Political Updates 22 January 2018

This week’s Political Updates, covers moves and changes at all levels of government. 

Private Parliamentary Secretary appointments

• Tom Pursglove (Corby) remains PPS to Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox.
• Kevin Foster (Torbay) is now PPS to Minister of State for the Cabinet Office David Lidington.
• James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) is the new PPS to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Jeremy Hunt.
• David Morris (Morecambe and Lunesdale) has been appointed PPS to Minister of State for Immigration Caroline Nokes.
• Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke) has been appointed PPS at the Ministry of Defence.
• Will Quince (Colchester) has been appointed PPS to Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson.
• Victoria Prentis (North Oxfordshire) remains PPS to Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom.
• Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) has been appointed PPS to Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Matt Hancock.
• Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate) has been appointed PPS to Baroness Evans of Bowes Park.

House of Commons

Sinn Fein’s Barry McElduff, MP for West Tyrone, resigned on 15th January. McElduff announced his resignation as a result of the controversy surrounding the video he posted on Twitter on the anniversary of the Kingmills massacre.

House of Lords

Baroness Nicol (Labour/Co-op, Life Peer) passed away on 15th January.

European Parliament

This week, the European Parliament is holding Committee meetings in Brussels.

• Michele Nicoletti (Italy, Socialist Group) has today (22nd January) been elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He will take over from Stella Kyriakides (Cyprus, European People’s Party).
• Joe O’Reilly (Ireland) has been elected Vice-President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
• UKIP MEP for the North East Region Jonathan Arnott announced his resignation from the party on 19th January. He will represent the region as an independent.