Week in Review: Fear and loathing in Westminster - politics.co.uk

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Scrappy week. No lead story but plenty of bad feelings. The Tories came out on top, easily. They were positively jubilant. The Lib Dems didn't do badly at all. And Labour got hammered. The Conservatives kicked off July 2013 much the same way they kicked off July 2008: demanding a tax break for married couples. It's a poisonous policy which most conservative commentators can't bring themselves to support. The majority of married couples wouldn't qualify and those that do would get a measly £150 a year. Nothing to be sniffed at, it's true, but a low enough limit to suggest that Tory MPs are for once genuinely demeaning the institution of marriage. Much more importantly, the losers would be front page fodder for the tabloids. Picture her: the young child whose father left her and her mum. And with him went that £150 tax break. Not only does little Jennifer lose her father, she loses that tax break too. Or the family on the breadline, financially sunk by the death of a parent, that last £150 forcing them to soup kitchens. It's madness. Political suicide. George Osborne recognises that. David Cameron surely must, but has convinced himself otherwise. Over the weekend, an Ipsa leak suggested the watchdog was going to propose a whopping £10,000 pay increase for MPs. It was the kind of political manoeuvre which would make the married couples tax allowance look safe. No party leader or MP can openly support it, especially given the one per cent cap on pay rises in the public sector. But deep in Westminster, and indeed among many journalists and members of the business community, it's considered necessary. No-one can really do anything about Ipsa's recommendation, given that MPs set it up as an independent body in the wake of the expenses scandal. That's turned into a bit of a double-edged sword. The public aren't really aware of Ipsa and only skim headlines on these matters, so parliamentarians have been roundly condemned for something they didn't really propose. Don't feel too sorry for them, though. An anonymous survey of MPs earlier this year found they wanted an even higher pay rise than the one suggested by the expenses watchdog. They didn't quite make their bed, but it does bear a passing similarity to what they wanted. Nick Clegg was still trying to map out some political space for himself. He's got the weekly LBC call-in show under his belt and he added to it with a monthly press conference. The broadcasters stuck with it for about five minutes, then got bored and gave up, but the deputy prime minister actually gave some pretty interesting answers to a wide variety of questions. His response to a Politics.co.uk question on Ukip saw the two parties end up in a bit of a spat. Ed Miliband got himself embroiled in the worst scandal of his time as leader, after Unite the union reportedly stuffed the candidate selection list in Falkirk with its own people. His war of words with leader Len McCluskey grew more ugly by the moment and there was the dim sense that he was on the verge of undertaking a full review of the party's relationship with unions. The Labour leader will be banking on the idea that the public are angrier about Dave getting his donations from the minted rather than Miliband getting them from union members. Time will tell. This was a good week for the Tories. They narrowed down their sights on the McClusky connection and won big by the time Thursday came. Election coordinator and phone-hacking hero Tom Watson stood down with a resignation letter dripping in sarcasm. The jubilation got a bit much for the Tories by the time Friday came and the Commons was treated to the rare sight of a packed Chamber for a private members bill. James Wharton, the Bryl-creamed teenage MP lucky enough to be presenting the bill, gave a good account of himself. He was confident, witty and held the Chamber competently. Douglas Alexander, Labour's shadow foreign secretary, performed admirably in impossible circumstances. And William Hague proved himself to be the Common's top stand-up comic, gleefully twisting Labour's contorted policy position with grand comic effect. Cameron laughed along with the rest of them, but every so often you could make out a trace of nervous uncertainty in his eyes. "This bill is not being brought forward because Tory MPs trust the public - it's because they don’t trust their leader," Alexander said, pointing violently at Cameron and Osborne on the government benches. "When will they release the Downing Street one? He's sitting there on the front bench like a hostage." Cameron had a good week, but the truth of that line will last longer than the cheers in the Commons Chamber. Best of news... Clegg backs Sainsbury's checkout girl over mobile phone row Nick Clegg has expressed "sneaking sympathy" for the Sainsbury's checkout girl who refused to serve a customer until she stopped talking on her mobile phone. 'Utterly incompetent': Bercow savages Philip Hammond John Bercow has unleashed what was arguably his most brutal attack on a minister yet, after he dressed down the defence secretary and branded him "utterly incompetent". Lights out? UK's cannabis farms could be left in the dark Life is about to get much harder for Britain's cannabis farmers, as Ofgem takes steps to force electricity suppliers to take action on stolen electricity. Mandy's HS2 intervention could leave Cameron isolated David Cameron faced the prospect of being left isolated on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project, after an intervention by Peter Mandelson suggested Labour could be about to turn against the idea. Across the world, women know less about politics than men Women across the world know less about politics and current affairs than their male counterparts, even under the most progressive gender equality regimes. No more 'acting on a hunch' as