Andrew Marr has apparently attacked bloggers claiming they are ‘inadequate ranters’. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/11/andrew-marr-bloggers Blogging does attract some people who can best described as sad, mad or bad and this is a problem but is traditional journalism really free of such sinners? Blogging adds to our information about the world we live in and gives people additional…
This debate is about to resurface following the Browne report published today. I was a reluctant convert to student fees as I had benefited from a grant system in the 1960’s but it became clear to me that if we wanted to increase the number of people going to university we had to find a…
We are all against unnecessary regulation and everyone seems to agree that the government is right to carry out a cull of quangos. But there is one that is different. The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority is apparently on the hit list, and I am asking a question about it on Wednesday. It was a…
Three relatively straightforward questions for this week’s quiz. As usual, the first two readers to supply the correct answers will be the winners, though there will be a commendation for any reader supplying one or more correct answers. I plan shortly to publish a roll call of honour of our principal winners. 1. Who is…
As my fellow bloggers have said, returning to parliament felt different this time. The sheer numbers of new boys and girls, with more on the way, makes the place feel claustrophobically crowded at question time. I failed to arrive before prayers on tuesday and couldn’t get a seat anywhere. Eventually I squeezed on the back…
This is scary! I just found the Hansard site giving all my Parliamentary contributions sine 1979. I am doomed! http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-clive-soley
Salutations to all and congratulations to all my colleagues who far from collapsing into recess kept up their blogs. Unlike me! Lots has happened on the international and domestic fronts including chez D’Souza. However, I was unable to convince myself that anything in the latter category would be of the remotest interest to you out…
No, I’m not talking about MP’s and Lords screeching abuse at each other but about two new new members of parliament who have refused to take their seats in either chamber. Instead they circle the building emitting the most incredible screeches and dive on pigeons and kill them. The feathers of the doomed pigeon float down past windows…
The Lords returned yesterday. The main business was a debate on the role of the charitable sector in strengthening civil society, introduced for the Government by Lord Taylor of Holbeach. Thirty-seven peers spoke in the debate. It was an extremely good debate, notable for the fact that no less than seven new peers made maiden speeches. Perhaps the…
