Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Theresa May and Brexit
Theresa May to face grilling on Brexit by group of powerful MPs
The Prime
Minister will appear before the Parliamentary Liaison Committee chaired
by Remain supporting Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston.
Theresa May will appear before the Liaison Committee of MPs
By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent
Theresa May is
rounding off 2017 at Westminster with a potentially gruelling
interrogation on Brexit by some of the most senior and powerful MPs in
the Commons.
The Prime Minister is appearing before the Liaison
Committee of MPs for the first time in a year and will be quizzed on
Brexit, health and social care, tackling inequality and sexual
harassment. Coming just hours before Parliament breaks up for
Christmas, her appearance marks the end of a tumultuous year in which
opposition MPs and some in her own party have predicted her demise. After
calling a general election she insisted she wouldn't, losing her
Commons majority and then enduring a disastrous party conference speech,
many MPs forecast she would not survive until Christmas. And although she bounced back with the early-morning Brexit deal she clinched in Brussels 10 days ago, last week she was rocked by a damaging Tory rebellion and Government defeat in the Commons. The
Liaison Committee, made up of the MPs who chair Commons select
committees, is headed by Dr Sarah Wollaston - one of the 11 "Remainer"
Conservative MPs who rebelled last week.
Dr Sarah Wollaston is the chair of the powerful Liaison Committee
Announcing the agenda for the Liaison Committee hearing with the PM, Dr Wollaston - who like many of the other rebels has suffered abuse since last week - said: "These hearings will examine important areas of domestic policy. "Given
that this session follows such a significant EU Council meeting and
recent events in Parliament, on this occasion will start with a focus on
Brexit negotiations and transitionary arrangements. :: Brexit: Has Britain left the EU yet? :: Where do Cabinet members stand on Brexit? "The
committee will also be asking about sustainable long-term funding for
health and social care and explore progress since the Prime Minister's
pledge on the steps of Downing Street to fight burning injustices. "Whilst
making sure that Parliament gets its own house in order when it comes
to tackling sexual harassment, we must not lose sight of the impact of
this in many different workplaces and we plan to raise this with the
Prime Minister to ask about her plans." Another EU (Withdrawal)
Bill rebel, Nicky Morgan, is also a member of the Liaison Committee. But
so too are two of Westminster's most hardline Tory Euro-sceptics and
"hard Brexit" campaigners, Sir William Cash and Bernard Jenkin.
The PM's end-of-term appearance before the committee, which follows
her final PMQs of 2017, comes exactly a year since she was last in front
of the committee, on 20 December 2016.
At that hearing, Mrs May;
Promised to set out her vision for Brexit in a big speech in the new year, which she then did at Lancaster House
Pledged to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017, which she achieved
Defended the inclusion of overseas students in net migration figures, which she has not done yet
And
refused to say if Parliament would get a vote on the final Brexit deal,
which she has now been forced to do after last week's Commons defeat
On
health and social care, the PM is likely to be challenged on the lack
of announcements in Philip Hammond's Budget on 22 November. On social mobility, she is likely to be quizzed on the
resignation of former Labour Cabinet minister Alan Milburn as head of
the Social Mobility Commission and his criticism of her record. In
his resignation letter, Mr Milburn told the Prime Minister: "I do not
doubt your personal belief in social justice, but I see little evidence
of that being translated into meaningful action." Mr Milburn said
the Government was "understandably focused on Brexit and does not seem
to have the necessary bandwidth to ensure that the rhetoric of healing
social division is matched with the reality."
MP Justine Greening explains the real reason behind Alan Milburn's resignation
The Government's progress on social mobility has also been attacked
by Mrs May's former joint chief of staff, Nick Timothy, in a column in
The Sun newspaper this week. Mr Timothy said Education Secretary
Justine Greening's Social Mobility Action Plan, published last week, was
disappointing and claimed: "Greening is slowing down successful
policies she inherited." Questions to the PM on sexual harassment
come as the Cabinet Office inquiry reports into allegations against
First Secretary of State Damian Green is expected any time now.
Even if Mr Green is cleared, it has been reported that he could
face another inquiry, this time by the Parliamentary Commissioner for
Standards, Kathryn Hudson, under new powers given to her. The
Prime Minister is expected to tell the Liaison Committee that the Leader
of the Commons, Andrea Leadsom, is leading a cross-party effort to
improve procedures in Parliament.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
