lord of the blog

« March 2006 | Main | May 2006 »

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Responses

Oh dear! I have to choose between Hansard and the 'theyworkforyou' site. Alas I owe it to Hansard but I will do a link to 'theyworkforyou' which is long overdue anyway.

Peter Kenyon. I don't want to repeat the arguments on Lords reform. You can look back on this blog for details but many country's have an unelected or partially elected second chamber. Without a written constitution an elected Lords would become another House of Commons. There are better options. I want a hybrid House and I will try and put a short paper on this site soon.

Paul. Polls on this blog are an interesting idea and I was talking to an academic yesterday about that possibility. I am not quite sure how to structure it so any ideas would be welcome.

Andrew MB. The problem is not criticism - it is abuse and repetition. A critical comment is fine but it is not too much to expect it to be written without abuse.

Many thanks to everyone for the useful comments on blogging and the problem of editing. If blogs are to compliment or replace the existing media then they do need to recognise the rights of others. I don't want to take the passport route and so far this editing policy seems to be working.

UN Reform

UN Reform came up in questions on Wednesday. I wasn't very satisfied by the Ministers answer as we do need some way of ensuring this stays on our agenda.

I am talking to other Lords members to see if we can set up a committee to look at UN reform in a more structured way.

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60426-01.htm#60426-01_star0

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Charles Clark

No one can doubt how serious it is for the Home Office to admit failure in dealing with convicted foreign nationals by releasing them rather then deporting them.

I admire the way Charles Clark has responded to this in his public statements and I think it is a good example of how we should respond when failures do occur. None of that diminishes the importance of this issue and the damage it will do to the Government.

I'm sure our opponents will be lining up to take advantage of this but I'm equally sure we have the ability and determination to overcome these problems. The open and honest way Charles has dealt with this will help.

Joint Committee of Lords and MPs

There was a short debate on the proposed Joint Committee of Lords and MPs to consider some of the conventions existing between the two Houses. The main Party's and the cross benches had agreed to the Committee being set up but the debate went much wider and a vote against the Committee was called for and lost.

The debate, although dominated by critics, gives a flavour of the continuing arguments about reform. The Committee will be set up in the near future and I may seek to become a member.

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60425-03.htm#60425-03_head0

Carbon storage and capture

I was surprised and pleased to know that we are linking up with the Chinese on this issue. With China opening one coal fired power station every week it couldn't be more timely.

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60425-02.htm

Monday, April 24, 2006

Science and technology debate

There was a good debate on new technology and its impact on learning last week. It was initiated by Baroness Greenfield and is a good example of why the appointment of some Peers should not be lost when we continue to reform the Lords.

Her call for more research on aspects of learning and new technology is very pertinent. Her concern that screen technology might impact on reading skills or enthusiasm is important. I suspect the hyperactivity problem she refers to might have more to do with chemical additives then we are currently aware of but all these thoughts deserve more study.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60420-18.htm#60420-18_unstar0

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Palestine/Israel

The following exchanges took place in the Lords yesterday.

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60419-03.htm#60419-03_star0

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60419-03.htm#60419-03_star0

Monday, April 17, 2006

Race

A very disturbing bit of evidence was published today suggesting that around 25% of British people have considered voting for the BNP. This doesn't entirely surprise me as canvasses for the main political parties will confirm that concern about immigration often comes up on the doorstep.

I think the main cause is worry about immigration but recent Islamophobia and certain social conditions in some parts of the country will also be a factor.

In the 1980's and 90's the Tory Party and the tabloid press were very quick to play on such fears. Hopefully David Cameron will not return to that. It is a sad fact however that when the major party of the right avoids racism then the far right vote goes up. The Tory Prime Minister Ted Heath had this problem when he confronted Enoch Powell in the early 1970's.

There was an important change in some of the tabloids in the 1990's. I can't quite remember when it was but the political editor of the Sun, Trevor Kavanagh came up to me in the Commons about eight to ten years ago and said "You'll be pleased to know Clive, that we have decided to stop being racist and homophobic".   I was truly speechless but I think the appropriate quote is "Never question the motives of the man on the road to Damascus". Have I got that quote right?

Blog research

Thanks for the generally helpful comments. For the record I have not blocked or edited the conventionally worded critical comments about me or policy generally. the problem has been abuse, repetition,libelous comments about third party people and racist comments.

One person suddenly became more abusive but claims he was not the author of some of the comments with his name on. I have my doubts about that but I am open to persuasion if the comments return to normal.

Meanwhile comments will continue to be held subject to editing but I will not introduce a password policy.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Blog research

Following several attempts to block this blog it is worth asking what is the future for open blogs? Do we have to go down the password route or hold all comments back for editorial approval?

This is always going to be a difficult area for blogs that are contentious whether for political, religious or other reasons. I have tried, mostly successfuilly, to keep an open blog.

I think most people shrug off the offensive language and regard it as a sign of immaturity but it might make them less inclined to post comments.

Any views?

Friday, April 07, 2006

Editing policy

Following another attempt to block this blog with repetitive and abusive comments I am holding posts back until they have been checked. I'm sorry if this causes inconvenience to those who want to encourage the development of political blogs but as so often a small minority can always limit other peoples freedom of expression.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Northern Ireland

When I was Labour's Northern Ireland spokesman in the 1980's we had a policy of seeking to unite Ireland by consent. The basis of that policy was that re-unification could not be achieved without the consent of a majority of the people in the North.

We knew that Unionists would refuse to move significantly but we felt that should not stop us working with the Government of the Republic to achieve closer co-operation between the North and the South.

Looking at the article in today's Guardian by Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (see link below) it seems the Unionists have now brought about the very policy they opposed in the 1980's. Everyone now accepts, including Sinn Fein,that consent has to be there before re-unification is possible.

It is still hard to predict the long term future for Northern Ireland but the greater the harmonisation between North and South and the longer they avoid a return to violence the greater the chances of a political settlement that makes the border an historical anomaly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1747741,00.html

Responses

There has been another attempt to flood this blog with offensive comments. I will continue to delete them but if you accidentally hit on one pass straight over it. I like to think they will grow out of it but it might take time and I may have to take more radical action.

Tax System. This is one of the defining lines between Left and Right of the political spectrum. Finding a system that is simple but also fair and effective has defied all Chancellors. As Shug says, taking money off people  doesn't incentivise them but properly used it does incentivise indirectly. Education and the well fare to work programme are just two examples. So the Left always has to show that the money is being well used or people do rebel - usually in the ballot box!

This is why the Government is trying to deal rapidly with the financial problems in the NHS. Nothing is more damaging then a general feeling that "We have paid the money but don't see the improvements". I don't think we are at that stage mainly because people have seen the improvements - despite attempts by some newspapers to suggest that Britain is dying on its feet.

The Opposition (both in the media and in politics) have a problem because Britain does accept the need for higher public spending which is why the Tories have switched their ground and people can also see a lot of the improvements. Maintaining that is not easy and needs constant attention.