Just back from a remarkable memorial celebration of the life of Dr Ann McPherson, Oxford GP, who died recently of pancreatic cancer, aged 65. She is probably best known to the public as the author of Diary of a Teenage Health Freak, which sold over a million copies and led to the setting up of a website for teenage…
We were continuing the debate on the Police Bill yesterday and had an important group of amendments on availability and effects of alcohol. It is a difficult policy area. Alcohol is an socially accepted but powerful drug regularly used by most people in our society. We are rightly worried about the dramatically increased number of…
We’ve had some unusually positive discussions this week, in some of which I have pleasantly surprised to find an unexpected degree of consensus. On Tuesday, it sounded as if Members on all sides were keen to make progress on the ‘working practices’ recommendations that we had from a specially appointed group. I had anticipated that…
Although I think the House of Lords is too large and needs to be reduced in size I don’t think the discussion about reform should start with that particular issue. We can and probably will be reducing the size in the reasonably near future. The bigger question is what do we want our second chamber to…
Tomorrow the Localism Bill arrives in the Lords. The most controversial provisions appear to be the community right to challenge plans and buy local community assets like libraries, pubs and community centres and the provisions for social housing. The Opposition are worried that independent sector organizations like Serco and Capita could run local services under contract but…
Westminster Hall provided a particularly fine historical venue for President Obama’s talk, as he noted. The Hall dates back to the 11th Century: it was completed in time for William Rufus to celebrate Whitsun on 29 May 1099. It provided a place for feasting and receiving foreign heads of state. The king’s throne was on…
Me being introduced to the President The address by President Obama in Westminster Hall last Wednesday was certainly an historic occasion, the first time a President of the United States has spoken in the Hall to members of both Houses of Parliament. The speech has received something of a mixed press, but I thought its content…
Congratulations to Anne Marie Cunningham and Jonathan who were the first two readers to supply the correct answers to the previous quiz. Commendations to all the readers who supplied answers. That quiz covered the law and medicine. This one covers trade unions and religion. As usual, the first two readers to supply the correct answers…
Yesterday was one of the most remarkable days I have spent in the Lords. I was in Westminster Hall to hear President Obama, and straight afterwards went to the memorial service in Westminster Abbey for Lord Bingham, one of our greatest judges. He was Master of the Rolls, Lord Chief Justice and senior Law Lord. …
