I have spent the past few days in Switzerland advising members of the Iraqi Constitutional Review Committee on the establishment of a second chamber. Agreement has been reached on creating a second chamber. The committee has responsibility for recommending the form it take. My role has essentially been twofold. One has been to explain the…
Second chambers are remarkable for a number of reasons. Most countries don’t have one, though they are common in federal states and Western nations. Though a minority taste, and often controversial, they can serve useful purposes and a number of developing countries and new democracies have established, or are considering establishing, them. The proposal for…
Last Thursday, 20th March, was the 5 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. To mark the occasion, Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords tabled a bill demanding that an inquiry into the war begins before the next session of parliament. On Thursday morning, a group of concerned parliamentarians gathered in Old Palace Green…
Question time on Thursday gave me the opportunity to make a point about training the Iraqi army and also about Chinese repression in Tibet. These are both contentious issues. Iraq. Whatever your views about the invasion of Iraq I hope people will agree that training the Iraqi army is vital for the future stability of the…
