Women were first admitted to the House of Lords in 1958. It is amazing that it took so long and yet now women are very much to the forefront of the business of the Lords. In fact, I think I can say that the House is the most egalitarian of the institutions I have worked…
The humble Cornish pasty has become a symbol of what was disliked about the Budget last week. Why should VAT be charged on this warm popular staple food item, when most food is zero-rated? I confess that I have not eaten a pasty since I was a child. I pass lots of pasty sellers as I…
On 26th March, I asked a question: “What steps will HMG take to ensure that fellow signatories to the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets fulfil the obligations of the Declaration in relation to the restitution of wrongfully seized property?” It was scheduled as “dinner break business”, which means that one gets an hour on…
Controversy has broken out over the government’s plans to allow shops to stay open for longer on Sunday during the Olympics, so that spectators can boost the economy while they are there. This move has reopened the question of Sunday shopping hours. I was moved to write this blog by seeing two letters in the…
There was a great debate in the Lords today on the governance of the BBC. It was initiated by Lord Inglewood, chair of the Select Committee on Communications. I am very fortunate to be a member, fortunate because there are relatively few committees and many peers would like to participate, and fortunate because there are…
