Being a whip, being a rebel, and how do you amuse the Monarch?

This month, we hear from Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate why the House of Lords is the best place for checking draft laws, his experiences as a whip and as a rebel, plus updating the Queen on what’s happening in Parliament.

‘This is a bit like Deja-vu, this particular legislation’

Lord Kirkhope also explains why he is putting forward changes to the Nationality and Borders Bill based upon his experience as a former immigration minister.

‘It is House of Lords, which in my opinion, and from my experience, now does better and more full scrutiny of legislation than the House of Commons.’

He also explains what happens in the chamber and behind the scenes at each stage of the legislative process in the House of Lords as members consider draft laws and try to help the government refine them.

‘I was a whip and my job was to make sure that legislation got through… and what I've got to watch out for now is the operation of the whips.’

Lord Kirkhope is also a former whip in the House of Commons. He explains how the job worked and what, in his view, was the worst thing an MP could do.

‘It's quite a... What can I say, quite a challenge? How are you going to amuse the monarch?’

Finally, we ask Lord Kirkhope about his time writing to Her Majesty The Queen to inform her on what was happening each day in Parliament, and we find out what she thought of his updates.

·      Find out more about Lord Kirkhope’s parliamentary career

·      Follow Lord Kirkhope on Twitter

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