At the end of the Earl of Sandwich’s speech last Thursday on the Millennium Development programme, before he gave way to Lord Crisp, the printed Hansard records the following: “I was going to say a word about health targets, but in this environment, it seems very appropriate that a Crisp should replace a Sandwich.” Yes,…
There is much rumbling amongst their Lordships at the imminent threat of the Prime Minister to appoint more Peers, to achieve a better balance of party representation. He can legitimately claim that he is only reflecting the votes at the last General Election. Labour can hardly complain because – not only did they get the lion’s…
The Government once again ‘pulled’ the Lords’ scheduled discussion of the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill yesterday. Peers were not amused, as the exchanges with Lord Strathclyde showed. The Leader of the House appeared to say that we were not permitted to discuss our scheduled business until the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister had…
I wrote almost exactly two years ago about the failings of so-called ‘self-regulation’ in the Lords. Despite the jaded tone of the piece, I was genuinely optimistic that a group set up by Lord Strathclyde – under the able Chairmanship of Lord Goodlad – would come forward with good proposals to improve things and these…
Peers are back at work today: that is, the House returns from its Summer Recess, but (of course) many of us have been busy on public business of various sorts. I spent a very thought-provoking afternoon at a Sixth Form last week, being put on the spot by very bright students in a Question and…
