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The Week in Westminster

Factual: Politics

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

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Week in Westminster

The Week in Westminster: 19/06/2010

19/06/2010

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Peter Riddell of The Times looks behind the scenes at Westminster.

Peter Riddell of The Times hears about moves to bridge the gap between Parliament and the public. He talks to MPs about the war in Afghanistan and the impact of the BP oil row.

Peter Riddell of The Times reflects on a week in which defence issues and the BP row in the United States have dominated the headlines. 

He also asks the Leader of the Commons, Sir George Young, about new moves to bridge the gap hetween parliament and the public - and to give backbench MPs more of a say in what is debated in parliament. 

He hears from two senior backbenchers, the Conservative, Patrick Mercer and Labour's Eric Joyce, about the government's review of the UK's defences.

And some observers have been shocked by the anti-British rhetoric coming from the United States after the BP oil spill. Two new MPs, a Conservative, Dominic Raab , and Labour's Emma Reynolds, wonder if the 'special relationship' will suffer. 

Finally, two Tories, Harriet Baldwin and Anna Soubry, reveal just what happens when a backbencher comes up trumps in the private members' bill ballot. 

Producer: Peter Mulligan.

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19/06/2010

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