The House is still sitting – 6.00 a.m. on Tuesday (though technically still Monday as far as the House is concerned). Another attempt to adjourn the House at 3.30 a.m. was defeated. We are discussing amendments in the third grouping, that’s after more than twelve hours of debate. Whatever the amendment, some peers keep talking at length about their constituency experience in the Commons.
At least the River restaurant opens early, at 6.30 a.m. I’ll be able to get breakfast.
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A very good morning Lord Norton! I stopped watching the house at 12.45 this morning, and have just tuned in again at 08:12 am!
tory boy: You will have noticed that we have not got that much further from when you last tuned in!
How right you are! Talk about dragging your feet! Have you managed to get any sleep? Are there rooms put aside as sleeping rooms?
tory boy: Some rooms were set aside, but I briefly got a nap in the Library. I feel comfortable surrounded by books.
I’ve been working on extracting statistical information from the historical Hansards, including duration of sittings. Upto 1999 the longest I have found so far is a debate from 29 Feb 1968, with no mention of board games or celebrity talks laid on! (I think the 2005 Prevention of Terrorism debate is the longest ever though?). Averaging the sitting durations over the century gives an interesting graph showing they have (very roughly) tripled from the 20s to the 90s. Of course an increase in the quantity of debate does not necessarily mean an increase in quality…
As it stands, do you think the government will get their way and get this piece of legislation through in enough time to allow for a May referendum?