In the House of Commons, it is possible to raise a point of order with the Speaker. One cannot do that in the Lords. We are a self-regulating chamber, so formally the authority figure for appeal and enforcement comprises the the House itself. Any member can rise to call attention to a transgression of the rules, but one…
I was sad to read that Lord Strabolgi died on Christmas Eve. He had the distinction of being one of the longest serving members of the House – he entered in 1953 – and a Labour hereditary peer. He was an active member until the very end. We variously chatted over lunch in the Bishop’s Bar. …
During recesses, peers engage in a range of activities. Some will be pursuing their professional careers. Some go off to undertake various voluntary and charitable activities. Lord McColl of Dulwich, for example, a leading surgeon, usually spends his summers on a Mercy Ship off the coast of Africa performing surgery. This Christmas, Lord Forsyth has…
I was interested in Baroness Murphy’s observation that the blogosphere is “populated by the sad, the obsessed, the eccentric, the fanatic and the ignorant”. I suppose I may qualify under two or three – even four? – of the headings! I try to keep my fanatical observations to my own blog. However, I was not sure what…
The Commons rose on Tuesday and the Lords on Wednesday, so yesterday morning in the Palace was extremely quiet. Apart from security and support staff, there were very few people to be seen. Walking through the Palace, I thought I was probably the only parliamentarian left in the Westminster village. However, mid-morning I went over…
