Joe Robertson MP has spoken from the despatch box of the House of Commons for the first time.
Speaking in his Shadow role for Culture, Media and Sport, which includes charities, Joe spoke on behalf of His Majesty’s Opposition – the Conservatives’ formal role in Parliament after losing the General Election in July.
Mr Robertson is the first of the new intake of 26 Conservative MPs to make a speech from the Opposition dispatch box which faces the Government on the left of the Speaker’s chair. It is where Kemi Badenoch faces Keir Starmer each week during Prime Minister’s Question Time.
The East Wight MP was responding to a backbench Private Members Bill, brought by Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife). The Bill seeks to abolish the limit on the money charities can raise through conducting their own lotteries.
The biggest and best-known example of a charity lottery is the People’s Postcode Lottery, and Mr Robertson named the Isle of Wight as an area that had benefitted from its fundraising activity. The National Lottery is not subject to the financial limits placed on charity lotteries by the Gambling Act.
While speaking, Mr Robertson who previously worked for Dementia UK, took the opportunity to urge the Government to do more to support charities generally to “compensate” them for the £1.4 billion it is estimated they will lose annually from the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions as set out in the Government’s Budget in October.
Joe Robertson MP said:
“The Government knows that [the rise of National Insurance] will damage the public services that charities deliver.
Article continues below this advertisement “That is why they exempted the NHS, but they provided no such exemption for charities delivering health and social care, charities supporting people who need housing, charities trying to lift people out of poverty, charities trying to cure disease, and charities supporting victims of violence against women and girls.”
Well done Mr Robertson.
Continuing to keep the Government aware of The Isle of Wight.
Thank you.
Anyone seen the other MP?
The other MP is a waste of space, the island
only needs one MP.
Joe is the one.
Where is the logic in that? The more MPs we have the more voice we have. Having one in each of the main parties gives us a voice across Parliament.
What if more voices = more lies!,
let’s face it, Politicians are professional liars!
Whatever happed to the extra £350 million a week they
promised us with their Brexit lies, not to mention the
40 new Hospitals.
I would become an MP,, but because I tell the truth
I am over qualified
ALSO PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TO HEAR THE TRUTH!
Why doesn’t the Government just increase
income tax, Job done, billions of pounds would be
raised and then they could also re-instate the
Winter fuel allowance.
What’s a couple of pence extra.
Looks like a massive turnout for his speech.
Bit like when a couple of HONEST MPs were
exposing the vaccine harms, the majority of
MPs left the room.
They know the truth, but are frightened to
speak out.
Cowards.