Tony Wright endorses our Speaker principles
mySociety asked likely candidates for the post of Speaker to endorse the following principles.
The three principles are:
- Voters have the right to know in detail about the money that is spent to support MPs and run Parliament, and in similar detail how the decisions to spend that money are settled upon.
- Bills being considered must be published online in a much better way than they are now, as the Free Our Bills campaign has been suggesting for some time.
- The Internet is not a threat to a renewal in our democracy, it is one of its best hopes. Parliament should appoint a senior officer with direct working experience of the power of the Internet who reports directly to the Speaker, and who will help Parliament adapt to a new era of transparency and effectiveness.
Update: Tony Wright MP replied in 11 days. He fully endorses the principles. Here's the reply in full:
We understand that you believe Tony Wright MP will be a candidate for Speaker.
Dr Wright is standing down at the next election, and he will not be running for the position of Speaker.
We have not been contacted by theyworkforyou, but Dr Wright nonetheless endorses your three principles.
This data was produced by TheyWorkForYou from a variety of sources.
Tony Wright
Labour MP for Cannock Chase
- Also represented Cannock and Burntwood
- Entered Parliament on 9 April 1992 — General election
- Majority: 9,227 votes. — 252nd out of 643 MPs.
- Send a message to your MP (via WriteToThem.com)
- Sign up to HearFromYourMP to get messages from your MP
- Email me whenever Tony Wright speaks (no more than once per day)
- Help us add video by matching a speech by Tony Wright
- Voting record
- Committees and topics of interest
- Most recent appearances
- Numerology
- Register of Members’ Interests
- Expenses
- Early Day Motions signed by this MP (From edmi.parliament.uk)
Voting record (from PublicWhip)
How Tony Wright voted on key issues since 2001:
- Voted a mixture of for and against a transparent Parliament. votes, speeches
- Voted moderately for introducing a smoking ban. votes, speeches
- Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards. votes, speeches
- Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals. votes, speeches
- Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees. votes, speeches
- Voted strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes, speeches
- Voted moderately against the Iraq war. votes, speeches
- Voted moderately against an investigation into the Iraq war. votes, speeches
- Voted very strongly for replacing Trident. votes, speeches
- Voted moderately against the hunting ban. votes, speeches
- Voted strongly for equal gay rights. votes, speeches
- Voted a mixture of for and against laws to stop climate change. votes, speeches
Read about how the voting record is decided.
More on well-known issues (from the Guardian) & their full record
- Occasionally rebels against their party in this parliament.
Committees and topics of interest
Select Committee membership
- Member, Liaison Committee (since 1 Nov 2005)
- Chairman, Public Administration Committee (since 1 Nov 2005)
Asks most questions about
- Departments: Health, Home Department, Treasury, Work and Pensions, Transport
- Subjects (based on headings added by Hansard): Mining: Pensions, Pensions, Citizenship, Government Departments: Annual Reports, Digital Hearing Aids
(based on written questions asked by Tony Wright and answered by departments)
Most recent appearances
- Written Answers — Health: Cancer: Health Services (2 Jul 2009)
“To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the NHS meets the deadline of December 2009 for the implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer.”
- Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office: Civil Service Reform (1 Jul 2009) has video
“Should we not warmly congratulate the Cabinet Secretary on publishing his own expenses, and also those of all top senior civil servants, and is that not an example to the wider public sector?”
More of Tony Wright's recent appearances
Numerology
Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. (More about this)
- Has spoken in 34 debates in the last year — above average amongst MPs.
- Has received answers to 7 written questions in the last year — below average amongst MPs.
- Is a member of 2 select committees (1 as chair).
- Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a medium number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2007, according to constituents.
- Has voted in 71% of votes in parliament with this affiliation — average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip)
- People have made 12 annotations on this MP’s speeches — above average amongst MPs.
- This MP's speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 17–18 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
- 49 people are tracking whenever this MP speaks — email me whenever Tony Wright speaks.
- Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 397 times in debates — above average amongst MPs. (Why is this here?)
Register of Members' Interests
Register last updated: 24 Jun 2009. More about the Register
View the history of this MP's entries in the Register
Expenses
Figures in brackets are ranks. Data from parliament.uk (source). Read 2004/05 – 2007/08 receipts.
| Type | 2007/08 (ranking out of 645) | 2006/07 (ranking out of 645) | 2005/06 | 2004/05 (ranking out of 659) | 2003/04 (ranking out of 658) | 2002/03 (ranking out of 657) | 2001/02 (ranking out of 657) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Costs Allowance | £16,162 (474th) | £16,131 (488th) | £15,763 | £17,910 (400th) | £15,564 (453rd) | £18,460 (395th) | £15,959 (joint 186th) |
| London Supplement | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Incidental Expenses Provision | £15,431 (454th) | £17,934 (474th) | £14,689 | £19,318 (joint 110th) | £14,658 (575th) | £14,976 (550th) | £10,384 (509th) |
| Staffing Allowance | £78,159 (554th) | £78,956 (475th) | £73,033 | £65,296 (537th) | £62,952 (542nd) | £64,711 (322nd) | £36,474 (578th) |
| Communications Allowance | £1,924 (561st) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Members' Travel | £8,261 (282nd)* | £8,807 (279th)** | £8,178 | £10,618 (317th) | £11,065 (287th) | £10,602 (301st) | £8,942 (278th) |
| Members' Staff Travel | £0 | £613 (195th) | £0 | £1,492 (122nd) | £1,202 (131st) | £0 | £353 (297th) |
| Members' Spouse Travel | £259 (278th) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Members' Family Travel | £0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Centrally Purchased Stationery | £743 (344th) | £1,004 (joint 279th) | £629 | £2,088 (104th) | £970 (267th) | £1,262 (joint 227th) | £905 (joint 372nd) |
| Stationery: Associated Postage Costs | £2,643 (275th) | £2,622 (320th) | £2,699 | £5,889 (104th) | £3,287 (228th) | N/A | N/A |
| Centrally Provided Computer Equipment | £947 (600th) | £808 (599th) | £0 | £1,950 (joint 195th) | £1,950 (joint 190th) | £1,950 (joint 188th) | £1,950 (joint 179th) |
| Other Costs | £1,073 (75th) | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total | £125,602 (572nd) | £126,875 (496th) | £114,991 | £124,561 (296th) | £111,648 (491st) | £111,961 (356th) | £74,967 (544th) |
* Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £1,634 (444th). Rail £6,627 (129th).
** Car £2,435 (372nd). 3rd party £56 (40th). Rail £6,316 (117th).