“I urge Her Majesty’s Government and those responsible for European Union policy to approach the Middle East with a proper and necessary sense of humility. We should recognise that our actions – and indeed, our inaction – have led to the wasted yeas of a so-called peace process, with no real peace and at least…
The debate on the “Gracious Address” (never the ‘Queen’s Speech” please note) carries on for 5 days, as Lady D’Souza has already remarked. Yesterday we had the debate on “Home, Legal and Constitutional Affairs”, with 45 speakers, 2 maiden speeches, Lord Bach kicking off for the Home Team and Lord West of Spithead following up…
In 2007 Parliament passed the Legal Services Act, which might – or might not – revolutionise the way lawyers work, especially barristers. The law allows for, but does not insist on, barristers being able to enter partnership with solicitors, or with each other, instead of carrying on in the time honoured fashion as self employed. I chair…
As has already been made clear,the Queen’s Speech is followed by five days of pure debate – roughly divided into broad subject areas. Last Thursday there were 34 speeches on the ‘Foreign Affairs ‘day. Of these, 16 mentioned Afghanistan; and of these two represented passionate appeals to rethink strategy and become seriously involved in reconstruction.…
It is twenty years since the television cameras were admitted to the House of Commons. Be ready to take issue with stories reporting that it is twenty years since ‘parliamentary broadcasting’ began. The House of Commons was catching up with the House of Lords, which had admitted the cameras in 1985. Indeed, there was a programme, ‘Their…
The use of hereditary peerages meant that some peers entered the House at a very young age. Indeed, some succeeded to their titles while they were minors and thus before being entitled to take their seats. The consequence was not only that the House had some young members but that it also had some long-serving…
As I sat listening to the aspirational measures contained in the Queen’s Speech yesterday, the only measure that appeared to be missing was a Bill to abolish sin. Perhaps that will come later.
The House has begun five days of debate on the Queen’s Speech. I have been sat in the chamber listening to today’s debate, which focuses on foreign and European affairs, international development and defence. Though different topics are allocated to each day, the five days of debate are deemed to constitute one debate on the…
One change in the ceremony for the Queen’s Speech yesterday was the arrival of the Justices of the Supreme Court in their new robes. They occupied the two rows in the middle of the chamber right at the front – ahead of peers but behind the senior judges who attend each year. The High Court…
