It is variously claimed that the combination of Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties in the House of Lords provides the coalition with an inbuilt majority. It has not proven so inbuilt as to protect the Government from defeat. In yesterday’s proceedings on Report stage of the Public Bodies Bill, there were three votes and the Government lost…
The House achieved a notable success on Monday. As readers will recall, the Public Bodies Bill attracted criticism from all parts of the House. It is a ‘Henry VIII’ Bill, enabling ministers to change primary legislation – in this case, Acts establishing particular public bodies – by order (that is, secondary legislation). A particular focus…
I agree with Lord Knight’s assessment of the Public Bodies Bill. It is making slow progress through the House. This is in part because of time being taken by the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill and also because peers are keen to discuss the bodies included in the different schedules of the Bill. A number are…
It is tempting to blog on how the conventions in the Companion are being ripped up by the Government by not allowing time between the committee and report stages of the Parliamentary Bill. But I suspect interest in that legislative marathon is waning. As we wait and see whether a credible deal will be done…
The Commons rose yesterday for Christmas and the Lords rise today. MPs and peers are decanting Westminster as quickly as they can, a combination of a desire to get away and to get home before the weather gets any worse. My attachment to the place is such that I am never in any hurry to…
