Oliver Champness

Communications Consultant | Ex-Parliament | Tweeting in a personal capacity etc.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

I’m lucky to attend church without fear each week. I wish the same could be said for British Jews attending shul and going about their daily lives.

Today of all days, please consider donating to @CST_UK. Events have shown just how vital their work is.

https://t.co/kIICUrNhB2

[Robert Courts KC FRAeS 🇬🇧 @robertcourts]

This is a dreadful idea. I’m not naive, I know it’ll be seen as a Westminster village story and nobody will care, but it actually does matter.

This proposal will do none of the things being claimed. If anything, it will make the problem worse. The notion that “call lists” will lead to more meaningful debate is nonsense. In reality, it means MPs will wander in moments before they’re due to speak, say their piece for social media, then leave - without engaging at all with the debate or listening to other points of view.

That is the problem, not the solution.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t theoretical. We tried it during Covid. Anyone who was there knows it killed scrutiny stone dead.

Ministers knew who was coming and when, planned accordingly, and genuine challenge was lost. It was stage-managed and sterile.

This is about making life easier for lazy MPs who don’t understand what the job is meant to be. It hollows out Parliament. The more this is normalised, the harder it becomes to govern the country properly. It’s not some obscure procedural tweak - it goes to the heart of scrutiny, challenge, and accountability.

The Norway debate in 1940 changed history because MPs were in the chamber for the whole debate, listening, reacting, shifting their views. That kind of moment simply couldn’t happen now. We already strangle debate on major legislation down to a few hours. This will make things 100 times worse.

And for a government with a massive majority, call lists are even more useful: ministers will know exactly when to be present, which interventions to prepare for, and which they can ignore. You might as well let them submit written speeches behind the Speaker’s chair, like the Council of Europe does - and pretend that’s meaningful scrutiny too.

A bad idea, sold badly, with bad consequences. It really does matter.

Nobody will care. But at least I’ve said why.

[emily m @maitlis]

Mandy Damari speaking publically for the first time about her kidnapped daughter Emily - a hostage of Hamas.

[The Telegraph @Telegraph]

✍️ 'The Conservative Party can win the next election,' writes @TomTugendhat

'Trust me. I will make it happen'

Read the full op-ed ⬇️
https://t.co/bfZIK5mtDE

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Where were you when they called the general election?

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

@Swede_Nalon @clareogorman @d11n__ @tinybubblegum @Mulcie Yes they’re guarding the scene, including officers on Barton Road

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Great to be among so many passionate #EarlyYears and #SEND practitioners and campaigners today to celebrate @Dingley’s 40th birthday.

@DingleyCEO summarised their amazing journey as well as the work that is still to be done to improve #EarlyEducation for children with SEND.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Happy #StateOpening to all who celebrate! Pray for your friends in public affairs today.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

An excerpt from yesterday’s music dinner at @TheBerkeley in aid of @StPKbridge. A wonderful evening for a brilliant cause.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

An honour to be invited back to @ChapelRoyalHCP to read the second lesson at a special service of evensong celebrating the #coronation. We also heard the spectacular Coronation Canticles by @gjackson3, sung for the first time by the choir of HM’s Chapel Royal.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Always a pleasure @AvantiWestCoast.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

@courteneyccs @AvantiWestCoast @TPExpressTrains It’s been a nightmare - now stuck at Lockerbie. Definitely travelling @LNER via Edinburgh next time.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

.@AvantiWestCoast disgraceful service today from #Euston to #Glasgow. Turned out of our train at #Carlisle with no notice following a three hour delay then rushed on to a @TPExpressTrains with no clue where we’re going or when. Children crying and elderly struggling with luggage.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

@AvantiWestCoast .@AvantiWestCoast the saga continues. We have now been ejected from our train at #Lockerbie with no news of when we will be on the move again. Will Delay Repay be covering our taxi to #Glasgow? Latest quote is for £240.

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

As well as the delay there was also:

❌no train crew ready for our departure from #Euston
❌no hot drinks available onboard for most of the journey
❌no seat reservations displayed
❌a complete lack of food that was not restocked at Preston as promised

@avantiwestcoast

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

.@AvantiWestCoast will you pay for my taxi from Lockerbie to Glasgow following the cancellation of yet another train? This is completely unacceptable.

@TPExpressTrains @ScotRail @transportgovuk

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

A standing ovation for the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine tonight at @cadoganhall. Bruch’s Violin Concerto with soloist Oleksii Semenenko was excellent

The night ended with a shout of ‘Slava Ukraini!’ from the orchestra and gathered diaspora here in London

@UkrEmbLondon

[NDNA @NDNAtalk]

We are delighted Labour's keen to expand NDNA’s Maths Champions prog in more EY settings & primary schools. We created this to make a difference to children’s learning outcomes in maths by enhancing practitioners’ confidence in teaching & embedding maths. https://t.co/A1SnYtvbXJ

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Great to see @NDNAtalk joined by an expert panel, including @helenhayes_, @JoanneMcCartney, @fsb_policy & @jrf_uk, at #Lab23 to promote the importance of early education and care.

#FirstFiveYearsCount

[NDNA @NDNAtalk]

We're here at #lpc23 ready for an important debate on the future of early education & care including our Blueprint & to hear about Labour's plans. The event kicked off with our #firstfiveyearscount video https://t.co/Qyl6vmTtNj

[Oliver Champness @OliverChampness]

Oh pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love you.

Psalm 122:6