Further to my earlier post on the issue of decriminalising drugs, the subject is also discussed in the latest forum hosted by the Speakers’ Corner Trust. The Trust summarises the respective positions of the participants thus: “Danny Kushlik, Head of Policy and Communications at Transform Drug Policy Foundation, calls for ‘a system of strict control and regulation…
I was sad to read of the death of Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones who until a few months ago was Garter King of Arms. As Garter, he had to approve titles and also represent the monarch in the introduction of new peers. He was appointed to the post in 1995 and so, given the number of…
I am glad that Baroness Murphy has taken on the issue of reducing the numbers sitting in the Lords. I have already made a submission to the committee reviewing this, and, like her, have great respect for Lord Hunt. He has worked in my own field, regulation of lawyers, and produced a very sensible report…
No, not me, well not yet… Lady Deech mentioned the rumours that are flying around in one of her blogs so I thought I’d keep you up to date about what’s happening. During a debate on reform of the House of Lords, on Tuesday 29 June, Lord Strathclyde announced he would be setting up a…
I notice that £1bn has been wiped of the share value of the UK’s seven largest house building companies as a result of the government’s programme of cuts. I think this is one of the tests of the economic theory about another recession. The multiplier effect of this and the likely unemployment that follows may…
A number of peers have been notable for their sporting prowess. An obvious example is Olympic gold medallist Lord Coe (Seb Coe). However, he is not alone. A number of fellow peers have been involved in a range of sports. This week’s quiz invites you to identify a number of them. As usual, the first two…
Unfortunately I missed the programme on radio 4 last week when Jonathan Powell (Tony Blair’s political adviser) had a programme about ‘talking to the enemy’. There is a very important debate around this issue and obviously it goes much wider then the talks with the Provisional IRA. Jonathan makes an important point when he says…
I see that Sir Ian Gilmore, the retiring president of the Royal College of Physicians, has endorsed the call made by Nicholas Green QC, the chairman of the Bar Council, to consider the decriminalisation of drug use. He believes that this could drastically cut crime and addicts’ health problems. Drug taking is a mug’s game…
In an editorial this morning, The Guardian has noted that some peers revert to the old practice of selecting territorial titles, Ian Paisley for example having entered the House as Lord Bannside and John Gummer having entered as Lord Deben. (Interestingly, John Gummer’s brother, Peter Gummer, sits as Lord Chadlington. We thus have two Gummers…
