Monthly Archives: May 2011
Meeting the President
Hull University Politics Department produces eagle-eyed graduates. One of them, Andrew Barrett, spotted this picture of me being introduced to President Obama. You can see the back of the head of the Speaker, John Bercow, on the right of the picture. … Continue reading
Where am I?
This is the only picture I have seen so far of those attending the speech in Westminster Hall by President Obama and where I can see the back of my head. Anyone with a few minutes to waste is invited … Continue reading
Spot the errors
President Obama delivered an excellent speech yesterday. He also opened with a very good joke: “My Lord Chancellor, Mr Speaker, Mr Prime Minister, my Lords, and Members of the House of Commons: I have known few greater honours than the … Continue reading
The President in Parliament
Preident Obama this afternoon addressed members of both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. He is only the fourth foreign dignitary to do so following President Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela and the Pope. The Hall was packed. I got … Continue reading
Whose responsibility?
MP John Hemming has named the footballer who has been the subject of a super-injunction. His name has been doing the rounds for some time. The issue of super-injunctions (issue of principle, impact of new media, courts v. media) has been infinitely … Continue reading
Going to the dogs
The Government’s plans for the future of the House of Lords have justifiably received a bad press. They have been described by some as a ‘dog’s breakfast’. However, I have noticed that some commentators have referred to them as a … Continue reading
Must schedule lunch
It has been another of those weeks, which at the moment means a typical week. On Monday, I had to get down to spend most of my time in the chamber for the second day of Report stage on the … Continue reading
Clegg before the committee
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, appeared before the Constitution Committee yesterday morning as part of our inquiry into the process of constitutional change. Given the timing, we also explored the issue of Lords reform. I was keen to put the debate … Continue reading
White Paper and draft Bill
The Government today published its White Paper and House of Lords Reform Draft Bill. It bears out my previous comments. It is truly stunning in its apparent ignorance of history, the impact of electoral systems and indeed political reality. It … Continue reading
As bad as one another…
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, appeared before the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in the Commons on Thursday. On the issue of the House of Lords, he followed the line taken by Hilary Benn earlier in the week, arguing … Continue reading
The Norton View 