UK Members of the European Parliament were previously entitled to have parliamentary passes so that they could meet with parliamentarians and not have to keep queuing in order to get into the Palace of Westminster. Last year, the Commons decided that this privilege should be withdrawn. As parliamentary passes cover the parliamentary estate, the House…
Peers are still getting used to their new seating positions in the House. One colleague sat next to me yesterday bemoaned the fact that he had still not got used to sitting where he was. For most members, it is a major physical as well as political change. Only the Bishops (and those cross-benchers who actually…
I attended a Hansard Society lecture on Wednesday of last week given by the Speaker, John Bercow, on revitalising the chamber of the Commons. You can read the lecture here. He identified various ways in which more members could be attracted to the chamber to participate. In response to a question, he expressed support for select…
Like last week’s, this week’s quiz relates to the membership of the House. As usual the first two readers to supply the correct answers will be the winners. 1. Why will there shortly be the potential for sibling rivalry in the House of Lords? 2. The chairs of the departmental select committees in the House of…
Lord Lucas had a question down yesterday on the committee that has been established to draft a Bill for an elected second chamber. The committee will comprise a mix of ministers and Opposition figures, though – unlike the committee created by Jack Straw – with no one from the cross benches. There was an interesting…
