Latest news with #ReformAct
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Mhairi Black leaves SNP after disagreeing with party direction
Black admitted that she had ended her membership of the SNP in recent weeks because she was unhappy with the direction the party had taken. She told our sister title The Herald: 'Basically, for a long time I've not agreed with quite a few decisions that have been made. 'There have just been too many times when I've thought, 'I don't agree with what you've done there,' or the decision or strategy that has been arrived at. 'To be honest, I'm looking around thinking, 'There are better organisations that I could be giving a membership to than this one that I don't feel has been making the right decisions for quite some time.'' READ NEXT: Coke and cannabis found in black bags during 7.30am raid on Glasgow home READ NEXT: £5.9m railway bridge construction to close Glasgow line for major holiday Black singled out what she described as 'the capitulation on LGBT rights, trans rights in particular,' as an issue for her. 'I thought the party could be doing better about Palestine as well,' she added. 'So it was just a culmination of these things.' Going forward, she said she would seek to support organisations such as the Good Law Project which has directly campaigned on issues such as climate crisis and trans rights by mounting legal challenges. 'That's what I want to throw my money behind,' Black added. In 2015 Black was elected as MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, beating Labour's Douglas Alexander, then Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the process. Mhairi Black (Image: Colin Mearns) Black, who had made a name for herself during the independence campaign in 2014, was only 20 when she was elected, making her the youngest MP in the Commons since the 1832 Reform Act. Her maiden speech was watched 10 million times online. But her time in parliament also saw her receive death threats. At times she struggled with anxiety and depression and was forced to take time off from working in parliament at the end of 2017. She was also diagnosed with ADHD during her time as an MP. After successfully defending her seat in the 2017 and 2019 elections, Black announced that she would not be seeking re-election in 2023. Last August - just weeks after the General Election which saw Labour return to power - she performed a Fringe show entitled Politics Is Not For Me, in which she explained why she believed Westminster was a dysfunctional institution and not fit for purpose. Black is returning to the Fringe this August with a new work-in-progress show. It will not be solely focused on politics this time. But the former MP remains committed to the cause of independence, if not the party that seeks to deliver it. 'I'm still just as pro-independence, absolutely," Black said. 'If anything, I'm probably a bit more left-wing than I have been. 'I don't think I've changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more.' An [[SNP]] spokesperson said: 'The [[SNP]] is the largest political party in Scotland, united under John Swinney's vision of creating a better, fairer Scotland for everyone. 'After a year of disappointment and let downs from the UK Labour government, it's clear that real change will never come from Westminster and that independence is essential for a better future.'
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Mhairi Black leaves SNP after disagreeing with party direction
'Basically, for a long time I've not agreed with quite a few decisions that have been made,' Black told The Herald. 'There have just been too many times when I've thought, 'I don't agree with what you've done there,' or the decision or strategy that has been arrived at. 'To be honest, I'm looking around thinking, 'There are better organisations that I could be giving a membership to than this one that I don't feel has been making the right decisions for quite some time.'' Read More: Black singled out what she described as 'the capitulation on LGBT rights, trans rights in particular,' as an issue for her. 'I thought the party could be doing better about Palestine as well,' she added. 'So it was just a culmination of these things.' Going forward, she said she would seek to support organisations such as the Good Law Project which has directly campaigned on issues such as climate crisis and trans rights by mounting legal challenges. 'That's what I want to throw my money behind,' Black added. In 2015 Black was elected as MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, beating Labour's Douglas Alexander, then Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the process. Mhairi Black (Image: Colin Mearns) Black, who had made a name for herself during the independence campaign in 2014, was only 20 when she was elected, making her the youngest MP in the Commons since the 1832 Reform Act. Her maiden speech was watched 10 million times online. But her time in parliament also saw her receive death threats. At times she struggled with anxiety and depression and was forced to take time off from working in parliament at the end of 2017. She was also diagnosed with ADHD during her time as an MP. After successfully defending her seat in the 2017 and 2019 elections, Black announced that she would not be seeking re-election in 2023. Last August - just weeks after the General Election which saw Labour return to power - she performed a Fringe show entitled Politics Is Not For Me, in which she explained why she believed Westminster was a dysfunctional institution and not fit for purpose. Black is returning to the Fringe this August with a new work-in-progress show. It will not be solely focused on politics this time. But the former MP remains committed to the cause of independence, if not the party that seeks to deliver it. 'I'm still just as pro-independence, absolutely," Black said. 'If anything, I'm probably a bit more left-wing than I have been. 'I don't think I've changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more.' An [[SNP]] spokesperson said: 'The [[SNP]] is the largest political party in Scotland, united under John Swinney's vision of creating a better, fairer Scotland for everyone. 'After a year of disappointment and let downs from the UK Labour government, it's clear that real change will never come from Westminster and that independence is essential for a better future.' Mhairi Black will be discussing her life after Westminster and her fears for the future in an upcoming interview in The Herald Magazine.
