John Hemming's Web Log

Angus UA, Monifieth and Sidlaw date: 25/06/2009 SNP 2486 (68.6; +14.3) Con 698 (19.3; +0.8) LD 439 (12.1; +4.9) [Ind (0.0; -6.3)] [Lab (0.0; -13.8)] Turnout 28.7% SNP hold SNP elected at the first stage

The linked story in today's Daily Mail is about a boy who has an attachment disorder. No research has been done as to what extent the actions of the local authorities for young babies cause attachment disorders. It needs to be done.

Another good sign of the new speaker regime is the agreement to an Urgent Question on Cybersecurity. This has the effect of discouraging ministers from announcing things outside parliament. The ancien regime was very resistant to doing this.

I am encountering a number of cases where it seems to be that things are getting nastier in this country. Those are cases where things are done to people which don't seem to have any merit at all and seem excessively harsh. We managed to prevent Eugene Sands from being deported on Friday with moments to go. He is a 77 year old ex police officer from New York who brought his wife's ashes back to the UK so he could spread them in the area where she was born and visit the site. He is living on a US pension. I really don't see why he is such a threat to the UK that he should be deported. I am also dealing with a case where someone borrowed £2 without permission. The only reason his managers found this out was that he told them. He was sacked. This to me seems way over the top. Then I have a case of someone who ended up getting a 5 year jail sentence because there were no resources to get him sectioned. He is not a threat to others. I did manage to get him released. Then...

I am a full time politician, but I remain a director of two companies that I founded and also other businesses that run through as John Hemming Trading My working week is around 70 hours a week. I spend about 4 hours a month chairing John Hemming & Co LLP. This means that over 98% of my time is spent on political issues. I do not think it is right to concentrate on counting things when working out how effective an MP is. For me the measures of success are what I achieve for my constituency, for Birmingham and more widely. However, according to “they work for you”, I am above average on most measures of what an MP does (speaking, voting etc). I am also on three select committees which is an usually large number. I have declared my external interests, but the new rules require more information about the amount of money I receive from various sources. Hence this statement. ...

Inverclyde UA, Ward 6 - Inverclyde South West The SNP Candidate won with 1087 votes at the sixth stage. First preference votes are given below: - SNP 919 Lab 490 LD Eric Forbes 454 Con 171 Ind 67 UKIP 49 Free Scotland Party 17 Turnout was 26.5%

A case where what happens quite frequently (viz made up evidence and misleading reports) became public. The baby, however, was still put up for adoption.

2. John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley) (LD): What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the arrangements by which the Official Solicitor is appointed to act in the family division. [279664] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Bridget Prentice): There has not been a recent assessment and there are not any plans for one. However, the family procedure rule committee has invited the family justice council to consider producing good practice guidance for those cases in which parties lack capacity to give instructions. That is currently being considered by the relevant sub-committee. John Hemming: I thank the Minister for that answer. More than 100 times a year, mothers are prevented from opposing the adoption or the taking into care of their children as a result of a single expert opinion part-paid for by the local authority. Will the Minister meet me so that I can reveal to her the details of the dossier behind that and demonstrate how many mothers have...

The article linked is another in the Sunday Times. Interestingly this is not via myself, but another route. It makes it clear, however, that there is a systematic problem.

Stockport MBC, Stepping Hill LD W.E. Orrell 1779 (47.4; -6.1) Con 1336 (35.6; -1.0) UKIP 257 (6.8; +6.8) Lab 225 (6.0; 0.0) Green 158 (4.2; +0.3) Majority 443 Turnout 38.7% LD hold Percentage change is since May 2008

Runnymede BC, Englefield Green West Con 485 (39.5;-5.0) UKIP 357 (29.1;+3.8) Lab 150 (12.2;-0.2) Green 128 (10.4;+10.4) LD Ian Heath 108 (8.8;+1.4) Majority 128 Turnout not known Con hold Percentage change is since 2008 St Albans DC, Harpenden South Con 1602 (53.5; -21.8) Lab 703 (23.5; +17.2) LD Albert Moses 427 (14.3; +0.5) Green 264 (8.8; +4.1) Majority 899 Turnout not known Con hold Percentage change is since May 2008 Suffolk Coastal DC, Felixstowe South East Con 856 (49.2; -10.6) LD Bernard Price 693 (39.9; +18.0) Lab 190 (10.9; -7.3) Majority 163 Turnout not known Con hold Percentage change is since May 2007 Tewkesbury BC, Brockworth LD Judith Mary Perez 940 (52.7; +10.4) Con 679 (38.1; +15.4) Lab 164 (9.2; +9.2) [Green (0.0; -9.3)] [Others (0.0; -25.8)] Majority 261 Turnout 34.9% LD hold Percentage change is since May 2007 Three Rivers DC, Leavesden LD Keith Williams 857 (63.3; -8.7) Con 369 (27.3; +5.7) Lab 128 (9.5; +3.0) Majority 488 Turnout 33.4% LD hold Percentage change i...

