Here I am again in Italy trying hard to fathom out how the Italian legislature actually functions! We are now 5 days into a confusing political crisis that Italians themselves have great difficulty fathoming out. Gianfranco Fini, a towering figure in Italian politics, labeled years ago as a neo-conservative far right winger, and President (Speaker)…
This week’s quiz covers peers who have served as public officials in one capacity or another. I have previously asked how many peers have served as Head of the Diplomatic Service. We also have several who have served as Secretary to the Cabinet. However, several peers have served as public servants in other positions. 1. I served…
The recess has begun, and from past experience I know how quickly it will pass. I continue to commute to London for my other job, regulating barristers, but there is one job I need to complete this summer in relation to Parliamentary business. With an MP, I am setting up a new All Party Parliamentary…
The House of Commons rose for the summer recess on Tuesday and the House of Lords on Wednesday. By the end of Wednesday, after the House had risen, there was still a good deal of activity. The Despatch Box (the snack bar) in the Atrium in Portcullis House was well patronised. The giveaway that we…
Every other year, wearing my hat as Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull, I organise a Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians. Co-sponsored by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, it draws academics and parliamentarians from a wide range of countries. It enables scholars to present research findings likely to be of…
Because of the number of new members introduced into the House, we are having a good number of maiden speeches. In a recent debate on women in society, we had no fewer than seven maiden speeches. In yesterday’s debate on the Finance Bill, there were two. I rather enjoyed the opening of the short maiden…
I was invited to lunch with the Supreme Court Justices a couple of weeks ago and to have a quick tour of the newly renovated building. Bearing in mind that the Supreme Court – now a year old – is the venue for learned discussions on points of law rather that trials by jury, the…
This week’s quiz focuses on major offices that have been held by some members of the House of Lords. As usual, the first two readers to supply the correct answers will be the winners. As before, feel free to guess even if you are not certain you have exhausted the possibilities. The House rises for…
Despite the prevailing mood of Labour Peers that they are now in opposition, and that means they don’t have to take any responsibility for what went before, I detect some signs of consensus on important improvements to the way in which the House of Lords operates. Last week’s debate on working practices produced a remarkable…
