Having done a post about Big Ben and the Clock Tower, I thought I would redress the balance with a post about the tower at the other end (the Lords’ end) of the Palace. Victoria Tower dominates the southern end of the Palace of Westminster. At ground level, there is the Sovereign’s Entrance, where the…
I have read the comments on my colleague Baroness D’Souza post concerning Zimbabwe (See her post 22.12.08 below) carefully. I agree with Baroness D’Souza that international politics does not attract much interest on this blog – a pity because it is one of my main interests! I also agree that organisations like the Westminster Foundation can…
The move towards having female Bishops in the Church of England means that in the fullness of time we are likely to have female Bishops sitting in the House of Lords. I see from a report in yesterday’s edition of The Times that the Canon Steward at Westminster Abbey, Jane Hedges, says that she has picked…
The terrible tragedy that continues to play out in the Middle East must serve as a reminder of the importance of getting this problem resolved. People often say that there is no solution but people use to say that about Northern Ireland. It is the job of politicians to address apparently insoluble problems. It may…
Here’s a question to start off the New Year. I like to think that it is Google-proof, but no doubt I shall soon be proved wrong! The answer can be gleaned, though, by a bit of careful research. Here are the clues: 1. I sit in the House of Lords. 2. I am unusual in…
Happy New Year to everyone. When the Palace of Westminster was completed in the 1850s, it was regarded as an architectural wonder. It remains an iconic edifice. When one thinks of Parliament, one thinks of the Palace of Westminster. Perhaps the most photographed feature of the Palace is the Clock Tower, which houses the Great…
Both Houses of Parliament are among the busiest legislative chambers in the world. 2008 has been a busy one for the House of Lords, though no more than usual. Some of it activities have attracted media attention – as over the defeat of the proposal for detention without charge for 42 days – but they are very much…
Last month, I won an award from my professional body, the Political Studies Association. (For anyone particularly interested in why, see page 15 of the awards brochure.) The award was presented to me by Lord Plant of Highfield, a name now known to those who have read the comments on the previous post. I was allocated…
Another quick question for those wishing to test their grey cells over the Christmas period. There are four members of the House of Lords who hold or have held university posts as professors of politics and who have served, in one capacity or another, in the Politics Department of Hull University. Who are they?
