After the House has been sitting for several hours discussing legislation, it is the usual practice to break at a convenient point around 7.30 p.m. for what is known as dinner-break business. This gives those peers who have been heavily engaged in discussing the legislation, especially front-benchers, an opportunity to have a break and get…
As I was an MP until I retired from the Commons in 2005, my allowance claims for the previous year were examined by Sir Thomas Legg and his team. I received my letter from him at the weekend, giving me the all clear. He wrote “I have not identified any payments made to you under…
It appears we are not alone. There is another blog by parliamentarians. In this case, though, it is confined to one party. Labour MPs in New Zealand contribute to a blog. We can claim to retain our unique status in that we are cross-party. We also differ from the New Zealand blog in that we…
I thought I would pick up on Lord Soley’s post on the Bonfire of the Vanities. As he says, it is 175 years since the Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire. The House of Lords went up in flames first, followed by the Commons. Westminster Hall was saved. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord…
The Cambridge Primary Review report has recommended that children start school at 6 rather than 5. I have always been attracted to this idea mainly because I know it is practised in a number of other countries that do well on schooling. Looking at the report however it is clear that we also do well…
175 years ago today the Houses of Parliament were burnt to the ground. The great fire of 1834 destroyed much of beauty but resulted in Barry’s now world famous Houses of Parliament. To read the story go to: http://www.parliament.uk/about/podcasts/1834fire.cfm I’m surprised that Lord Norton hadn’t put this in as a quiz question!
On Tuesday 13th October, The Grand Committee Room, the largest one in the House of Commons, was packed for a meeting jointly arranged by the All-Party Group on Conflict Issues and the Forgiveness Project. It was sensitively chaired by Simon Hughes, MP for Bermondsey. Two speakers reflected on where they and we now are, 25…
In recent decades, both Houses have become more specialised through the use of investigative select committees. These are highly active and productive bodies. They are a formal part of the parliamentary process. They meet in public to take evidence: their membership is a matter of public record, as is the attendance of the members. Attendance…
The issue of lap dancing is becoming an issue. I am getting letters about the provisions in the Policing and Crime Bill for licensing lap dancing clubs. The Bill introduces new and tighter provisions for the licensing of such clubs, but some bodies are pressing for the provisions to go further. At the moment, lap dancing clubs…