stop-and-search shakeup goes nationwide The coalition is taking another step towards ending discriminatory stop-and-search powers today, after pilot schemes confirmed the controversial practice has been unfair and inefficient. Channel 4 to show Muslim call to prayer in 'provocative' move Channel 4 plans to show the Muslim morning and evening call to prayer every day during Ramadan, it has announced. Best of Comment and Analysis Comment: Alicia Keys' Tel Aviv gig shows her progressive politics are just skin deep Anyone who really cared about progressive causes could not bring themselves to perform in an apartheid state. Tom Watson's resignation letter in full Labour's general election coordinator Tom Watson has resigned from the shadow Cabinet. Here's his sarcasm-laden resignation letter in full... Comment: A law made by men for men A debate over whether trans people are committing 'deception' by not informing sexual partners of their former gender has opened up a legal Pandora's Box. Comment: Bercow's wild attacks on ministers are missing the point John Bercow's petty wars against government ministers are damaging his authority and missing the point. He needs to stop the sneering and concentrate on a much bigger prize. PMQs verdict: Labour bludgeoned into submission Unite's alleged machinations in Falkirk left Ed Miliband defenceless and vulnerable - and David Cameron showed no mercy as he brutally rammed his advantage down the Labour party's throat. The ban on Khat is irrational and preposterous The World Health Organisation, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Home Office itself say it should be legal - but Theresa May knows better. Comment: Our worst grooming cases are rooted in the culture of rural Pakistan The enduring rural custom of 'izzat' which underpins many British Pakistani communities is responsible for forced marriage and honour killings. And it is to blame for our worst grooming cases, too. Comment: Stop-and-search is another unintended consequence of our cannabis laws Police are encouraged to search young people for drugs because it's easier to solve than serious crimes. Comment: How our medical rules cost a teenage girl her life Chloë Drury died one month after her 18th birthday, having been denied a new treatment for her bone cancer. This is her story. Comment: The married couples' tax break is a policy for the 1950s The Tories want to reduce support to children with divorced parents, so it can reward those who live in domestic bliss. What kind of policy is this? Comment: Nick Clegg's liberal elitism is why so many of us joined Ukip Wrong on gay marriage, wrong on human rights and wrong on drugs: I know which version of the past I prefer. WATCH: Nigel Farage tells Croatians 'you've sold out your country' Nigel Farage's latest European Parliamentary tirade sees him attack the European political class and Croatia's entry into the EU. Sketch: Clegg reinvents the press conference Here's a novel idea: a group of journalists in a room, asking a politician questions. Comment: Don't pay MPs a penny more If MPs live the life of the rich, they will have the priorities of the rich. The political week online The Political Week Online: Bercow's put downs & Watson's playlists The Speaker gets tough, the phone-hacking hero gets musical and the Home Office gets a bit Golden Dawn. Next week in politics Week in Westminster: July 8th - 12th The Week in Westminster: July 1st - July 5th	BFAWU video: Why join our trade union? BFAWU: No more Bedroom Tax deaths Benefit Justice campaigners everywhere are sad and bitter at the heartbreaking death of Stephanie Bottrill. The Government's attack on benefits must not be allowed to kill another person. Britain’s Sexual Revolution - a talk by Dr Matt Cook Galha, the LGBT section of the BHA presents a special meeting to mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. NASUWT: Parents, teachers and the public rally for education As part of a campaign to defend the education of children and young people, parents, teachers, headteachers, governors and other members of the public will be taking part on Saturday (11 May) in the next series of Rallies for Education following the hugely successful events in the North West on 27 April. Voice calls on Nick Clegg to stand firm and block adult-child ratio changes Voice: the union for education professionals – which represents nursery staff and nannies – has welcomed reports that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will block changes to adult-child ratios in childcare. CIOB: Skills shortages still a concern for faltering construction industry Results from the 2013 skills audit from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) indicate that the construction industry is still suffering from skills shortages. IET on Queen's Speech: Commitment needed for entire HS2 route A lack of commitment from the Government for the entire route of the HS2 line means that this vital infrastructure project risks being developed in isolation, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has warned. NUT on Queen’s Speech: Many teachers "in despair" Commenting on today’s Queen’s Speech, setting out the programme of Government legislation, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said: NASUWT on Queen's Speech: Mesothelioma bill welcome Commenting on the announcement within the Queen’s Speech that the Government intends to bring forward a Mesothelioma Bill before Parliament, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union said. “This announcement is welcome in that it is at least as sign that historic exposure to asbestos is at last being taken seriously." ESRC: How family conflict affects children New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) reveals why some children are badly affected by negative family conflicts while other children survive without significant problems.

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