Clearly there is a problem for David Cameron on the cuts in relation to the big society but a more complex problem is ‘what does it actually mean’? If it is more than contracting out some local authority or government services to voluntary organisations, co-ops etc via a new bank then we need to know the…
Winding up my visit to America, I have three main impressions. That Britain is seen more as part of the E.U. That the USA is more divided and how we both face similar economic and social problems. The “Special Relationship” may exist in terms of language and culture but in terms of economics and politics…
The last Pharaoh has gone and his legacy will soon be as covered in sand as his predecessor’s. A debate about the Middle East took up the whole of Friday in the Lords but their Lordships are no more certain of the future than anyone else. Given the lack of any democratic infrastructure and viable opposition…
Fantastic! I know it might go wrong as many revolutions have but my guess is that it won’t. I think we are seeing a real ray of hope in the Middle East. I have nothing but admiration for the perseverance, courage and skill of the demonstrators who have achieved so much. I wish I was…
The death of Lord Strabolgi (pronounced Strabogie) an hereditary peer who sat on the Labour benches, (see Lord N’s blog about him) has triggered a by-election within the House to elect a new hereditary peer. Usually the vote is held within party groups of hereditaries and we appointed ones don’t get to vote but this…
When a vote is held in the Lords, there is no means of recording abstentions. It is far from uncommon for peers who disagree with their own side to absent themselves from a division. However, when a peer’s name does not appear in the division list, it is usually impossible to know whether that peer is unavoidably…
In amongst the relative tedium of debates on the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill, there have been some moments of mind-blowing revelation. Labour Peer Lord Lipsey gave a vivid example of the dangers of imposing artificial turnout and acceptance thresholds on the results of votes. He said: “If there is a vote on this,…
I would like to think there is a straight forward explanation for the alienation of some of our young people whose family origins are from other countries/cultures but I’m not too sure. Saying multiculturalism has failed raises more question then it answers. I have never been too sure what multiculturalism is. Does it mean allowing…
The Administration and Works Committee has issued a report recommending changes in the rules as to what electronic devices can be used by members in the chamber, in committee and in other parts of the House. It is designed to ensure the rules keep abreast of the rapid changes in technology. There is a recognition…