Montreal Gazette
27-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Reform Act snub bad for Liberals — and for democracy
Op Eds At a caucus meeting on Sunday afternoon, the Liberal Party of Canada opted not to adopt the Reform Act. Brought in as an amendment to the Parliament of Canada Act in 2014, the Reform Act allows MPs in a parliamentary group that hold official party status (holding 12 or more seats) to vote on a series of measures at the beginning of a parliamentary session regarding internal caucus management. If adopted, the measures last the duration of the session. The most notable of the measures involves the power to initiate a leadership review. The Conservative caucus used this part of the act to remove then-leader Erin O'Toole in 2022. Given the tumult that rocked the Liberals in the closing period of Justin Trudeau's reign, the party's decision not to adopt this provision is notable. Indeed, most agree that Trudeau only stayed in power throughout the byelection losses in Liberal strongholds and declining polls of 2024 because no formal mechanism existed to force his removal, despite growing discontent within the Liberal caucus. It took the extraordinary events of Dec. 16, 2024 to force the longtime Liberal leader to consider his position. On that morning, with the fall economic statement to be tabled, then-finance minister Chrystia Freeland published a bombshell resignation letter criticizing the 'costly political gimmicks' it contained. With no finance minister in situ and therefore no one in a position to deliver the important fiscal update, Ottawa fell into chaos and Trudeau scrambled to shore up his position. It was the beginning of the end for a leader who had lost the confidence not just of Freeland, his closest political confidante, but also his caucus, many of whom feared their re-election was unlikely with Trudeau in charge. Trudeau finally announced his resignation on Jan. 6. Thus began the process that led to Mark Carney becoming prime minister and the saviour of the Liberals' electoral fortunes. It seems now — with a successful election in the rear-view mirror, Parliament resuming and a raft of problems to get to grips with — the newly elected Liberal government has forgotten about one major driver of the party's near-death experience before the unexpected alchemy of Donald Trump, tariffs and Carney resuscitated it. In the aftermath of Trudeau's resignation, Freeland campaigned to replace him partially on a policy of mandatory leadership reviews. 'We can never again be in a position where the leader is the only person who decides who the leader is,' she told the National Post. Why then have Liberal MPs now declined the opportunity to adopt the power to review the position of the leader? The Liberal caucus has apparently grown accustomed to being dominated by a strong leader. More broadly, party discipline in Canada is arguably the most rigid among comparable parliamentary democracies. Despite the Conservatives' adoption and use of the Reform Act in the past, the party remains under tight discipline. One reason for this is fear that the diverse array of regional and ideological concerns that populate Canada's big-tent parties will spill over into a dissonant and incoherent message that may dilute or undermine the party's core brand. Party leaders exert huge influence over MPs, utilizing the carrot and stick of speaking time, committee positions and — on the government side — cabinet portfolios to compel unity. Although this drive toward party unity is understandable, when applied as it is in Canada, the result contributes to a profound democratic deficit. MPs are habitually whipped, and not just to vote in party blocks for or against legislation. Increasingly, overbearing conformity of political communication dominates individual members' capacity to authentically advocate on behalf of their constituents both inside and outside the House of Commons. This serves to undermine the democratic mandate received by each MP by virtue of winning their riding. Politics remains the greasy pole described by the 19th century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli — hard to get to the top, and all too easy to plummet back down. Party leaders ought not be facilitated in using this fact to excessively control their parliamentary caucuses. The Liberal party recently learned what can happen when a sitting PM views the caucus as subject to his pleasure, rather than his position being tenable only based on his maintenance of their confidence. It is a shame that they have opted to forget this lesson.
