Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, stated this week that The House of Lords is more ethnically diverse than the Commons. This is another factor that demonstrates the increasing importance of the Lords in British politics. He asserted that Parliament was “at the pumping heart of our democracy”, but that the…
“Our time has come”. This was the rallying cry of Senator Barack Obama, during the American Presidential campaign. I decided to use that phrase whilst addressing a crowd of 2 million people, in Nigeria’s Lagos Stadium, during the recess. This was an extraordinary moment in my life. I felt privileged at the high level of…
Yesterday, Sean Mercer, 18, and six other gang members were convicted of murdering 11 year old Rhys Jones in Liverpool. The judge, Mr Justice Irwin, condemned the brutality and cowardice of gang culture. He said that the cowardliness and “brutality” of the young killer was to blame. Whilst I do not disagree with Mr. Justice…
I am pleased that the House of Lords voted by a majority of 52 against an amendment which would have overturned the Government’s proposal. The change will reverse the then Home Secretary David Blunkett’s 2004 downgrading and raise a maximum jail sentence for possession to five years. I believe that Cannabis is not a ‘soft’…
Regularly, I submit questions to the Government requiring a written answer. One of my recent questions asked whether the Government would conduct a national survey of asbestos in public buildings. According to campaigners, around 4000 people die per year from the effects of asbestos. Some of these are nurses, doctors and teachers who work in…
