Karl Demands Superscript 'C' Scorned By The Independent

The Independent today reports that Karl McCartney, the recently elected Member of Parliament for Lincoln, has entered Parliament determined to deal with a pressing issue of historical prejudice.

"Forget immigration: why won't Hansard and other publications publish his name with his preferred superscript "c"?"

This is the question asked by the paper and the subject of a recent email sent by Mr. McCartney to his fellow House of Commons 'son ofs' (including Esther McVey, John McDonnell and Pat McFadden), whom he invited to help him to 'communicate a collective request for change'.

The paper reports that narrow-mindedness has dogged him since birth, and states that Mr. McCartney explains.

"I have continually through my life, from school, through college and in the workplace, with my own political party and the returning officer where I stood for election, had to make a point of informing others that my name is spelt and should look a certain way."

Unfortunately, the superscript 'c' runs contrary to The Independent's in-house style rules and those of most other national newspapers - together with the abilities of this blog - so should he ever get around to being in them for any other reason than his name will appear without the superscript.

Mr. McCartney earlier indicated at the Lincolnshire Show that he had not seen the piece in the paper but that it was 'another one to tick of the list' of papers he has appeared in since his election.

Labour U-Turn on Kelly Report: There Will Be Legislation

There will legislation to enact part of the Kelly Report on parliamentary expenses. A bit of an embarrassing U-turn this, as it comes only three weeks after the Queen’s speech, which had no mention of special laws to enact the Kelly report.

That seriously hacked off Sir Christopher Kelly, it gave David Cameron an open goal… and there’s now been a re-think at the top of government. Harriet Harman’s statement is here.

The Kelly report was damning about the way the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority was legislated for in the first place. This all comes on the day we get the MPs’ expenses for 2008/9 and, later today, a league table of big spenders.

David Cameron made something of the fact that the latter wasn’t going to be published in Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday but I hear this was not a cover-up, more a cock-up – it wasn’t specifically requested in the work commissioned for publication.

Some MPs will be getting a double whammy today because Sir Thomas Legg’s final demand letters are running late and the last of them will reach MPs today.

The 2008/9 “big spenders” totals when they come, later today, will not include any repayments that may have been made to Sir Thomas.

In some cases you’ll be able to tie up the two because the MP has publicised his or her repayment, in some cases that repayment hasn’t happened yet, or hasn’t yet been disclosed (they all get published when Legg’s report is finalised – now expected January 2010).