MP accused of being “asleep on the job”

LABOUR MP for Blaydon, David Anderson, has been accused of being “asleep on the job” after he called on fellow MPs to turn up for a debate that was scheduled to take place nearly a year earlier.

Mr Anderson decided to sign an out-of-date Early Day Motion in Parliament on 11th November 2009 which called on MPs to back the Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau Bill on 13th March 2009, 8 months previously.

However, despite Mr Anderson’s call for action 8 months after the event, it turns out Mr Anderson himself was not present for any of the votes held on 13th March 2009.

And to add to Mr Anderson’s embarrassment, the bill itself was abandoned by its sponsor, Andrew Dismore MP, before it was even due to be debated on 13th March!

Now Liberal Democrats in Blaydon constituency are demanding that Mr Anderson explain himself.

“I wonder if Mr Anderson has been asleep in the job,” said Dr Jonathan Wallace, a Liberal Democrat Councillor in Blaydon constituency. “He seems to live by the saying ‘Better late than never’.

“It is bizarre that he demanded other MPs should attend a debate even though 8 months had passed since the debate was supposed to be held. It is even more bizarre that he demanded his colleagues be present even though he himself wasn’t present that day.

“But the most ludicrous point is that the bill was abandoned before the debate he asked other MPs to attend could take place! He is therefore asking MPs to attend in the past an event that did not happen to support a bill that did not see light of day.

“I think Blaydon deserves representation that is far more on the ball than Mr Anderson appears to be.”