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steepholmDefenders of the House of Lords often advance the idea that, although it has no democratic mandate of any kind, this deficit is made up for by the wisdom and expertise of its members. This strikes me as being about as persuasive as "I'm sure Will and Kate will make great parents - they have such lovely smiles." Having heard the ludicrous arguments advanced in the Lords against same sex marriage recently, along with innumerable editions of Today in Parliament, frankly I'm not inclined to rate the majority of the cronies, clerics, timeservers and superannuated buffoons who festoon the red benches as some kind of intellectual elite.
But don't take my word for it. Here's Lord Howell of Guildford in Surrey, arguing what his son-in-law George Osborne no doubt believes but is not yet oblivious enough to say out loud, about the environmental effects of fracking:
Of course, he has now left skid marks on the wool sack from all his hasty back-tracking - but you know fine well he means it.
While we're here - via Cheryl Morgan - the Brighton Argus dropped a turd of an article onto the mats of its many GLBT readers in the wake of the UK's Europes first trans* pride festival last week - noting its existence only at the end of an article about a local dog show.
Stay classy, Argus. [ETA: The Argus has now apologized, and is running a proper article on the event in tomorrow's paper. Result!]
But don't take my word for it. Here's Lord Howell of Guildford in Surrey, arguing what his son-in-law George Osborne no doubt believes but is not yet oblivious enough to say out loud, about the environmental effects of fracking:
Would you accept that it could be a mistake to think of and discuss fracking in terms of the whole of the United Kingdom in one go? I mean there obviously are, in beautiful natural areas, worries about not just the drilling and the fracking, which I think are exaggerated, but about the trucks, and the delivery, and the roads, and the disturbance, and those are quite justified worries. But there are large and uninhabited and desolate areas. Certainly in part of the North East where there's plenty of room for fracking, well away from anybody's residence, where we could conduct without any kind of threat to the rural environment. So would you agree with me, that the distinction should be made between one area and another, rather than lump them all together?"
Of course, he has now left skid marks on the wool sack from all his hasty back-tracking - but you know fine well he means it.
While we're here - via Cheryl Morgan - the Brighton Argus dropped a turd of an article onto the mats of its many GLBT readers in the wake of the UK's Europes first trans* pride festival last week - noting its existence only at the end of an article about a local dog show.
Stay classy, Argus. [ETA: The Argus has now apologized, and is running a proper article on the event in tomorrow's paper. Result!]