Government blocks EU transparency bill.

Government whips quashed an excellent ten minute rule bill introduced by Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean and one of the most talented young members of the Tory front bench team. Breaking with normal practice, Government Ministers were ordered to oppose the Bill, although it had cross-party support. Mark said, “The aim of my Bill was simple: to improve openness and transparency in the way our laws are made. It is extraordinary that the Government are opposed to openness and transparency. It makes you wonder what they have got to hide. My Bill was not about being for or against the European Union, but about ensuring that there is transparency and accountability in Parliament’s relationship with the EU. I had hoped that my Bill would have enabled a more informed debate about the EU and Britain’s relationship with it. Sadly the government seems to have other ideas."