Political Updates 28 November 2016

House of Commons

Richmond Park by-election

The by-election will take place this Thursday, 1^st December.

The final list of candidates is:

• Zac Goldsmith, Independent
• Howling Laud Hope, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• Maharaja Jammu and Kashmir, One Love Party
• Sarah Olney, Liberal Democrats
• David Powell
• Dominic Francis Stockford, Christian Peoples Alliance
• Fiona Natasha Syms, Independent
• Christian Wolmar, Labour Party

Select Committees:

Administration: Robert Syms (CON) joined; Robin Walker (CON) left.

Environmental Audit: Gavin Shuker (LAB) joined; Alan Whitehead (LAB) left.

European Scrutiny: Alan Brown (SNP) and Paul Monaghan (SNP) joined; Peter Grant (SNP) and Calum Kerr (SNP) left.

Petitions: Luke Hall (CON) joined; Nick Hurd (CON) left.

Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy: Yvette Cooper (LAB) and Theresa Villiers (CON) joined; Damian Green (CON) and Keith Vaz (LAB) left.

Scottish Affairs: Anna Soubry (CON) joined; Maggie Throup (CON) left.

Public Accounts: Anne Marie Morris (CON) joined.

Northern Ireland Affairs: Mark Pritchard (CON) joined; Nigel Evans (CON) left.

House of Lords

• Lord Taylor of Blackburn has sadly passed away following a road accident outside the Houses of Parliament.
• Lord Henley has been appointed as a Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

New All Party Parliamentary Groups

24th November register

• Best Brexit – John Penrose (Chair)
• Business Brexit – Anne Marie Morris (Chair)
• Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf – Margaret Ferrier (Chair)
• Formula One – Jeffrey Donaldson (Chair)
• Fourth Industrial Revolution – Alan Mak (Chair)
• Fruit and Vegetable Farmers – Helen Whately (Chair)
• Guantanamo Bay – Chris Law (Chair)
• Leasehold Reform – Peter Bottomley (Chair)
• Meningitis – Neil Carmichael (Chair)
• Mountain and Cave Rescue – Andrew Bingham (Chair)
• Photonics – Carol Monaghan (Chair)
• Psychoactive Substances and Volatile Substance Abuse – David Hanson (Chair)
• Self-Build, Custom and Community Housebuilding and Placemaking –  Richard Bacon (Chair)
• Somaliland – Clive Betts (Chair)
• Town Centres – Jim McMahon (Chair)
• Transatlantic Trade – John Spellar (Chair)

Devolved Institutions

• Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny committee: Ross Thomson (CON) joined; Alison Harris (CON) left.
• Delegated Powers and Law Reform committe: Alison Harris (CON) joined; Rachael Hamilton (CON) left.

• Jennifer McCann (Sinn Fein) MLA for West Belfast, has announced she will vacate her Assembly seat within the next few weeks.  On 1^st December a selection event will be held and a replacement chosen.

Local Government

• Sheena Ramsey has been chosen as the new chief executive to Gateshead Council. She will join the council in February 2017.
• Adrian Lythgo, chief executive of Kirklees Council will step down in February 2017. Jacqui Gedman will take over for 12 months.

European Parliament

This week the European Parliament will be sitting in Brussels for Committee meetings, Political Group meetings, and a meeting of the Conciliation Committee. MEPs will meet in Plenary on Wednesday and Thursday.

• Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament has announced that he will not seek re-election as President. He will instead seek election to the German National Parliament, the Bundestag.
• Alain Lamassoure and Mairead McGuinness, both of the European People’s Party have announced they will seek election as President of the Parliament.
• The election for President of the Parliament will take place in January 2017.
• Diane James has left the UK Independence Party and will now sit in the European Parliament as an independent.

Party News

• The new Leader of the UK Independence Party will be announced today.