You probably won’t remember but I said back in 2012 I was taking a break from the Lords, having a sabbatical. I never went away completely but I did get a book done which I’ve been promising myself to write for a long time. It’s due for to go to the publisher 1 July so I’ll have more time to get back to blogging. It’s good to see that I recognise so many of the commenters as old hands, even if the site has changed quite a bit, for the better I think. Back into the Crossbenchers’ weekly meeting on Wednesday, where Lord Taylor of Holbeach was giving a rundown of the forthcoming Serious Crime Bill. I like these occasions when Ministers and their Bill team of Civil servants come and go over the detail, allow frank discussion and listen to the areas people have most concerns about. There seemed to be a great deal of support from former lawyers and police chiefs so it will be interesting to see what contentious issues emerge in 2nd Reading next Monday. Lord Taylor has an avuncular style, he comes from the Lincolnshire Bulb growing Taylors and some of a fen farmer’s patient determination to weather the east wind and harsh fenland winters has rubbed off usefully on his doggedly persistent parliamentary style.
The press have commented on the ‘thin’ legislation announced in the Queen’s Speech. Beats me how they came to that conclusion, all the bills look meaty to me and whether or not they give rise to much political argument on principle, they will be scrutinised with as much thoroughness as any bill during this Government’s tenure.
I’ve been in the Lords just ten years this month so I had to go along to the Pass Office to renew my red stripey pass
. Looking at my old pass and the person in front of her, the Pass officer said ‘Ooh, you’ve gone blonde!’ And indeed I have, so here is the new me. Is it true blondes have more fun? Ask me sometime soon…
Now to serious stuff. Lord Crisp has tabled a short debate next tuesday on empowering patients in the NHS. So I will come back to that topic in my next.
D’accord; Baroness Murphy; and hello again.
but Bigger-Contextuality-wise, shouldn’t it first and foremost be the “well” public who are greater participatory-democratised ?
and wouldn’t that also take care of much essential “patients”, “victims” and “disadvantageds” empowerment
and “Needs & Affordable Hows”
registering/tabling ?
Baroness Murphy,
Welcome back. If you are fortunate I will not post another acrostic verse in your honor like “HIGH WAYS OF ROBERY” no matter how long you blog: http://lordsoftheblog.net/2009/11/10/in-the-red/
I am sure you must have opinions on Obamacare and perhaps in some NHS post or other you will make some remark. I look forward to that occasion.
Ah, Baroness, nice to have you back. Fast at book writing too, I note. What will it tell us I wonder? What Earl’s, et al, get up to when the meeting’s over? Or, even better, how they get the support they need to pass their money making sell outs. That would indeed be a best seller, as not one on that frequent reality has told the whole the truth of this tale.
I look forward to your new posts.
Bentornato! Two questions: is your new book shrink wrapped and should the Lord Speaker dye her hair blonde?
Thanks, old friends.
Now here is a fray the BBC forgot to cover, and yet it was right outside there door in central London. Mmm, hard to pass up one would have thought. I wonder how they missed it? They must have too many journo’s in Brazil at tax payers expense. This is why so many of us have to tune to RT to get the real story about what’s going on in our own country, let alone elsewhere in the world.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/06/wholl-tell-the-anti-austerity-marchers-that-government-spending-is-at-a-record-high/
Went past it. Not a particularly large demo.
About 200 police there.
Meanwhile on Westminster Bridge the effect of the 1 mile exclusion zone on prosecutions for fraud was in full view.
120-140 Bulgarian/Romanian fraudsters in full swing in front of parliament.
No real action from the police.