Jon Bright (London, OK): Douglas Carswell MP, of the Conservatives and also Direct Democracy, is going to be blogging for Conservative Home's new group blog 'Centre Right'. He is, interestingly, even prepared to blog from within the House of Commons chamber, as he does here from a debate on education and skills. Carswell calls for a review of parliamentary calling procedure, which is apparently responsible for the gratuitously dull TV which BBC Parliament puts out most of the time:
Despite there being only 20 or so MPs spread across the green benches, in over three hours, like most of the backbenchers in here I've not had the chance to speak for even a few minutes. (Indeed, it is precisely because they would be unlikely to get called to speak that I suspect so few MPs turn up for Commons debates like this at all.)
Commons protocol favours seniority over originality, often ensuring those with something fresh to say speak last, if at all. Despite all that standing up and down you see on TV, which MPs get called to speak is decided beforehand by officials - with little transparency.
Surely it is time to rethink Parliamentary procedure?
The only problem being, of course, that if it is rethought Carswell won't have time to blog any more. And where would be the fun in that? Best of luck to both Carswell and the CR in general, we will be watching (reading) with interest.