The link is to another article about injustice.

The link is to a story in the ST about mental capacity and the family courts.

Middlesbrough UA, North Ormesby and Brambles Farm date: 28/05/2009 Lab 549 (60.0 -7) BNP 175 (19.0 +19) Con 131 (14.0 -7) LD John Michael Heath 63 (7.0 +7) [New Nationalist Party (0.0 –13)] Majority 374 Turnout 21.1% Lab hold Percentage change is since May 2007

It is interesting to see the flurry of proposals for constitutional reform cropping up now. I have been part of discussions in parliament about how to reduce the power of the executive/government/king and increase the ability of the representatives of the people to hold the executive to account. We may end up with some important improvements to the machinery of government through this process. I would, of course, wish to see the introduction of STV. That would allow voters the ability to chose between the candidates of a party. I don't think as yet we have managed to get support for this from other front benches. However, there are positive noises being made.

This entry shows some of the futility of part of the debate about expenses claims. Back in 2005 a member of my staff who was an intern put in a claim for handcream. The claim was rejected. I was phoned by a newspaper about this whilst driving to Devon. My wife spoke to them and we couldn't remember anything about the claim. I have since arrived in Devon and checked the files. That is how I know the claim was rejected. I have some difficulty in understanding why such things are stories that don't warrant the time that is needed to get the facts clear. I have managed to extract (and redact) the letter now: There are some serious issues about the way in which the ACA has been abused. However, by mixing up trivia with the more serious issues it sidetracks the debate.

What we have in this particular case is the challenge of the interface between medical certainty (it probably is) and legal certainty (on the balance of probabilities). One is far less certain than the other.

Rutland CC, Cottesmore Con 389 (68.1; +1.1) LD Joanna Mary Burrows 182 (31.9; +31.9) [UKIP (0.0; -33.0)] Majority 207 Turnout 26.4% Con hold Percentage change is since May 2007 Barton on Humber TC, Bridge Con 746 (62.6) Lab 445 (37.4) Majority 301 Turnout not known Con hold North Lincolnshire UA, Barton Con 1576 (64.4; +15.6) Lab 653 (26.7; +6.2) LD Richard Alan Nixon 220 (9.0; -5.9) [Others (0.0; -16.0)] Majority 923 Turnout not known Con hold Percentage change is since May 2007 Salford City, Irwell Riverside Lab 606 (37.6; -13.3) LD Steven Ian Middleton 293 (18.2; -1.1) BNP 276 (17.1; +3.8) Con 189 (11.7; -4.7) Green 125 (7.8; +7.8) UKIP 123 (7.6; +7.6) Majority 313 Turnout 17.5% Lab hold Percentage change is since May 2008 City of London, Bishopsgate 4 Candidates, all Ind 78 / 66 / 53 / 47 Majority 12 Turnout 21% Ind hold Cause: due to insufficient nominations in the full council elections on 16th March 2009.

That EDM relates to opposing the attempts to exempt MPs expenses from FoI. That this House notes the Third Reading of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill on 18th May; believes that it is inconsistent and unprincipled to seek to exempt the affairs of the House of Commons and House of Lords from the obligations of the Freedom of Information legislation, which applies to all other public authorities and only took effect in 2005; believes that the passage into law of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill would fundamentally undermine respect for both Houses of Parliament, all the Houses' hon. Members and officers, and most importantly Parliament's ability to have any authority or set any example on issues of accountability, openness or transparency in Government and public life; and believes that the argument that more laws are needed to protect confidentiality of correspondence between hon. Members and those whom they represent is not made out on the evidence, should...

I have had a constant position in respect to MPs expenses and salary. That position is that they should be determined independently of MPs. I have, therefore, generally not voted on these issues. I managed recently (with the support of colleagues) to persuade my own party to take this position and subsequently the House of Commons has now agreed that the Committee on Standards in Public Life should work out the answer and then MPs stick to it. In the mean time I have avoided charging the maximum and tried to be cost effective with tax payers money. It is, therefore, a bit irritating to be criticised because my wife cleaned the flat and we didn't claim for a cleaner, but instead claimed for cleaning materials. That, however, is par for the course in politics. Once there has been a complete trawl through the expenses I will do a final response to all criticism. I have already dealt with the oddity that the fees office rejected a request for equipment to help me deal with constitu...