One question posed by ladytizzy is: does the Queen have a regular consultation with a representative of the House of Lords, similar to the weekly audience with the PM? The answer is straightforward: no. There is no reason why she should. She sees the PM in his capacity as her principal minister, not as a…
Titles are a subject of contention (should a peerage carry a right to a seat in the upper house?) and of confusion. To illustrate the last point let me open with an admission. I am not Lord Norton! I am Lord Norton of Louth. When I became a peer, there was (and still is) a…
Got back from New Orleans yesterday after a great week’s trip as ‘an accompanying spouse’ to the American Chemical Society…6000 very welcome academic chemists in one town which desperately needs the tourists back after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The old French Quarter and Garden District were untouched and as beautiful as ever…
During the Parliamentary recess MPs spend time with their constituents. However Peers – when not enjoying rare time with their families – may suffer from withdrawal symptoms, feeling cut off from the public affairs of the day. Hence (perhaps) my interest in the judges’ verdict on the notorious BAe/Saudi case, which the Serious Fraud Office…
I shall be in Brussels tomorrow visiting the European Parliament. Most of my visits are normally in a parliamentary capacity, though this visit is primarily for academic purposes. Brussels is handy for Eurostar, though the split site for the EP (Brussels and Strasbourg), with MEPs decanting to Strasbourg for a week each month, remains a…
Our fame is spreading. Last Thursday I did a ten minute interview about our blog for Australian radio and today a short interview for ABC – the US channel. They both found it difficult to understand that Lords can blog – I think their view of us is somewhat dated!
I have just seen Theo Walcott score a goal against Liverpool. This will enrage my son who is a Liverpool supporter but enthuse my daughter who is an Arsenal supporter. So what is my interest? Virtually none – I am a mobile embarrassment for my family when it comes to football. Theo Walcott gets a…
Are referendums a good or bad idea? We had lengthy discussions in the Lords on the issue when the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill was before the House. Parliament has legislated for referendums in different parts of the UK and they have been promised by political parties on different issues. The question of a…
Thanks to Amy Hopkinson for drawing my attention yesterday to the G2 section of the Guardian. Stephen Moss has written about this blog. I’m not sure that the author quite knows what he is letting himself in for when he writes: ‘Lord Norton has grasped the key rule of successful blogging: write about yourself.’ I…
