Both Houses rose on Thursday and will not sit again until Monday week (23 February). The break was introduced as a ‘constituency week’ for MPs, though it is now generally referred to as half-term. The Taxpayers’ Alliance have argued against having the recess, on the grounds that Parliament should be sitting in order to call…
The media have covered extensively the extent to which civil servants accept hositality from outside bodies. When BBC News 24 covered the story, they showed constantly pictures of the Palace of Westminster. This annoyed me intensely as it had nothing to do with the story. Civil servants work in Government Departments. It was not a…
For this week’s quiz questions, I thought I would pose one that I think is moderately easy and one that I suspect is not (though no doubt I will soon be proved wrong!). Question 1 We are three peers: Peer 1. I began my career as a tutor, lecturer and then a broadcaster before becoming…
There have been two unusual features of the House this morning. After Question Time, there was a Private Notice Question – in effect, an emergency question – on the Government’s decision to ban the Dutch MP Geert Wilders from entering the UK. The minister, Admiral Lord West, faced a series of critical questions, but did…
Iain Dale in his blog has, like last year, invited nominations for the most fanciable political journalist. However, on this occasion he has added a new category: ” Last Valentine’ Day, I caused a minor stir in the press lobby by compiling Top 20 Fanciable Journalists list a Top 20 Fanciable Journalists list in response…
