MP Claire Perry has rejected Labour’s “Zombie parliament” description of its forthcoming final year and welcomed major positive proposals for pensions reform and huge investment in road improvements.
The Devizes constituency MP, who is a government assistant whip, says the only way the Zombie adjective fits could be “the appearance of members after a late-night sittings when we could be seen to resemble the famous thriller video as we shuffle through the lobbies.”
And she describes the government’s programme set out in the Queen’s Speech as “an active and robust programme” to secure Britain’s recovery as part of a long-term economic plan.
“The centrepiece of the programme is the Bill to change the pension system that will give people who work hard and do the right thing more security in their retirement,” 50-year-old Mrs Perry writes in her local paper column.
“The speech also included measures to help families with the cost of childcare, to protect some of the most vulnerable workers from exploitation, to tackle serious crime and to fight modern slavery.”
And she adds: “A hugely welcomed announcement was the plan to make the biggest investment in roads since the 1970s, which can’t come too soon for those who, like me, have to dodge the potholes on the rapidly deteriorating Everleigh to Upavon road.”
Mrs Perry, who has been campaigning for a Conservative victory in the Newark by-election today (Thursday), welcomes too support for small businesses and the boost in house building.
“Smaller but important initiatives are to improve the complaints system in the Armed Forces, implement charging for plastic bags and to deliver proper recall measures to errant MPs can be bought to account,” she declares.
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