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122 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, on Second Reading of this Bill, many, many months ago now—indeed, more than a year ago—I said that this was a nasty little Bill. I thought that, over the next few…10 Mar 2026HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, this debate becomes more and more confusing as time goes by. It strikes at the heart of the way we manage this House, where we ask the usual channels to meet regularly…14 Oct 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, at Second Reading I called the Bill a “nasty little Bill” because it failed to seek any kind of consensus on a serious reform of the House and failed to advance an…21 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I think that some of my noble friends have been waiting a long time for this moment. It is late at night, so I assure noble Lords that I will not test the opinion of the…09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I cannot hide my disappointment that the noble Lord, Lord Newby, and the noble Baroness, Lady Smith—the Leader of the House—have not accepted my words. But I am pleased…09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, before the noble Baroness sits down, what authority will this committee have? Would it be regarded by the Government as having authority? In other words, would its…02 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, my support for this amendment is largely symbolic, but at least it is consistent with things that I have said and stood for in the past. The noble Lord, Lord Newby,…02 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I am following my noble friend’s argument and I very much support him, but does he believe, as I do, that, after 2005, there was an understanding between the Labour…25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillAin’t going to happen.25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I feel deeply flattered by the noble Baroness. I always thought she was younger than me, but there we are. In her introductory remarks, she accused the Conservative…25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, the night is young and there is still plenty of time, so it is a real delight to move Amendment 90A in front of an audience of the Labour Party on its Benches. I have to…25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken. I can tell the noble Lord, Lord Newby, that I have not given up on the idea of an elected House, but I am a realist, and I do…25 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillWe should thank my noble friend Lord Blencathra for introducing this amendment. It is a subject worth discussing. Since this Bill is designed to fling out a cohort of your…12 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, can I just reply to the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, on what I thought was a disobliging and wholly unnecessary speech? He said that this is a five-clause Bill and does not…12 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, as somebody who is about to be expelled from the House of Lords, I cannot help feeling a little bit sorry for the right reverend Prelates on the Spiritual Bench. At the…12 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I have signed the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Newby, but I really enjoyed listening to my noble friend Lord Blencathra, who raised many sensible…10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI thank the noble Baroness for putting me right.10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillAnyway, that took us to 1998-99 and the promise in the 1997 Blairite manifesto that there would be a democratic reform. Here we are, 28 years after that, and there is no further…10 Mar 2025