Despite the Government defeat on a key part of the Bill we continued the debate yesterday even though the Bill has had a central part removed. An important debate took place on the relationship between local authorities and the Police. I am concerned that we will drift back to the situation that we had in…
I was very sorry to hear of the death of the Earl of Onslow. He died on Saturday and had been ill for some time. He kept attending the Lords even though confined to a wheelchair and clearly ailing. Despite his illness, he continued to contribute to debates, including the one I initiated on having a Royal Commission…
The Govermment’s White Paper and House of Lords Reform Draft Bill got a poor reception in both Houses. The media have been underwhelmed by the Government’s proposals and decided that they did not really merit being treated as headline news. This is hardly surprising given that the White Paper really added little to what had…
I walked to the House on this beautiful sunny morning, skirting the Abbey as well. Seeing those buildings in all their glory, surrounded by tourists, is a vivid reminder of what the UK Parliament means. It is highly significant not only to us, but to those around the world who value constitutional government and the rule of…
Yesterday a colleague asked a black cab to take her to the House of Lords and he refused – saying “not after what I’ve just heard on the radio.” Mystified she asked the next cabbie, who reluctantly agreed to take her to Parliament, what it was all about. He too had heard the broadcast which…
The debate in both Houses yesterday, when the Government came forward with its White Paper and draft Bill for Lords Reform, concentrated to a large and understandable extent on the relationship between the Commons and Lords. This morning I’ve been watching the discussion in the Lords Constitution Committee, where Members questioned the Deputy Prime Minister…
Lord Strathclyde leader of the House, gave a star performance as the Government spokesman supporting this draft Bill which he clearly thinks is crazy! http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/house-lords-reform-draft-bill Lord Strathclyde has never been a supporter of an elected House and it showed on his face if not in his words! Support from his own backbenchers was completely absent and I…
I was astonished to discover that correspondence from 10 Downing Street officials has been signed with fake names. David Cameron has now said the practice will stop but how extraordinary to do it in the first place. The use of false names on letters from No 10 began in 2005 in response “to a security…
The Swiss canton population of Zurich yesterday voted overwhelmingly to retain their legal framework on assisted dying. 87% of the voters wanted to retain assisted suicide (legal since 1941 without any ‘slippery slope’ having been induced) and the vast majority wanted to retain the practise of offering a service to terminally ill people from abroad…
