I think the Government is flying on a wing and a prayer with their determination not to re visit the Strategic Defence Review. It was carried out soon after the Government took office and it was done with indecent haste but the retrenchment of the western powers, the financial problems and the instability in the…
There was a question on child poverty last Thursday and I came in on the issue of Baby Bonds or the Child Trust Fund to give its proper title. I think the abolition of Baby Bonds was one of the governments worst acts in the area of child poverty. Baby Bonds were awarded to all new born…
Lord Fowler had the first question on Thursday and used it to call for an enquiry on telephone hacking by newspapers. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110616-0001.htm#11061643000197 I came in on a case I took up some years ago when the then editor of the Sun, Stuart Higgins, was involved in a case of sexual harassment of staff. He left the…
I am writing this from Abu Dhabi. I came here last Saturday and am returning tomorrow night. My purpose was to establish a post graduate school of law with outreach to Palestine in order to advance the rule of law in the region. Zayed University http://www.zu.ac.ae/main/en/ is going to host it as a Masters degree and…
We were continuing the debate on the Police Bill yesterday and had an important group of amendments on availability and effects of alcohol. It is a difficult policy area. Alcohol is an socially accepted but powerful drug regularly used by most people in our society. We are rightly worried about the dramatically increased number of…
