General Press Comments

[Will Frost]

Despite our partisan differences, every Member of Parliament should be able to take an objective look at the state of the public appointments system and see its obvious flaws. Call me an optimist, but I believe that includes the Prime Minister and her front bench. That is why today I made a formal invitation to the Prime Minister to meet with me and hash out an agreement on my party's legislation, and make the positive change we know the British people deserve. Joined by Sir Bryant, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, we made it clear that our two parties are willing to meet with any MP in order to get this bill over the finish line. If the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were able to set aside our differences to work together on this, there is certainly hope that more cross party support can be achieved.

For the good of the British people, the majority of whom are demanding reform to the system, I hope the Prime Minister will accept my invitation in good faith and allow progress to be achieved.

[Astrid Goldman]

Our criticism of the Appointments Bill has been measured and based only on criticisms of the contents of the bill itself: that it is unclear, opens loopholes, tries to act before an inquiry has a chance to advise, and that it is a sledgehammer where a fine toothcomb is needed. All of this has been constructive and we have pressed consistently for an inquiry first.

Billy Croft, on the other hand has ranted. He said Labour has "no principles, no conviction" "double-standards" . He accused the Prime Minister, who has already committed to an inquiry, of being "determined to take power away from the people". He refused to listen to valid criticism, labelling it all "spin." And then he said something incomprehensible about dishwashers.

Yet he blames the Government for being "too partisan". The Conservatives never intended for this to be a cross-party issue, it's a poorly-written, panic-stricken mess they had hoped would be an easy win. The Government has been very clear; no legislation on this until an inquiry has been able to report.

[Will Frost]

The Government's refusal to legislation for what we know today needs to be fixed isn't rooted in a desire to remove politics from the equation, but indeed rooted in politics itself. If the Government won't get off their high horse to address a status quo that is so obviously flawed, how can the British people have any confidence in their commitment to seriously reform the system? We don't need a public inquiry to tell us that the Government's public appointments watchdog shouldn't be financially dependent upon... the Government. We don't need a public inquiry to tell us that the Commissioner's remit should be expanded to cover existing loopholes in the law. As much as I criticize the Government, I still have faith in their capacity to walk and chew gum at the same time. Multitasking is possible, I promise you Ms. Goldman.

So again, I encourage the Prime Minister to end her strategy of opposing our legislation for opposition's sake, and join me for a meeting so we can get this done.

[Sir Tristan St. John]

I will resign before I will support the abandonment of the pound. Will Croft knows this, and would not have appointed me unless he agreed. It is ludicrous to suggest otherwise, and those making these suggestions would be wise not to base their campaign on lies, if they're serious about bringing down the cartel establishment.

[CWard]

It took an hour for the Leader of the Opposition to go from “let’s be friends” back to “offended and obstinate”. The Leader of the Opposition can’t decide if he wants to work cross party or throw a right cross at the parties. He wavers between the two at almost breakneck unhinged speed. Perhaps he would be suited to finding a narrative and sticking to it

[Sir Jack Anderson]

It really didn't take long for the Opposition's division on Europe to come to fruition. We already saw it in the leadership contest and from the backbenches, which is all well and good, but now it appears to have seeped into Cabinet and into the Tory Party leadership.

After the chaos of stabbing Dylan Macmillan in the back and not appointing him as Shadow Chancellor as promised due to more euro psychodrama, it seems that the Conservatives' eurosceptic replacement has decided to go one step further and contradict William Croft's stated referendum position, stating he would only support a referendum in the case of the government pursuing the euro. This doesn't just contradict what Mr. Croft has said for a while - it contradicts what Shadow Cabinet member Clarence Ashbridge had said only moments prior.

The Tories' division would harm us in Europe and see us unable to lead from within, and the chaos, and incompetence and instability would be damaging for businesses and the economy. We saw it when they were last in government, and the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Chancellor have shown that if elected they would repeat those same grave errors.

[Sir Dylan Macmillan]

When it comes to the Single Currency I can see why tempers often flare, it is an emotional topic and it generates an emotional response, but it is imperative that we separate the facts from our emotions so that we can truly see what is best for Britain. I have been observing the debate on the Single Currency with great interest and will continue to do so in consultation with colleagues, economists, and other experts before making a decision about what I believe before the referendum campaign begins. What I will say though is very simple, it is Conservative Party policy to have the referendum, it is the Leader of the Opposition's policy as stated in his leadership pitch to have the referendum, and it must be Conservative Party policy to implement the will of the people either way. The country needs certainty now more than ever, I hope all important players will commit to delivering that certainty by respecting the will of the people when the time comes to enact it.

[Ege]

Campaign for Patriotic Unionism is already making news and pushing an agenda, we have been just founded. We have extracted a concession already, now Conservative Party will only support a referendum on Euro if the government pushes Euro but our fight is not done, anti-pound forces within the Conservative Party continue to push for a referendum no matter what and we will pressure more. Our pound is more than just a currency, it is a symbol of our sovereignty and CfPU and I will not surrender our sovereignty without a fight. We will not go down without a fight, we will not allow communities across United Kingdom to experience another Black Wednesday without a fight. This is the fight is about, soul of our country and fiscal health of our communities and we shall not allow anti-pound extremists shove another ERM down our throat.

[Will Frost]

In the latest addition of the Sun, I continued to make the case for why I believe the Conservative Party should be actively advocating for a referendum on the euro. It is my faith in the British people, and my trust in the belief that they want to protect the pound just as much as I do, that makes me confident that a holding a referendum is the best way to settle this debate once and for all. Rather than sitting back and letting Labour dominate the issue, I think it is incumbent upon my party to make the positive case for a referendum and empower the British people to vote to protect our independence.

[Brown]

Unlike the Conservative party, Labour does not rush into half-baked solutions to address issues of serious national import. The Conservative Party's reckless and rushed approach to addressing serious issues such as reforming appointments and putting forward a referendum on the Euro before the United Kingdom would even potentially economically benefit from its introduction shows us yet again that the Conservative Party can not be trusted with Government. This Labour Government will continue to address the serious issues facing the British people with deliberation to ensure that we are able to be effective in addressing the issues. Our priority will always remain solving problems first, not scoring political points.