matter. Truth matters. Claims of fake news, feeding conspiracy theories, attacking the integrity of judges or lawyers - all of these have consequences.
A blessing to be able to stop briefly for a quiet communion service in the parliamentary chapel, with words of wisdom from the next
#BishopOfDover
(sporting modest
#danglyearrings
)
Dear
@AmberRuddHR
Please don’t just swallow the brief on Universal Credit. Read all the reports from the NAO, DWP Select Cttee etc. Talk to people claiming UC & to charities like
@CPAGUK
&
@TrussellTrust
. Please understand how bad things are.
This evening I spent some time in the Lords chamber where a sedate but important debate is in train on Brexit & HE. Shortly afterwards I found myself walking past a police officer wheeling a naked man away. My job is getting more surreal by the day.
A man in my train carriage just shouted down the phone that he’s been released from the police station after beating up 3 people. The rest of us have decided not to mention it’s the Quiet Coach.
A young man approached me in a coffee shop this morning to say that he had a job interview but couldn’t get his earring out. Glad to help. If only all today’s challenges were so easily solved.
So far today I have lost my umbrella, forgotten my pass and contrived to spill coffee on my phone, my iPad & myself in one go. None of which would have happened were I still on retreat in beautiful Northumberland. But I couldn’t be happier to be heading back to Parliament.
Prayers for all the clergy and bishops on my timeline testing positive for Covid who now face a very different Holy Week & Easter. (And prayers too for those covering the gaps in the rota….)
When asked by
@stephenctimms
,
@BorisJohnson
did not understand why migrants with leave to remain had 'no recourse to public funds'. Neither do we.
It's time to scrap this policy, and ensure everyone has access to support, regardless of their background >
Did Nick Gibb not hear the interview with a head teacher almost broken by having got to the end of term only to be told to use the Christmas break to put in place remote learning and a whole testing regime by 4 January?! 🤦♀️
#R4Today
I’m rarely shocked but I just asked the minister if someone who is Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people (or lives with someone who is) could have their benefits sanctioned if they refused a job that would put them at risk of COVID. The answer is that it’s up to work coaches....
#LordsQs
@MaeveSherlock
pressing
@DWP
Bns Stedman-Scott on Govt position re: people over 60yo having benefits sanctioned because they've refused to apply for job because they feel it may put them at risk of
#Covid19
on grounds of age
Whatever your politics, it is crucial to democracy that we all call out moves like this 👇and the earlier Tory message with a doctored a video of Keir Starmer. This is not legitimate debate. It’s deliberately undermining trust in real news & it’s dangerous.
Wasn’t the main point of today to show how opinion was spread so MPs could see which options had any chance of success? Now they know. And 2 of the options got more votes than the PM’s deal.
Thank you for all the lovely messages. Saturday was joyous as was presiding at communion for the first time last night Today I was back at the day job, sitting in on a HoL debate on inflation measures. Surprisingly interesting, since you ask.
OK, so during lockdown I have’t learned to play the saxophone or churned my own butter. But I have been learning Hebrew. Slowly. Really slowly. But this has just arrived and I’m stupidly excited.
#nichetweet
My colleague
@Lord_Collins
is leading a debate now in the Lords on the detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Good to see
@Guli_FD
is making her maiden speech on this important issue.
#FreeNazanin
What a joy to be part of the parliamentary Advent carol service. Cracking music. All the readings. That Rowan Williams poem I love. And I managed not to drop my candle or trip over my cassock. Result.
Tomorrow I will be be pressing the government (again) to abolish the 5-week wait for the first Universal Credit payment. More info in this brief blogpost.
It was a privilege to be asked to pray for politicians & staff of the new Parliament at the service this morning. And to hear some wise words from
@JustinWelby
. Now back to work...
More than 1100 church leaders plead with the Prime Minister not to cut £20pw from Universal Credit. Thank you to all who are speaking out.
#keepthelifeline
“As Christians, we are compelled by the gospel imperative to prioritise the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. As church leaders, we must speak up, because of the impact this will have on our poorest neighbours and church members"
“people have had quite a few days off, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing for people to see their way round to making a passing stab at getting back into the office”
Days off?! Has he no idea what so many people WFH have endured in the last year? 🤦♀️
To speak of cowering is an insult to the many people whose health makes them particularly vulnerable to this virus, whose lives have been made much riskier by your recent decisions. Shame on you.
Colleagues eagerly pointing out to me that there are 3 women on the Bishops’ Bench in HoL today. Waving
@BishopNewcastle
@BishGloucester
& Bishop of Bristol. One day it will be routine but for now it makes me 😊
Greetings to all the other clergy breathing in the quiet of an empty church before the first service of the day. Happy Christmas!
#AtTheHeartOfChristmas
Could you or someone you know be the next Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons? It’s such an important job at any time but especially at such a time as this. Please RT.
A powerful speech on economic justice. ABC calls the gig economy/zero-hours contracts the ‘reincarnation of an ancient evil’. Attacks online giants who don’t pay living wage & pay almost no tax. ‘Justice is God’s nature but our responsibility.’ Preach!
“… let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24)
Read my speech on social justice and equality at the TUC conference this morning:
#TUC150
#TUC18
We're proud of the lifesaving work our volunteers do in the Channel – we make no apology for it. Those we rescue are vulnerable people in danger & distress. Each of them is someone’s father, mother, son or daughter - every life is precious. This is why we launch:
Working today to the soundtrack of drums & chants of protests against the
#PolicingBill
. As my excellent colleague
@Vernon_Coaker
moves an amendment to remove the powers to constrain protest marches for being too noisy…
I’ve just listened to
#Saturdaylive
for the last time. Thank you
@RevRichardColes
for your wit and wisdom over so many years. I really wish the
@BBC
cherished its talent - and its loyal listeners -a bit more.
Ok, so I didn’t expect someone to literally get chocolate to me inside parliament but look at this! Is there is no end to the ingenuity of
@frsimoncuff
?!
Yesterday started badly when (thanks, covid brain) I managed to set my coffee pot on fire. Today started rather better when this arrived on my doorstep. Thank you to whichever lovely friend sent it!
‘43% of people referred to food banks in April had an income that was “not at a level to sustain a minimum quality of life”’.
I’m grateful to all who support food banks. But they’re not an alternative to a properly funded welfare state & govt should stop treating them as such
This artwork
#NewDawn
was was installed in Parliament to mark
#votesforwomen
. Today as we give thanks for the pioneers, let’s actively encourage women who may otherwise think politics isn’t for them.
#ForTheNext100
Just re-read Esther McVey’s statement today & it’s a shocker. She’s still trying to defend her use of stats for which the NAO says there’s no evidence. This is not OK: as I said in the HoL, she’s entitled to her own opinion but not to her own facts. Grr.