A number of readers have lamented the absence in recent months of the quiz, so I thought I would reintroduce it, not least in the period of prorogation. This time there is a difference in that there will be a tangible prize: a copy of my The Voice of the Backbenchers. It will be winging…
Parliament was prorogued this evening. Prior to prorogation, remaining Bills that have passed all their stages receive Royal Assent. One of the Bills getting Royal Assent tonight was the Byles Bill – now the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. We thus have in place provision for the expulsion of any member sentenced to a term…
Last night’s debate in the Lords may – for once – fully justify the plaudits we get from the fan club for “wise, eloquent and dispassionate” discussion, contrasting with the hurly-burly at the Commons end of the building. The subject? “Constitutional Implications of Coalition Government” may not sound that enticing (please stifle that yawn!), but…
I have done a post on my own blog on the problem of politicians who regularly lament the fact that there is too much legislation, but then complain when the Government does not have that many Bills to bring before Parliament. The fact that there is not much legislation is the reason for Parliament being prorogued a…
Lord (Chris) Patten has been, and will continue to be, the most excellent Chancellor of Oxford University, held in affection by all. He is there when needed, his speeches are always a delight and apt for the occasion, and his attentions are directed to all colleges equally (unlike his predecessor Lord (Roy) Jenkins, who made it…
Mindfulness is popping up all over the place at the moment. Is it just another ‘trendy’ fad or is something deeper going on, reflecting in part a growing feeling of insecurity and anxiety? I pose the question because yesterday I attended a packed launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness. The launch builds…
The House of Lords Reform (No. 2) Bill – the Byles Bill – is now one step closer to making it to the statute book. Introduced in the Commons by Dan Byles, it received its Second Reading in the Lords on 28 March. The Bill removes non-attending peers from membership of the House and brings…
I drafted the following points for an organization in Somerset,but perhaps they deserve a wider audience. 1: The co-existence over many generations of English, Welsh, Scots and Irish, with their widely differing cultures, in one state, is a remarkable achievement and potential model. It has been challenged by Irish republicanism and now by Scottish nationalism. …
After years of lobbying and the start of infraction proceedings by the European Commission against the UK and French Government, Eurotunnel has today announced reductions in access charges for rail freight services using the Channel Tunnel. The changes, which take effect from June 2014, will see tolls for the ‘off peak’ period, when most traffic…
