Steve Pound Proxy Weblog

Some good advice for prospective MP bloggers, from Tom Watson's excellent site.

It's worth mentioning that Steve Pound writes a weekly column for our local paper, the Ealing Gazette. An archive of his articles are available on this section of his official site.

The most recent article is on the situation in Darfur, and provides an illuminating, if depressing, explanation of how the disaster has developed.

For many good examples of Steve Pound's "voluble" debating style, see this debate on new clause 1 of the Human Tissue Bill.

From a debate on the European Constition, 21st June 2004:

Sometimes, I look at this nation and despair. When the Conservative Benches ring with the inchoate fury and synthetic outrage designed solely to appease a party led by an orange-skinned, Spanish-resident escapee from the dregs of daytime television whose one-word manifesto is no, I despair. In the case of the various factions masquerading as an Opposition—

At this point he was interrupted by the speaker, calling for order. I do rather agree with Mr Pound though. Full text here.

Steve Pound has a lovely way with words. See, for instance , this extract from a question put to Hazel Blears (MP and Home Office Minister), on the subject of binge drinking:

Stephen Pound:

To what extent his Department is working with the alcohol industry to deal with the binge drinking culture.

Hazel Blears

We are working closely with the alcohol industry to tackle binge drinking and the crime and antisocial behaviour it causes. That is a priority area for us and last Friday the police standards unit launched an enforcement drive across the country to try to address it.

Stephen Pound

There may be some who doubt that I am wholly objective on this subject, but God loves a sinner who repenteth and I hope that the House will be similarly indulgent. I thank my hon. Friend for a typically concise, helpful and positive response. In that Las Vegas of drinking that is central Ealing, night after night people move from being verbose to jocose to bellicose to lachrymose, and end up comatose. In the intervening period, they do great damage to themselves and the environment, especially as so many of them are young people not legally entitled to drink. Will my hon. Friend tell me whether her discussions with the industry have included discussing the appalling issue of under-age drinking?

The full text is here.

Comments from Steve Pound during the debate on the Civil Contingencies Bill, New Clause 2 — Emergency Public Education And Training Board:

"...On the occasion of the purple powder-packed prophylactic projectile, everyone's natural instinct was to flee, when it would have been logical to stay and die for one's country and avoid spreading the problem. It is that measure of seriousness. How on earth can we educate people that it is better to stay and die than to go and spread the problem? That will be difficult. With the best will in the world, it will be beyond websites."

Nice alliteration. For the whole text containing all of Steve Pound's comments, and to see the full context of the debate, click here.

A link to a transcript of Steve Pound's speech in the Registrars and Civil Marriages debate (Thursday 13th May 2004).

An extract:

Sham or bogus marriages are entered into by coercion, threats, bribes or other mechanisms, almost entirely for the purpose of remaining in the United Kingdom when all normal citizenship application mechanisms have failed. The problem is especially prevalent in London and the south-east, but it is certainly not unique to our part of the world. In fact, of the 80,000 ceremonies conducted annually, the Society of Registration Officers, the professional body that represents registrars throughout England and Wales—I am delighted that its patron, my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) is here today and can attest to the scale of the problem—estimates that one in five marriages celebrated, if that is the word, in a register office are bogus.

Here is an interesting list detailing in which votes Steve Pound voted against his parties majority. This caught my eye:

"I beg to move,

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to a Bill which, by establishing Foundation Trusts and introducing other layers of bureaucracy, would increase disparities between hospitals and detract from the Government's commitment to a primary care led NHS, free from excessive bureaucracy, and believes that alternative ways of encouraging accountability in the NHS should be considered and a consensus established before legislation is introduced."

Steve Pound agreed, the Labour majority did not.

From The Guardian Diary, 9th July 2004:

"Richard Littlejohn, entertaining friends in a private room at Westminster restaurant Shepherds on Wednesday, to mark the occasion of his being axed by Sky on the basis of poor ratings and the station's Isleworth canteen simply buckling under the pressure. Guests included Amanda Platell, my so-called rival at the Times, Little Alan Duncan, David Davis, Steve Pound and Rory Bremner - so heaven knows who Jay Leno made do with that day. Everyone was invited to perform a turn, with Steve giving his Tony Benn and Little Alan his Ali G."

Sounds to me like the author was a little put out at not being invited. Although why anyone would want to attend an event where Richard Littlejohn is present is beyond me.

Hello. First of all, let me make it clear that this is *not* the official website for Steve Pound, MP for Ealing North. You can find the official site here: www.steve-pound.org.uk.

I decided to set up this site after reading this article: www.bloggerheads.com/mps_weblogs.asp, and after two emails that I sent to Steve Pound suggesting that a weblog can be a very effective communication tool went unanswered. My intention is for this site to be a source of information about my local MP, as well as a forum for discussion of relevant issues. Comments and suggestions are welcome.