22/01/2011
A look behind the scenes at Westminster.
Elinor Goodman looks behind the scenes at Westminster.
The week began with the Government unveiling major plans to legislate on health service provision and devolving power to local neighbourhoods.
It ended on a much less worthy but dramatic note, with two resignations: the Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson and the Prime Minister's Director of Communications Andy Coulson.
Conservative MP George Eustice worked as an adviser for David Cameron in opposition, Chris Leslie is a member of the Shadow Treasury team, and Lord Oakshott speaks for the Liberal Democrats on Treasury matters in the House of Lords.
What, according to them, will be the aftermath of these events?
Radical reform of public services was something Tony Blair, on his own admission, left unfinished. This week's Government announcement of a bill to devolve power to GPs over health budgets has many detractors. Stephen Dorrell, a former Conservative Health Secretary, now chair of the Commons Select Committee on Health, discusses the path to radical reform with Baroness Sally Morgan, an adviser to Tony Blair when he was pushing through his reforms.
All of a sudden war has broken out in the House of Lords over the Referendum and Constituencies Bill. Instead of using the "usual channels" for negotiating compromises, peers have engaged in tactics normally reserved for the House of Commons. Baroness Liddell (Labour) and Lord Tyler (Liberal Democrat) explain what they've been up to.
And tweeting -is it acceptable to tweet during debates in the House of Commons? Labour MP Kevin Brennan, who objected this week to a fellow MP tweeting during a debate, explains why.
Last on
Chapters
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What a week!
Johnson and Coulson resigned, Blair was back at the Iraq Inquiry. George Eustice, former adviser to David Cameron, Lib Dem Lord Oakeshott and Labour front bencher Chris Leslie look back at the week.
Duration: 08:15
Lords' war of attrition
Peers debated through the night this week in a war of attrition over voting reform. We started by asking two peers Helen Liddell and Paul Tyler how were they were coping with the lack of sleep?
Duration: 09:45
NHS reform
We ask Baroness Sally Morgan and Conservative chairman of the health select committee, Stephen Dorrell if David Cameron is right in thinking that the lesson of Tony Blair is not to delay NHS reform.
Duration: 06:40
Tweeting in the chamber
Are MPs allowed to tweet in the Commons chamber? We asked Labour MP Kevin Brennan who this week objected to one of Lib Dem Julian Huppert鈥檚 tweets made during a debate.
Duration: 02:52
Broadcast
- Sat 22 Jan 2011 11:00大象传媒 Radio 4
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The Week in Westminster
Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster