Another week, another campaign by members of the public to get me to vote one way or another on a certain issue. Of course we peers welcome the views of the public, and as a crossbencher I am not whipped, I am not bound to vote in any particular way except as my conscience dictates. So…
The week of the recess has been dominated by media accounts of alleged “inappropriate behaviour”: a peer with female political hopefuls, a Cardinal with priests, the jury and its questions to the judge, the BBC and the fallout from Savile, the Libor traders, the Australian swimming team, the ward matron and his colleagues, and the…
There was an interesting debate today, the second reading of the Bill to change the succession to the throne, so that the oldest child succeeds, regardless of gender, and to end the bar on marriage to a Catholic. Some peers also raised the issue of hereditary titles and the property that may attach to them…
In addition to the usual meetings and sittings this week, I was invited to attend meetings in the Palace of Westminster with and on the following inter alia: Racing and Bloodstock, Working Practices of the House, Reform of the House, the Bahraini Parliamentary delegation, the Leveson Inquiry, the Pancake Race, Universities, Aviation Noise, National Libraries, NHS…
Some interesting issues about gender have been discussed this week. First, the Royal Succession. I will not spend long on the (rushed) bill that will enable the first born child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whether male or female, to succeed. I am sure it is a good thing that the oldest child…
