Contributions
17 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, as the Minister’s inspiring speech emphasised, and the excellent maiden speech by the noble Lord, Lord Barrow, reiterated, all the indications are that Russia is…31 Oct 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillMy Lords, the measure before us represents the possibility of the greatest alleviation of pain and suffering in this country since Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin 97…12 Sept 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill02 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, the adjective “historic” is bandied about far too often in politics, covering all sorts of things that are unlikely to detain historians of the future. Football matches,…02 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI welcome the assurances given by the Minister and will not seek to test the opinion of the House. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.02 Jul 2025HANSARDUK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos ArchipelagoMy Lords, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, which has been a major driving force behind these legal attacks on the British Indian Ocean Territories, was…30 Jun 2025HANSARDData (Use and Access) Bill [HL]My Lords, may I also trespass on your patience? I, like my noble friend Lord Dobbs, live on my royalties. The AI companies have—very irritatingly—bought only one of my 20 books;…02 Jun 2025HANSARDUkraine (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)My Lords, I, too, welcome this excellent report, which struck me as a model of its kind. Of course, after the disgraceful scene in the Oval Office on Friday, the situation has…06 Mar 2025HANSARDCultural Sector: Freedom of SpeechMy Lords, for over 200 years the Royal Society of Literature has been promoting excellence in literature but over the last couple of years, it has exercised censorship; it failed…08 Jan 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, speaking as a historian, it seems to me that severing the link between Parliament and the noble families of Britain, after so many centuries of their service, will…11 Dec 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionMy Lords, unlike my noble friend Lord Taylor, I had a terrible time at my public school and was expelled—or, more accurately, I was asked to leave and not come back—so I cannot be…05 Sept 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, it would be churlish not to congratulate the Labour Party on its stunning victory on 4 July and unpatriotic not to wish the Government luck and a fair wind. Since the…23 Jul 2024HANSARDLord Byron: 200th AnniversaryMy Lords, the siting of the Byron statue in the dual carriageway is mad, bad and dangerous to show. Does the Minister agree that the great British public, who have poetry in their…16 Apr 2024HANSARDForeign AffairsMy Lords, I have three quick questions for my noble friend the Foreign Secretary. Does he agree that, for centuries, freedom of the press has essentially meant freedom from the…05 Mar 2024HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationMy Lords, even if we were to take as accurate Hamas’s statistics and the 27,500 figure—there is no reason why we should; we do not do that with Putin or ISIS—if one subtracts the…08 Feb 2024HANSARDSchools: SafeguardingMy Lords, I join everybody else in thanking my noble friend Lady Jenkin for securing time for this important and interesting debate. As a historian, I will give your Lordships a…07 Dec 2023HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I preface my remarks by thanking the doorkeepers, the police, Black Rod and the clerks for their unfailing courtesy and good nature to me over the last year. In…15 Nov 2023