This week I thought I woud pose three questions that I think are relatively straightforward. They don’t require an exhaustive knowledge of peers but should appeal to those with a reasonable knowledge of recent political history. As usual, the first two readers to supply correct answers will be the winners.
1. Name at least two former Labour MPs who now sit on the cross-benches in the Lords.
2. Name at least three peers who used to be Conservative MPs but who do not sit on the Conservative benches in the Lords.
3. Name at least two former Labour MPs who now sit on the Liberal Democrat benches in the Lords.
1) Owen, Boothroyd & Martin of Springburn
2) Archer of Weston-super-Mare, Nicholson of Winterbourne & Howarth of Newport
3) Williams of Crosby, Taverne
1. Lord Martin of Springburn, Baroness Boothroyd, Lord Elystan-Morgan, Lord Smith of Finsbury (sits on the crossbenches but not strictly a crossbencher?)
2. Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Lord Temple-Morris
3. Baroness Williams of Crosby, Lord McNally
1) Baroness Boothroyd, Lord Martin of Springburn (for some reason TheyWorkForYou lists him as Labour Peer)
2) Lord Archer of W-S-M, Viscount Cranborne, Lord Howarth of Newport
3) The “gang of four”, excluding Lord Owen: Baroness Williams and Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank
1. Baroness Boothroyd and Lord Martin of Springburn
2. i) Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (now LibDem), ii) Lord Howarth of Newport (now Lab) and iii) Lord Archer of Weston-super-mare (now non alligned). Also, perhaps, the Marquess of Salisbury (as on Leave of Absence)?
3. Baroness Williams of Crosby and Lord Maclennan
Name at least two former Labour MPs who now sit on the cross-benches in the Lords.
Woolf + Marsh
2. Name at least three peers who used to be Conservative MPs but who do not sit on the Conservative benches in the Lords.
Howarth of Newport, Elspeth,Baroness Howe of Idlicote , Hugh, Lord Dykes
3. Name at least two former Labour MPs who now sit on the Liberal Democrat benches in the Lords.
Baroness Williams, Rodgers of Quarry bank.
Draaaat!
Correction Owen not Woolf,
Woolf not being an “MP” at all in the HofC.
1
Owen + Marsh
2.
Howarth of Newport, Elspeth,Baroness Howe of Idlicote , Hugh, Lord Dykes
3.
Baroness Williams, Rodgers of Quarry bank.
Absolutely no idea.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/2010/03/photographer_chosen_as_the_official_election_artis.html
But I’ll share this with you instead.
Perhaps we should bring back the concept of the ‘war artist’ that paints the field of battle in oils or watercolours ?
How about?
Name the 4 lords who’ve just got off offering to sell changes to legistalation for cash?
Explain the reason why the CPS won’t prosecute?
The latter is the interesting one. There is no law against Lords changing the law in exchange for cash.
A nice little earner.
“There is no law against Lords changing the law in exchange for cash.
A nice little earner.”
Least of all for earning their own cash, which is why the HofL is so IMPORTANT!
How dare you nickeleaton!
I’m going to have to make more effort to be around on Saturdays, had a few busy ones…
Dave H: Perhaps I should do a mid-week quiz!
Congratulations to Croft and Jonathan who got in first with correct answers.
Chris K (and handj): I’m not sure I would allow the Marquess of Salisbury. He is on leave of absence but still a Conservative peer.
Gareth Howell: Not only was Lord Woolf never in the Commons (too busy being Lord Chief Justice!) but neither was Baroness Howe of Idlicote.
As will be apparent, there were a number to choose from in each category.
Croft and Jonathan are surging up the league table of grand prize-winners.
Didn’t make a careless error answering too quickly for a change!
Quite a few otherwise obvious ‘answers’ have taken leave of absence.
As to the Marquess of Salisbury, do we have any idea whether he might return to the house on a change of government or has he just had enough of parliamentary politics?
“has he just had enough of parliamentary politics?”
It seemed pretty final when he did quit, only after a matter of family pride had been settled, “saving” the Tory party from extinction.
Career politicians are very boring people; best to do a little, leave a lot and get on with the gardening, which is certainly what the gracious marquis does and his noble Lady,
the latter the president of the RHS for some time.
The gardens at Cranborne are well worth a visit.
Lord Norton: I should, of course, be happy to accept your determination on whether to accept the Marquess of Salisbury. (However, the phrasing used was ‘sit on the Conservative benches’ rather than Conservative peer and http://www.parliament.uk/faq/lords_leave_of_absence.cfm refers to affiliation prior to Leave of Absence.)
Croft: I can see no other otherwise obvious ‘answers’ who are on Leave of Absence – who were you thinking of?
handj: I should have phrased it ‘sits on benches other than the Conservative benches in the Lords’! The Marquess of Salisbury doesn’t presently sit on the Conservative benches but he doesn’t sit on any other either. I had in mind peers who had changed benches in the chamber rather than departed from it.
http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/
Nor just one magnificent garden but two to care for, if you follow the link to Cranborne from the Hatfield website.
The Cecil dynasty, “Seisyllwg” being the Welsh spelling, the principality of Rhodri Mawr, in the 9thC.ad, from whom their graces are descended.