In response to an earlier post, Croft asked if I would write about the choice of supporting peers for a peer’s introduction into the House of Lords. Newly created life peers, archbishops (on appointment or translation), and bishops (on first receiving a writ of summons or on translation to another see) are ceremonially introduced before…
I have posted a reply to the comments on lobbying (see below) for those interested. Meanwhile as an occasional scuba diver I was fascinated to see this item on the warship sunk in 1744 and apparently just discovered by divers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7863840.stm Some years ago I agreed to dive on a wreck on the Goodwin Sands.…
As Steph promptly answered yesterday’s question, here’s a couple more: Peer 1 1. As a peer, I have been in and out. 2. I spent a year organising my parliamentary troops. 3. I have served royalty. Who am I? Peer 2: 1. I am one of the youngest members of the House. 2. I was a candidate…
This weekend’s quiz question (though I may do another, depending on how quickly this one is answered): Which peer set a record by serving in the same government post for the whole of the period of Conservative government from 1979 to 1997?
Lord Soley raises the important question of lobbying, that is, making representations in order to achieve a change in public policy. Lobbying is often used as a perjorative term, but it is intrinsic to a free society. In the USA, it enjoys constitutional protection. Lord Soley rightly identifies transparency as crucial to parliamentary lobbying: it…
I am not going to comment on the allegations against the four Members named in the press as they have yet to state their defence but already immense damage has been done to the reputation of the House. So while we wait for further reform of the Lords (which in my view ought to be incremental)…
The Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw, gave evidence to the Constitution Committee in the Lords yesterday. It was a wide-ranging session covering a number of constitutional issues. I put a number of questions to him. The Lord Chancellor knows who I am, and has variously quoted me, but he seems to have problems with my name. …
The House was originally scheduled to have a debate today on developments in Gaza (see my earlier post). However, given the number of peers who have signed up to speak, it has been re-scheduled and a Friday sitting (6 February) cleared for it. As I previously reported, some of those contributing are extremely well qualified to…
Reading today’s Times, I was struck by an interesting contrast. In the main section, there was an article and a sketch on page 13, covering the current controversy, plus a leader on page 2. In the Daily Universal Register, on page 27, listing birthdays, it mentions that Lord Rix [Brian Rix] gave up comedy acting…
