Today veteran Labour MP Paul Flynn, whom I worked for and with for over 30 years, announced his planned near-term retirement from Parliament, after 31 years in the House of Commons, due to increasing ill health ( he is 83). Paul has been the back- bencher’s back bencher, the scourge of the Executive (Tory, Coalition or New Labour Governments), whether in the chamber of the House of Commons or in the several select committees on which he served, inflicting many witnesses to forensic and unstinting scrutiny. Parliament will miss him greatly. I reproduce below a splendid speech he made in a Westminster Hall debate he initiated almost exactly 10 years ago. Despite the then Labour energy minister spitting that Paul’s “concoction of conspiracy theory, innuendo and hyperbole has reached new heights in the House.” Paul’s accusations turned out to be underestimates of the dissembling of the Government when Nuclear Management Partners were later sacked from their scandalously mismanaged contract for Sellafield.
David Lowry 25th Oct 2018 read more »
AFTER more than 31 years in Parliament, Newport West MP Paul Flynn has announced he will stand down “at the earliest possible opportunity” due to failing health.
South Wales Argus 25th Oct 2018 read more »