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The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

Wednesday, 8th October 2008

The Spectator features more of the nominations for the Readers' Representative award

Nominations continue to roll in for the inaugural Spectator’s Readers’ Representative. This week saw several MPs nominated for their campaigning work.

Richard Hamilton proposes Nadine Dorries. Hamilton commends Dorries for addressing the issue of term limits for abortion with a ‘tenaciousness and passion that caught the public’s attention in a remarkable way’. He applauds her for explaining how the 1967 legislation has resulted, against the intent of the original act, in half a million abortions being carried out each year and for her courage in carrying on in the face of hostility from her opponents.

Iain Duncan Smith is nominated by Adrian Fry. Fry writes, ‘I don’t understand the current economic woes any better than most of our politicians do, but I do live in a “real world” already blighted by drugs, worklessness and family breakdown. Iain Duncan Smith has been the only politician listening and speaking out on these issues and I’d like this award to aid his cause.’

Others singled out include David Davis for his stand in resigning his seat to fight a by-election on the issue of 42 days and Andrew Lansley for his work in trying to improve care for stroke victims. There is, though, still plenty of time for you to make your nomination.

All you have to do to put someone forward for the award is go to www.spectator.co.uk/parliamentarian and in no more than 250 words nominate your choice. Terms and conditions can be found on the website. Closing date for entries is Monday 27 October 2008, 5 p.m.

www.threadneedle.co.uk

duncan martin hopper

October 19th, 2008 12:57pm

Nominate Mark Oaten Lib- Dem for Winchester.For professionalism and determination.Despite his announcement that he will stand down at next election he continues to contribute on a consistent basis to the House,he has maintained his reputuation as an excellent constituency MP,and is articulate in committee.He also is becoming known on a wider scale, bringing insights into the current FS credit crunch causes and effects to a wider audience.

Richard M. Hemer

October 22nd, 2008 2:42pm

DAVID DAVIS.
Unfortunately in todays new labour Britain, a rarity, a Politician with principals.
He was deprived of the Conservative leadership, which was rightly his, by the duplicity of Cameron, with his last minute "promise" to remove the Conservative MEPs from the federal supporting group EPP imediately upon his election as leader. Almost three years later we are still waiting for this promise to be honoured, whilst the most honest and competent Conservative politician is wasted in the sidelines.

A child of our time

From the economic and psychological bedlam of the global downturn has emerged a particularly dangerous false dichotomy: namely, that there is somehow a choice for ministers over the next few years between economic reconstruction and the repair of Britain’s broken society, and that the government (whether Labour or Conservative) must prioritise the former at the expense of the latter.

Diary

Anne Robinson

The daughter and I spent the last few days before the American election in Arizona.

Politics

Fraser Nelson

Fraser Nelson reviews the week in politics

The Spectator's Notes

Charles Moore

‘A money-financed tax cut is essentially equivalent to Milton Friedman’s famous “helicopter drop” of money.’ So said Ben Bernanke, now the chairman of the Fed, in a speech about how to ward off the ‘extremely small’ chance of deflation, which he delivered in 2002.