The House of Lords has recently lost some distinguished members. I was especially sad to hear of the death, last Friday, of Lord St John of Fawsley – Norman St John-Stevas. His greatest contribution to Parliament was, as Leader of the House of Commons in 1979, introducing the motions to establish Departmental Select Committees. He…
Well – what a storm! The most senior cleric in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, launches an impassioned attack on the government’s proposed gay mariage law. I have always been a relatively quiet supporter of same sax mariage if only to protect a couples right to legal protection similar to that offered to heterosexual marriage. I…
This is my last word on privacy on the internet because the debate and discussion is now everywhere. The EU Commission, 39 US Attorneys General, the press – even the Financial Times had an editorial about it – and in the bloggersphere. To retain our goodwill hopefully businesses will try to strike a sensible…
Were you wondering where I’d gone? Well I’m back now from Central America and the Caribbean and mightily pleased I missed all that cold weather. I was in some remote spots and got news from Britain only intermittently. But the health bill figured in almost every bulletin. Turmoil, Coalition falling apart, political storms at Westminster,…
I asked HMG this Question about recent arrests in Turkey (see HL 15667 under 27 Feb 2012 : Column WA325)
Please follow this link to my Questions and Answers re Israel -particularly HL 15557; HL15558; HL 15700; HL 15697; HL15881 Also HL15698
There was a great debate in the Lords today on the governance of the BBC. It was initiated by Lord Inglewood, chair of the Select Committee on Communications. I am very fortunate to be a member, fortunate because there are relatively few committees and many peers would like to participate, and fortunate because there are…
Well – I knew there were some pretty dodgy operations going on at News International but I didn’t think the payments to the police and other organisations were as extensive as they apparently are. In the past I was hearing rumours of hacking, dodgy payments and off course, sexual harrassment at the Sun but I was…
