Contributions
734 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBrexit: Article 50That this House calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to revoke the notification of 29 March 2017 in accordance with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.25 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexitMy Lords, I agree with every word that the noble Lord, Lord Bowness, has just said, and my speech continues from where he left off. It seems to me that plan B is to revoke Article…25 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexitThe Minister has made a very important statement. Are we to understand that, if the third meaningful vote does not take place tomorrow, the statutory instrument changing the exit…25 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexit: Article 50My Lords, the Minister’s response was almost enough to provoke me into making a further speech, particularly his remark that the proposal to revoke is one of my more ridiculous…25 Mar 2019HANSARDArrangement of BusinessMy Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, for his very considerate response to our discussion last Thursday and I recommend that, if he were to take further advice on the…18 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]I think Brenda from Bristol might be keen to take part in this election, because she currently has no say over any Member of this House. For the first time, Brenda from Bristol…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My noble friend Lord Snape takes huge offence at that remark by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. He represents in his person all the railway workers of the United Kingdom.15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]I am very grateful to the noble Lord for explaining the amendment. I now understand it and will hold in my mind the complex formula that he has just set out. However, my…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]I entirely agree. In so far as I understand what the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Northbrook, does, I would not make any concessions to the Burns commission. While the House…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]I have read this amendment twice, and I do not understand how it works. However, I shall address the big issue underlying it, which is the size of the House. Being today in the…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, this is not a sensible amendment. We have one absurd system for electing hereditary Peers at the moment, which it is proposed be replaced by another. While I could not…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, what we have seen today is a serious abuse of the procedures of the House by the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, to stifle debate on a matter of significant public moment.…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]No, it does not; it is very important to understand what happens. At the moment a health check is undertaken, but not a judgment as to whether the nomination takes into account…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, the noble Earl is very much into these high-tech solutions. Being old-fashioned and believing that people vote by putting crosses on ballot papers, I do not necessarily…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, that is a completely absurd intervention from the Liberal Democrat Benches. Of course democracy comes with a cost. The question is whether we are prepared to meet it.…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]Or an election by 40 million of our fellow citizens of this country, I believe it should be the 40 million. I believe that they would support that in the pubs of Birmingham, too.15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, let me be completely frank. If it is a choice between the next election to this House taking place with an electorate of—what is it?15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, I support the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde. It is not an irrelevant amendment and it does not distract from the purpose of the Bill. On the contrary, it…15 Mar 2019HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]I hope the noble Lord will forgive me. Would his statutory commission apply just to Cross-Bench Peers, as now, or does he see it applying to party Peers too? He will know that…15 Mar 2019HANSARDAdjournmentMy Lords, I have very great confidence that if we had a Prime Minister worthy of the title, this country would not be proceeding with a no-deal Brexit and the changes I refer to…14 Mar 2019