Blog Profile / Deborah McGurran
| URL : | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/correspondents/deborahmcgurran/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Politics / UK Politics | |
| Posts on Regator: | 188 | |
| Posts / Week: | 1.9 | |
| Archived Since: | July 6, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
Loophole blamed for spoiling village
A Northamptonshire village is being over-run by random housing development, according to the local MP who blames the government's new planning policies. Conservative Philip Hollobone told MPs that a loophole in the national planningShow More Summary
Europe: Tory unity under scrutiny
"The Conservative Party has never been more united on Europe than it is now," declares Peter Bone. Yes, he is the man behind the the EU referendum amendment to the Queen's Speech and yes, that's the amendment hailed as proof that the...Show More Summary
Conservative/UKIP joint ticket idea
Could we see MPs from the eastern region standing on a joint Conservative/UKIP ticket come the next election? That intriguing prospect is being mulled over by several of our MPs as they ponder the impact of the local election results. We...Show More Summary
UKIP chooses party leader in Norfolk
The UK Independence Party does not have many household names in the eastern region but Richard "Toby" Coke could soon become one of them. The former Scots Guardsman is now member for Gayton and Nar Valley, one of 14 new UKIP councillors on Norfolk County Council. Show More Summary
Cambridgeshire Tories lose control
In an extraordinary election the Conservatives have lost control of Cambridgeshire for the first time in 16 years. The Lib Dems said they were hopeful of gains across the county in what is traditionally a Lib Dem versus Conservative battleground. Show More Summary
Delay for rail franchises
Simon Burns said what everyone else in the room was probably thinking: "It's a mess, its unacceptable and it should never happen again." The minister for railways was giving evidence to the Transport Select Committee about the plansShow More Summary
A country called Europe
A country called Europe is emerging on our doorstep, according to Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom, and it has deep implications for our democracy. The South Northamptonshire MP is on a mission to keep Great Britain sovereign. A founding...Show More Summary
Warm applause for Dalai Lama visit
He's 77 years old and he says he's retired from political engagement. But the Dalai Lama is still revered wherever he goes. Hundreds of students in Cambridge heard him preach his message of peace when he addressed a conference in the...Show More Summary
Miliband campaigns using soap box
It was during the general election of 1992 that John Major discovered the value of a soap box. Now, 21 years on, the man who hopes to be our next Prime Minister is using the same idea. Ed Miliband took to a soap box beside the Guildhall...Show More Summary
Tributes to the Iron Lady
The former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, has died aged 87. The first woman to run the country was famous for introducing the "right to buy" council houses (1980), the 1982 Falklands War, the 1984 miners strike and in 1990, the poll tax. Show More Summary
Green Party hits out at welfare cuts
This region is one of the Green Party's centres of power. They have six county councillors in Norfolk, so it's no surprise the party's leader, Natalie Bennett, has come to Norwich to launch its campaign for the county council elections. Ms Bennett's visit included seeing the city's food bank. Show More Summary
Farage packs them in
There can't be many senior politicians who are able to pack a hall on a freezing, snowy night and then, when the meeting's over, roll into the local pub and hold fort at the bar for the next hour and a half. Step forward, Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party. It was standing room only at the Brandon Community Hall in Suffolk. Show More Summary
Boost for science in the east
The budget may have been low on specifics but it is already clear that one part of the region is going to do very well out of the Chancellor. We understand that a large part of the £1.6 billion pounds announced for research and development...Show More Summary
Cambridge confirmed as world leader
Vince Cable faced a diary clash; he could either go to the West Country to make a major aerospace funding announcement with the Deputy Prime Minister, or he could launch Cambridge Business Week. "I decided to come here not just for sentimental...Show More Summary
Praise for Uttlesford's cost-cutting
When Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis talks to councils about cutting costs and being more efficient he has a number of examples from the east which he likes to quote. He tells them about Breckland in Norfolk, which shares its...Show More Summary
Green Party's birthday conference
A group of friends gathering in a Warwickshire pub, inspired to save the planet by an article in "playboy" magazine, was the unlikely beginning of the modern day Green Party. No one would have predicted they'd still be here 40 yearsShow More Summary
Right and left united over tax
It's a first for the Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland - but not one that you would expect. Mr McPartland is the first Conservative MP to have an article published in the left wing newspaper the Morning Star. This may have come as a surprise...Show More Summary
Boris identifies Stansted potential
Boris Johnson's plans for dealing with airport capacity in the South East have been variously described by his critics as "far fetched", "hare-brained", "insane" and "not commercially viable". But you would fail to take the Mayor ofShow More Summary
Eastern road schemes move forward
Everyone involved in planning will tell you that when it comes to getting road schemes built you need the patience of a saint. First you need to drum up support for the idea, then you need to persuade someone to fund a proper study. Even...Show More Summary
Norfolk council leader quits
It was probably best summed up by the President of the Norfolk Labour party. "There is nothing like a swift and bloody coup and the Tories do it so ruthlessly" tweeted Steve Morphew, minutes after we broke the news of the resignation...Show More Summary