Grant Shapps MP

Grant Shapps said the EU referendum bill was not in the Queen's Speech because it was not supported by the Liberal Democrats. "We’re in Coalition because we didn’t win the last election, so we couldn’t put it in the Queen’s Speech becaus... Continue to article

“Well, first of all it’s important to realise the whole thrust of this Queen’s Speech is about helping hard-working families who want to get on in life, and that includes families who happen to have children. And there are a couple of parts... Continue to article

  Grant Shapps revealed the Tories would be publishing a draft bill on an EU renegotiation referendum. "What I’m saying is, what we want to do is make the legislation available, bring it forward, we will actually publish a bill which ... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said the message from the local elections was that people wanted the Government to prioritise the economy, welfare and Europe. "We have seen seven of the county councils count, we are in control of five of them and two of th... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said the Government was making sure people were better off in work. “We think that when you go out and you earn money, you should know that money stays in your pocket and that you’re always better off when you’re in work tha... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said he was probably a Thatcherite. "I think I probably am. I certainly was brought up under a Thatcher Government, she's one of the people who inspired me into public service, I suppose I am." Asked if he was chairman of... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said the Universal Credit would let every person know they were better off in work than on benefits. "These are very big reforms. In fact the biggest since the war, when the system came into place, and I think it’s really im... Continue to article

Grant Shapps defended the decision to have the new press regulation regime affect web-based news organisations. “It’s no secret but a lot of the newspapers are in serious decline in terms of their readership; a lot of that’s going online... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said that publications outside the new press regulator would be “effectively unprotected”. "The rules are, under this Royal Charter, under the system that will be set up, the fines will be big, like a million pounds and prop... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said the real problem in social housing was not the incoming cut in spare-room subsidy but the doubling in the number of people on waiting lists for accommodation under the Labour government. “The whole idea of providing ben... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said the Conservatives must listen to the message of Eastleigh and “get on with the job”. "Look I think actually as by-elections go first of all were disappointed not to do better we’d like to win the seat of course but as b... Continue to article

Grant Shapps said it was important to listen to the messages sent and received from the Eastleigh by-election. "This was a Liberal Democrat seat, it remains a Liberal Democrat seat. In terms of their wider message one thing we know for s... Continue to article