Some reflections now I have had two weeks in the Lords in session. I have given my maiden speech, asked questions, intervened following a Statement and delivered a speech on growth and the EU re set.
My first impression is there is plenty to do. My working week when in session will include more than a standard 37 hours on Lords business including time in the chamber and committee, dealing with correspondence, talking to other peers,MPs and people seeking to influence public policy, reading to decide what to pursue and to offer policy advice, and to keep up to date with the wide ranging work of the revising chamber. Running this website is also relevant to what I will do in the Lords.
My second is that the Lords does do a lot of detailed useful work on legislation that needs doing. Tge Commons often is too busy to do all the detail and government often introduces lots of new material at the Lords stage.
My third is that when a government with a majority loses control of its own MPs or lacks clear direction and purpose the Lords has a more important advisory role, offering options and pushing back on bad compromises and temporary fixes grasped at by a sinking administration.
I remain wedded to the doctrine that the elected House should make all the big decisions and Manifesto measures approved by electors should be allowed to pass. As an MP there were times when I thought the Lords right to challenge a Conservative government over a non Manifesto measure or a bad response to new developments.The Commons need to ensure the Lords is not a better judge of the public mood or a better voter champion than elected MPs.
My criticism of the Lords then and now remains the same. There are too many peers who read out dull repetitious Establishment speeches. They use foolish, disproved and tired old soundbites to defend net zero, EU compliance, the tyranny of poorly performing “independent” bodies and strange interpretations of international law hostile to UK interests.The Lords for example should be interested in how the Bank of England presided over 11% inflation when it was meant to keep it to 2% and how it is now losing taxpayers £20 bn a year. Giving more speeches about the wonders of independence does not help.
February 28, 2026
Too many tedious speeches?
That’s why the former hereditary peers should be reinstated and the government appointees retired!
February 28, 2026
I fear you will be a voice in the wilderness John. Too many stooges appointed by various PMs
Reward for failure in many cases
A fair amount of traitors sucking of the taxpayer teat
February 28, 2026
With Prime Ministers as appalling as John ERM Major, war on lies Blair, Gordon sell the gold and save the world Brown, Lord Cameron of Greensill, Theresa Net Zero May, Net zero, open door immigration 1m + Boris, abandon ship & tax to death Sunak and Sir Two Tier then you obviously get truly appalling nominations.
With just one or two exceptions like JR.
February 28, 2026
There’s a short extract on Youtube where Lord J is featured, discussing the Chagos fiasco. Lord J politely pointed out that there is a ‘military facility’ exception to one of the legal arguments for the giveaway, the government minister dismissed the ‘newby’ Peer’s point rather arrogantly, essentially telling him to go a read the debate records on this point. If the point made is valid, then it clearly hasn’t been properly addressed and should be! The Lords – grown-up debate to correct the errors..sometimes, perhaps…
February 28, 2026
Israel starts off the next round of attacks on Iran.
Trump can claim he did not start the war. It also ensures Israel does not let America do all the fighting.
February 28, 2026
Trump on Truth Social in a white hat like the good cowboy in the cinema. He is talking, ironically, about ‘the number one state sponsor of terrorism’.
February 28, 2026
Much sense in all you says and your two excellent speeches so far. The country will certainly get good value from you and even better value if they actually listen and acted on your wise advice.
“The Commons need to ensure the Lords is not a better judge of the public mood or a better voter champion than elected MPs.” Sir Two Tier seems to do the complete reverse of what the public demand he is either out to damage the UK or he is totally deluded. Especially on growth and immigration but on every issue.
A good The Sceptic podcast with Fred de Fossard on how the appalling Equality Act fosters discrimination against white males, and Tilak Doshi on Germany’s chemicals industry bloodbath.
In Episode 69 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Fred de Fossard, Director of Strategy at the Prosperity Institute, on the scourge of Labour’s Equality Act 2010, why Reform is right to repeal it and whether Restore Britain is a threat to Farage.
And Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on how Net Zero is sending Germany’s chemicals industry down the drain, and why sceptics are the real climate scientists.
February 28, 2026
Given the new “banter law” where business owners can be sued for people offended by what other customers say (and they overheard and claim they are offended by). What happens if they get a BBC type of Tourette’s person in a the pub or on a bus? Are they supposed to kick them out and then get sued for disabled discrimination or let them stay and then they get sued by other “offended” customers?
The insanity of this governments appalling laws. indeed all governments from Major onwards and even before.
February 28, 2026
What happens when you find someone with Tourette’s in the pub or a bus?
Lawyers make a lot of money.
February 28, 2026
Clearly the election rules should publish the % of postal votes take. Up and how the postal voters voted is there a large difference from how in person voters voted or not due to family voting?
February 28, 2026
It’s not a free and fair election if you’re a woman in a household where the man fills in the postal vote for you.
One would have thought the Greens were in favour of universal suffrage. Have they had to park that virtue to please their new Islamist friends?
Better to just concentrate on the things they can agree on, like Jew hatred and the destruction of British society.
February 28, 2026
Taken from your last paragraph: “There are too many peers” nuff said.
February 28, 2026
I don’t doubt that you will be an asset to the Lords.
Unfortunately, far too many are in a completely different entity: The House of Frauds.
February 28, 2026
“some types of work are inherently bogus, or at best mere busywork”
I am surprised milord that an experienced businessman can think there is a need for 37+ hours work in The Lords.
Seems to me a massive redundancy campaign and re engineering of the business is needed in both houses and indeed the entire Westminster estate.
But we will not do that. So keep playing at ‘work’ like the rest, but remember, we are not impressed.
Reply The work is reading, reviewing and understanding government laws and policies in order to suggest improvements and changes. There is a great deal to understand and review. Re you suggesting no one should bother to do this? Why are you spending time reading this blog and commenting if this is all a waste of time?
February 28, 2026
You have joined the upper chamber at a very interesting time. Turmoil at home and a new war just started in Iran. Turmoil in the markets likely short term, at least. I hope you do what you can to steer us back towards a wise, long view, Britain-first path.
February 28, 2026
Just on the BoE bond sale losses, I think the Lords should be aware that most Gilt prices have been uptrending since September 2025 as the bond market prices in lower prospective interest rates caused by lower prospective inflation.
I believe it is matter of time now before those Gilt prices exceed the prices which the BoE sold them at, eg if they sold a Gilt at GBP 80 they may very well find the bonds reaching > GBP 80, especially in a recession. Whatever the price they were sold at, whatever the net costs of the APF (effectively bank rate minus coupon rate), it all could have been offset by rising bond prices. In short, the losses on the BoE Gilt sales could have been substantially reduced (which are an astonishing GBP 100bn so far and still rising).
The BoE should have held the Gilts to maturity and sold them if the opportunity occurs which looks likely this or next year.
Reply I have proposed holding to maturity as the ECB and Fed do. The shorter the time to maturity the closer the price will be to 100.,