National Observer
27-05-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Even after the Justin Trudeau fallout, Liberal MPs still reject Reform Act rules
Liberal MPs voted against adopting a formal process to eject their leader should the need arise, newly elected Liberal Caucus Chair James Maloney confirmed on Sunday. A majority of the caucus voted down a motion to adopt the rules set out under the decade-old Reform Act. That law was originated by Conservative MP Michael Chong to embolden individual MPs to hold their party leaders to account by allowing them to force leadership reviews, among other things. But Maloney refused to say anything more about the vote or the secret deliberations, insisting that should all remain private. 'The Reform Act was voted down,' Maloney said after the Liberals met for their first caucus meeting since the April 28 election. 'What happens in caucus stays in caucus, and you're going to hear me say that today, and tomorrow and every day going forward.' The internal debate was prompted by Liberal MPs who were frustrated former leader Justin Trudeau was able to remain at the helm despite numerous calls from within caucus for him to step aside. Adopting the Reform Act rules would have given Liberal MPs a road map for such situations. That's how the Conservatives ousted Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Conservatives lost the 2021 election. The rules let a fifth of the party's MPs move to trigger a leadership review. Then, a majority vote would be required to eject the leader. Liberal MPs refused to talk about the outcome following their meeting on Sunday, but a few chimed in beforehand to share how they personally felt. Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull said he had planned to support adopting the rules because it's "important to have caucus accountability in every party." But Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma MP Terry Sheehan said he doesn't see the need for the new rules, which his party has never adopted. "I've come in with a pre-set mind that I will not be supporting the Reform Act because we don't need to. Our caucus is strong," he said. "Behind those doors right there, that's our caucus and we can let our hair down any time and have frank and open discussions." Prime Minister Mark Carney rallied his Liberal caucus Sunday afternoon with a speech that laid out his governing agenda for the re-opening of Parliament. The Liberals briefly let the TV cameras and reporters into their first caucus meeting since winning the April 28 election to watch Carney address his new colleagues. Carney said his government's immediate focus will be on affordability measures, such as quickly passing the tax cut he promised during the campaign. From dealing with a chaotic White House to building up the economy, he set the stakes high for his new MPs. "Our government has been elected to do nothing less than define a new economic and security relationship with the United States," he said. "Canadians also want their life to become more affordable. They want their communities safer. We will deliver these mandates with urgency and determination. We are going to get going from minute one." Carney said his ministers will immediately introduce legislation to fast-track infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest and bring in a bill to eliminate all federal barriers to free trade in Canada. Parliament returns on Monday to elect a new Speaker for the House of Commons, followed by a throne speech on Tuesday to be delivered by King Charles III. Carney promised his government would move at a brisk pace with "one of the most busy returns to Parliament in Canadian history." Parliament, however, is only scheduled to sit for a month before a pre-scheduled summer break until September, and the new government has not made time to table its budget until fall. Still, Carney said his minority government team will be "very, very busy" in not just the coming weeks, but also over the next few years, and accomplish things "previously thought impossible at speeds not seen in generations." The previous minority Parliament found itself gridlocked for months last year amid procedural obstructions, and the Trudeau government had largely failed to pass legislation or advance much of its agenda in its waning days in office. Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said he has spoken to the House leaders of all the opposition parties and is hoping for a reset in relations in the new Parliament. "We are a minority government, so that obviously means that we need to attract support from all sides of the House to get anything done," he said. "At the same time, we believe very, very clearly that Canadians have given us a mandate, and I think it will be incumbent on all parties to respond to that mandate."
National Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Michael Higgins: Liberal caucus submits to Carney as it did to Trudeau
Contrary to what many in the West believe, some countries dislike democracy, preferring the strongman, the firm ruler, the dictator. Article content Article content So it is with the Liberals who have shunned accountability and democracy in favour of the autocratic leader. Article content Considering the problems the Liberals had with the last guy, it must be the case that some turkeys really do vote for Christmas. Article content Article content On Sunday, a majority of the Liberal caucus voted down a motion to adopt the rules set out in the Reform Act, a decade old law to give MPs more power. Article content Article content One of the central planks of the Reform Act would give caucus members the right to trigger a review of the party leader. Article content The private bill sponsored by Conservative Michael Chong passed its third reading in the House in 2014 with an impressive 260 votes for with only 17 against. Article content At the time, Chong said, 'I don't expect that all the rules will be adopted all at once, but in the long run, party caucuses will democratize themselves and empower themselves.' Article content After each federal election, parties vote on whether to adopt Reform Act rules or not. Article content The Liberals, despite overwhelmingly voting in favour of the act, have always chosen not to adopt it. Article content But the failure not to vote for it this time is baffling. Article content Former Liberal leader Justin Trudeau refused to relinquish power and attempts to get him to go bordered on the farcical. Article content During a caucus meeting last October, a letter from MPs was read to Trudeau urging him to step aside. The letter was signed by two dozen Liberal MPs, but such is the fear ingrained in MPs that the letter presented to Trudeau at the caucus meeting did not contain any names. Article content Article content Trudeau responded defiantly within 24 hours saying that he would be leading the Liberals into the next election. Article content Article content Many Liberal MPs critical of Trudeau preferred to remain anonymous with New Brunswick MP Wayne Long being one of the few who was open and vocal. Article content The calls within the party for Trudeau to go kept getting louder and yet the prime minister held on to power tenaciously, gripping it with his fingernails as events tried to prise him from it. By December, a majority of his caucus was demanding he resign; then Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland quit cabinet and with a twist of the knife accused Trudeau of 'political gimmicks,' and perhaps most damning was the lack of public support, the approval rating for Trudeau was at an all-time low and support for the Liberals stood at a mere 16 per cent. Article content In the face of all this, Trudeau went skiing and it wasn't until January that he bowed to the inevitable.
