Everyone agrees that the House of Lords has far too many members, we are already stuffed to the gills. Yet we now have 56 additional peers and the rumour of more to come. How does a perfectly obvious fact get so easily discounted? As Peter Riddell points out in today’s Times it cannot be a…
I refuse to be anything but upbeat about the new coalition Government – despite all the doom-mongerers. If “Carping from the Sidelines” was to be an Olympic Sport, the UK would be sure to win it. We are a nation of disgruntled grumblers – so carpe diem and put a smile on top of it.
Given the enforced restrictions on blogging, I will be forgiven for being a bit prolix? We are told that there will be a massive influx of new peers arising from the Dissolution list and the new Government’s need to bulk up with whips. The UK has (embarrassingly) at present the largest second chamber in the world at…
A new Government, a new Parliament, even perhaps a new way of governing. All this is to the good, the wider public is engaged and the challenge will be to keep it engaged. But I’m not sure this will be achieved by obsessive focus on tired old problems – like HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM. We,…
We are fast approaching that pre-election period when all unfinished business is up for grabs. I have never been involved in the ‘wash-up’ since what legislation will stand or fall is decided by the leaders and whips of the political parties. Basically it is a time of bargaining, inevitably along highly party political lines. Thus certain…
