Any news?

I expect that you have all received your complimentary half yearly copy of Packer's Upbeat Spin by now. Good, innit? Commendable use of the earth's bountiful resources by a notional park authority.

Hi Grunts, not Black Shuck then?

Something must be in the wind, we haven't heard the Doctor crowing in his usual upbeat spin disseminating manner lately .

I'm darned certain that someone is a little touchy, but why?

Broadside wrote:

The opposition to the Bill in the House of Lords was well explained by Lord Glenarthur but the damage that Tony Blair has done to that house was really obvious as Labour Peers lined up to extol its virtues. The relative impartiality of the Lords seems to be disappearing fast.
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Funny that: I thought this was a private bill being promoted by the Bishop of Norwich....apparently not.

Perhaps this is part of the reason why someone is getting touchy.

So it was only Blair and Labour who packed the upper house? I don't think so!
There has been more reform of the Upper House over the last ten years than at probably any time in its history - although still not enough IMHO.

As for someone getting touchy - not half touchy enough!
In the event of the bill not having received Royal assent before the next election, what happens then?

Poppy


Touche

I am afraid I do not know the answer to your question.

peter waller wrote:

The members of the Opposed Bill Committee have not yet been appointed nor has a date been set for the Committee to meet. The Committee will not be meeting until January 2009 at the earliest.'

So, there is to be a delay to the anticipated date for the Opposed Bill Committee. Seems to create something of an Autumnal window sufficiently ample to accommodate the BA's annual open public address opportunity? Plenty of time before all that new office furniture arrives and the heating gets switched on.


If you study the Lords second reading debate contribution of Lord Taylor of Holbeach you might gain a reasonable insight into what could take place were a general election to take place before Parliament has finished with the Bill. The illuminating Lord Taylor demonstrated a rare understanding of some of the Bill's desires.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldhansrd/t ext/81008-0013.htm

Lord Taylor isn't just an interested geographic neighbour, he's also the Lords Shadow Minister for Defra. That means, in the event of a blue government, he would replace Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - so long as Defra remained in existence.

While remaining party-secular, I wish Lord Taylor rapid progression in his political career.

Not that we would feel any difference here in Peasemoldia - apart from the trains running on time again.

GF

As I observed the Lords second reading debate and later browsed through Hansard's record of speeches, I became really bugged by something which seems to be growing propaganda. Now I see it again, in the quoted statements of the new BA Chairman as reported in the EDP on Saturday.

There is a convenient creation afoot. The creation of a conflict which doesn't exist, not in my experience anyway.

Dr Stephen Johnson will be taking the BA Chairship with a preconception of troubled waters between Nature and navigation. Dr Johnson, if you really believe that there exists any kind of conflict between the interests of boaters and conservation, will you please study the matter more closely?

There is absolutely no reason for any perception of antagonism in either direction. Much less reason to create any.

The approach comes from exactly the same direction as the path trodden by the BA Chief Executive. It is at the root of untold damage, not least to the relationship between users and Authority.

GF

So, the OBC meets on Jan 19th plus Jan 20th to 22nd and then Jan 26th to 28th.