Contributions
194 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWindsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2023My Lords, it has been a long debate and I will not detain your Lordships for much longer, but I want to deal with a couple of issues which have been the theme of today’s debate.…29 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillMy Lords, obviously I have a lot of sympathy with the amendments. I have never really agreed with the phrase that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. There is…29 Mar 2023HANSARDStormont BrakeMy Lords, my noble friend Lady Ritchie highlighted the complexity of the Stormont brake. The Minister rightly indicated that he will hold consultations with the political parties…02 Mar 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation and Organ and Tissue Donation) BillMy Lords, this year is of course the anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, but, tragically, it is also the anniversary of the Omagh bombing. Twenty-five years ago, it fell on…27 Feb 2023HANSARDPostponement of Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 2023My Lords, the Opposition support the Government in this statutory instrument. When the Minister was explaining the rationale behind it, he also explained how complicated electoral…22 Feb 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Budget BillMy Lords, it has been a long night and a difficult debate on difficult issues. I begin by wishing the noble Lord, Lord Empey, who is not in his place, and his family all the very…07 Feb 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillThese are reasonably sensible amendments, but they go only so far. The points made by the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan, and the noble Lord, Lord Bruce, are valid and we look…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillMy Lords, this has been a very impressive, rather stunning debate. I have tabled Clause 18 stand part, which would effectively omit immunity from the Bill. The noble and right…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillMy Lords, this is an interesting and timely debate. I join many of your Lordships in thanking the Minister for his engagement on this Bill. It does not always happen, but it does…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillI think the amendments are very sensible, they come from sensible people and the Minister should take them very seriously. They improve a Bill which we do not like, as we are…24 Jan 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillMy Lords, if I were still Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and someone had suggested to me that the Bill should be introduced and then, immediately after suggesting it,…24 Jan 2023HANSARDIreland/Northern Ireland Protocol: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (European Affairs Committee Sub-Committee Report)My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hannan. It is quite interesting that this debate falls almost exactly to the day when the agreement in Northern…20 Jan 2023HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) BillMy Lords, it is always a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bruce. He talks enormous common sense, and that, of course, is what we want in a debate on Northern Ireland.…05 Dec 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) BillMy Lords, I understand the reasoning behind this amendment. We touched on it in the debate a couple of hours ago with regard to the deadline. It is very tight. I cannot honestly…05 Dec 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) BillMy Lords, this has been a very powerful, informed and serious debate. In fact, nothing else could be graver than the issues that we have been discussing for the last number of…23 Nov 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ElectionsMy Lords, I very much welcome the Statement made in the other place last week. First, it says that there should be no elections in Northern Ireland, and I agree with that. I see…14 Nov 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland Protocol BillMy Lords, I did not intend to come in at this stage—there are further amendments later that I am interested in making a contribution to—but I agree with an awful lot of what the…07 Nov 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland Protocol BillMy Lords, I too support my noble friend’s amendment. When we look at this pointless and rather daft Bill, we realise that it has achieved absolutely nothing. They would have been…07 Nov 2022HANSARDGovernment of Wales (Devolved Powers) Bill [HL]My Lords, it is a very sad day in some ways, in that Northern Ireland is probably going to the people in elections. That is awful, because the position there will be polarised and…28 Oct 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland Protocol BillMy Lords, if it had not been for the United States of America I very much doubt that there would have been a Good Friday agreement. The support we had from our American colleagues…11 Oct 2022