At 9am today the Chairman of Ways and Means – the Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle will draw out the numbers of twenty MP’s who will be given priority in having time to debate a Bill of their choice. For the past two days all MP’s except Government Ministers have been able to enter this name into the Private Member’s Bill Ballot Book. This is a book with numbered rows in it and I just took the next space on the page the book was open at. I am number 138. The winners will be inundated with pressure groups wanting them to adopt their particular cause.
At the other end of the today’s business will be the final votes on the Queen’s Speech. Yesterday, the amendment tabled by the Labour Party was defeated by 300 votes to 263.
David Nuttall 