Richard Benyon's Westminster Diary, June 30, 2010
Richard Benyon MP • Published 30 Jun 2010 09:30
0 Comments
LAST WEEK started with a 48-hour trip to Agadir in Morocco for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission.
I was there to fight for Britain’s long held opposition to commercial whaling. For the first time in years there was a threat to end a 26 year ban. I have always been against the commercial exploitation of these magnificent creatures, but the more I learn about how whales are actually killed the more determined I am about keeping the ban.
My first foray into international negotiations was fascinating and I am glad to say, with the help of an excellent team of officials, ultimately successful. My pretty moderate French was tested in the extreme. The IWC is a pretty dysfunctional organisation and I left thinking that there must be a better way of dealing with such an important environmental matter.
I missed the Budget in Parliament but it has been much on my mind ever since. No-one goes into politics to inflict pain but painful choices have to be taken when a Government faces this level of economic problems. This is a real challenge for the new coalition. A genuine meeting of minds has been achieved with measures to protect those on low incomes and to support businesses coming from both parties.
Sometimes Budgets are remote events which seem to have little impact on people’s lives. Not so this one. I have in mind so many people, businesses and communities in West Berkshire for whom this was massively important.
If the tough choices had been ducked, by the end of this Parliament the Government would be spending £70 billion of everyone’s money each year just to pay the interest on our debt. This means higher interest rates and mortgages, more unemployment and a tougher time, in particular, for those on lowest incomes.
On Thursday I took part in DEFRA questions in Parliament. Standing at the dispatch box answering challenging questions on every aspect of my ministerial responsibilities does tend to concentrate the mind. The brass fittings on the corners of the box are worn paper thin by the sweaty palms of cohorts of ministers and prime ministers. A very telling demonstration of the reality of being accountable to Parliament
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Opinion archives.
