Lynne's Parliament and Haringey diary

PMQs - same old, same old. Bear pit behaviour - no score draw between Blair and Cameron - but Ming was really on form. It was on Iraq - and of course this is home territory for Ming and where he is at his best. Still - despite the barrage of suggestions that our military presence might be part of the problem rather than the solution - Blair is only conceding that 'of course they want to bring the troops home as early as possible - but not until the job is done'. When is 'done'?

The debate today is the second day of Modernising Company Law Bill and I sat in to listen to the part that I have had most correspondence from local constituents on - that is the section about regulation and audit for companies with regard to their ethical behaviour in purchase, behaviour and sales.

The Labour Government dropped some rules in this regard a little while back - and the amendments today are to try and introduce a wider remit for what is now called Business Review - a requirement to report on a variety of ethical behaviour issues.

The amendments widened that remit to include reporting and revealing things like the supply chain - for who a company buys from is just as important in terms of how ethical or not that company is as its own direct behaviour.

Sadly, the so-called Labour rebels withdrew their amendment on this before the vote. Our amendment was on bringing a formal audit to the Business Review - alone in the lobbies with the moral high ground as usual - we lost the vote. The debate continues.

Big lobby on Parliament today by the sub post office masters with the largest petition ever presented - something like four million. Not surprised - as per my entry on Monday it was down to the Lib Dems to bring a debate on the Post Office to the floor of the House of Commons as the Government won't even give it debating time - let alone save the sub-post offices that remain after decimation under both Labour and Tory governments.

Labels: iraq, ming campbell, pmqs, post offices