Following last week’s quiz, I thought I would pose two more questions based on the Guide to Business. Page 8 of the Guide shows a cross-bencher addressing the House, a Conservative front-bencher speaking from the dispatch box, and a Liberal Democrat speaking from the Liberal Democrat front bench. Question 1: Who are the three peers?…
One of the bills we shall be dealing with when we return from the Easter recess is the Political Parties and Elections Bill. This has already had its Second Reading. It goes into committee in a couple of weeks. The Bill itself is a good example of the problems associated with the way legislation is…
This week’s quiz question is different to those of previous weeks and relies on knowledge of peers. The Guide to Business has a number of pictures of the chamber and of peers speaking. If you look at page 6 of the Guide, you will see in the top-left picture a cross-bench peer addressing the House, in…
The House of Lords Information Office produces some excellent publications. They include The Work of the House of Lords. More recently, the Office has produced A Guide to Business. I take copies when I speak to a number of groups about the House and how it operates. It is a well presented, succinct introduction written in…
I have enjoyed reading Chris Mullin’s A View from the Foothills, his diaries from 1999 to 2005, covering his two stints as a junior minister. They are very revealing as well as entertaining. I enjoyed his comment when he first became a junior minister: “I am beseiged with invitations to address conferences organised by obscure…
