MP hits at 'petty and pathetic' attack on his record

PAYNE DISMISSES TORY CRITICISM THAT HE HAS BARELY SPOKEN IN THE HOUSE

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Labour MP has criticised a “desperate attack” by councillors who say he has barely spoken in Parliament since being elected a year ago.

Conservative councillors in Gedling say that a year on from Michael Payne becoming the area's MP, he has asked just two questions in the House of Commons.

The councillors say this is the lowest of all Nottinghamshire MPs and far lower than Mr Payne's predecessors as Gedling MP from both parties.

In their first years as Gedling MP, Conservative councillors Mike Adams and Darren Maltby say Andrew Mitchell asked 13 questions, Vernon Coaker asked 17 and Tom Randall asked 37.

The number is also lower than other Nottinghamshire MPs, with Mansfield’s Steve Yemm having asked 34 questions since being elected. But Mr Payne says asking questions in the House of Commons is only a small element of the job of being an MP.

He said: “This latest Conservative Party attack is both misleading and hypocritical. While the local Conservatives nitpick at how many questions I have asked in the Commons, they conveniently ignore a far more telling fact.