There are three questions this week. As with last week’s quiz, the first two readers to reply with the correct answers will be the winners. Question 1 In the House of Lords, a Bishop is addressed as “the right reverend prelate”. But how is an Archbishop addressed? Question 2 How many former Commissioners of the…
There are various members of the Lords who saw service during the Second World War. In an early post, I mentioned that Lord Campbell of Alloway was a prisoner-of-war in Colditz. As some readers may know, Baroness Trumpington served in naval intelligence at code-breaking Bletchley Park. She is extremely interesting on the subject. A reader has sent…
The American Dream is what makes Americans American. The Dream has always been about social and economic mobility, guaranteed rights and golden opportunity. This is at the heart of John Steinbeck’s epic novel Grapes of Wrath and the Joad family’s quest for a new life. Recently, the Dream has been rudely interrupted. Global financial…
One reader has suggested to me that, having written about some of the formidable Baronesses in the House, I write about some of their male equivalents. The male equivalent to Baroness Trumpington is probably the 13th Earl Ferrers. Readers will already be aware that his family name is Shirley and that he entered the House…
I have previously written about the long summer recesses. The Times today has an editorial arguing the case for Parliament’s deliberations to be spread more evenly over the year. As it notes, MPs are not on holiday for the period of the recess, but nonetheless the recess means that government goes on with no parliamentary…
Candidates for office in America have traditionally sent out regular campaign emails. If you wish to support a candidate, one way is to sign up to receive their daily, weekly, or monthly email updates. It’s a tried and tested method for spreading a candidate’s views efficiently. However, this past presidential election saw a change in…
Mention of Baroness Trumpington reminds me of another event. The noble Baroness is not alone in constituting a formidable presence in the House. As regular readers will be aware, I share an office with a number of Baronesses (three of them pictured right, busily at work). Our office is on the law lords’ corridor. Some…
I was impressed by the number of responses, and correct answers, to last week’s quiz. As a result, I have decided that this week we will have winners rather than a winner: the first two readers to respond with the correct answers will be the winners. Question 1 I have twice been Deputy Leader of the House…
I know a number of readers are fans of Baroness Trumpington, who has already been the subject of one or two of my posts. A reader who definitely falls in that category has drawn my attention to a story on her written earlier this year by Quentin Letts. You can read the story here. I…
