I think this is fascinating! As Labour did rather better than I thought we would do I can now enjoy some of the anomalies. I bumped into Norman Tebbit the other day and said that I never thought I would live to see the day that he became an honorary member of the Liberal party!…
I refuse to be anything but upbeat about the new coalition Government – despite all the doom-mongerers. If “Carping from the Sidelines” was to be an Olympic Sport, the UK would be sure to win it. We are a nation of disgruntled grumblers – so carpe diem and put a smile on top of it.
Good grief – I meant to use a rather more forceful expletive, but … well … good grief – this is the House of Lords; though not as we knew it. First day back and not only is it all change, it’s complete change. I left as a front bench Lib Dem spokesman forever condemned…
To read the media, it is clear that the coalition agreement as it affects the House of Lords has lost something in translation. The agreed document proposes a committee to propose draft motions (on Lords reform) by December of this year. It goes on “It is likely that this bill will advocate single long terms…
Given the enforced restrictions on blogging, I will be forgiven for being a bit prolix? We are told that there will be a massive influx of new peers arising from the Dissolution list and the new Government’s need to bulk up with whips. The UK has (embarrassingly) at present the largest second chamber in the world at…
A new Government, a new Parliament, even perhaps a new way of governing. All this is to the good, the wider public is engaged and the challenge will be to keep it engaged. But I’m not sure this will be achieved by obsessive focus on tired old problems – like HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM. We,…
Will the appointed peers be evicted shortly to make room for an all-or mainly-elected Upper House/Senate? I will not rehearse the arguments for and against, which are well known, especially to those who read this blog. When I heard that the LibDem-Tory coalition had firm plans to evict us by Christmas, I was very upset. …
The media keep reporting that the coalition government enjoys a majority in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords. I am not sure what figures they are using! The combined strength of Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers is just under 260 in a House with just over 700 members. There are 211…
Just as Lords of the Blog has become active again, so too has the Palace of Westminster. The new MPs are starting to find their way around what, for some, is completely unfamiliar territory. The first floor of Portcullis House has been given over to providing help and training to new Members. As a result,…
