Reading West MP Martin Salter today emailed this note to fellow MPs.
“Dear Colleague,
I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I have resigned as PPS to Jacqui Smith in the DfES.
In common with many colleagues I have serious reservations about aspects of the Education White Paper. I cannot, in all honesty, be part of �the military style� operation currently being organised to promote the White Paper to Labour MPs and councillors. I also have a job to do as a member of the Parliamentary Committee to reflect the concerns of colleagues and I am not prepared to remain in a position where I have a conflict of interest.
I very much regret that it has come to this, not least because I have huge respect for Jacqui and pride in the government�s achievements in education since 1997. I hope that we can find a consensus on this issue before the Education Bill is published in the New Year.
Best wishes,
Martin
Martin Salter MP
(Reading West)”
recessmonkey@gmail.com
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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“today emailed this not to fellow MPs”
You mean ‘note’ surely?
Must check as the meaning is quite different if you do mean ‘not’
Unity said this on November 30th, 2005 at 7:00 pm
Martin Salter resigns as PPS to Jacqui Smith From the recess monkey:-
Dear Colleague,
I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I have resigned as PPS to Jacqui Smith in the DfES.
In common with many colleagues I have serious reservations about aspects of the Education White Paper. I c…
Jo's Journal said this on November 30th, 2005 at 7:05 pm
This is interesting. It is different from Mr Salter’s statement to epolitix and, if it’s a conflict of interest now, why did he not refuse the appointment as PPS at the end of June when the election to the Parlaimentary Committee had already happened, or resign from the Parliamentary Committee and allow an election to be held.
The World at One had an email from the Reading West MP when he described the actions of the Whips in getting support for the Education White paper proposals as being like a “Nuremburg Rally”. Ruth Kelly was clearly thown by being questioned about this if you check the last minute of her interview on www.bbc.co.uk/today - was she sent the above message last night? Didn’t seem so.
I smell the actions of the Whips in this and that his resignation letter was prepared for him. This email was part of Salter trying to spin the best he could out of his sacking. I declare an interest as the husband and former employee of the Reading East MP he played a small part in deselecting previously (and giving the seat to the Tories but then he never bothered about that.) My feelings are clear as will be seen on my blog.
Andrew Tattersall said this on December 1st, 2005 at 7:15 pm