House of Lords Podcast: Lord Speaker's Corner

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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s episode of the House of Lords Podcast, we are talking about protecting children and strengthening the Union, plus RuPaul’s Drag Race and seeing yourself on stage.Children and the internet‘I saw in the attention economy that, in order to create as much value as possible from data… you created features of the system that were unsafe or exposing for children… They should not be working for the man in Silicon Valley.’First, we speak to Baroness Kidron about her work to protect children online. She explains why she led the way on creating ground-breaking protections for young people. In this interview, Baroness Kidron explains the need to carry on pressing the issues created by a lack of regulation for tech companies, and the need for a series of interventions, likening the situation to the industrial revolution and a need for 17 Factory Acts at the time.‘We've done a lot of the work of taking a draft bill, which was really approaching one of the most difficult issues of our time and actually taking it up a level into being a pragmatic and implementable bill’Baroness Kidron also talks about the way forward for regulating social media giants, her hopes for the Online Safety Bill and the findings of the committee she served on to scrutinise the draft law.‘It’s one of the joys of my life to have been embraced by that community’Baroness Kidron also talks about her experience as a filmmaker, including directing the renowned To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. She explains how pleased she is to see drag and its stars such as RuPaul (who appeared in the film) doing so well today.The Union‘It really is time that we release the trap that central government has on law-making and indeed, on spending and delivering services’We also speak to Baroness Taylor of Bolton and Lord Dunlop this month. They are discussing the Lords Constitution Committee’s report on resetting relations across the UK’s parliaments and governments.‘The biggest threat to the Union is people feeling they're not sharing equally in the Union's benefits and that they feel powerless to make their voices heard… We're waiting as we speak, for the government's leveling up white paper. And I think that's going to be very important and it needs to be ambitious.’They also discuss the threats to the Union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and how the dynamic can be improved.‘Government doesn't always understand Parliament can actually be helpful in terms of getting the legislation into the right shape’We also talk about the importance of legislative scrutiny and the recent Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and, keeping to a cultural theme, we discuss with Baroness Taylor what it is like to see yourself portrayed on stage.Find out more about the Joint Online Safety Bill CommitteeFind out more about the Lords Constitution CommitteeRead an introduction to the Constitution Committee’s latest report Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is needed to make England a healthier nation? And why are two committees concerned about government use of secondary legislation? Find out in this month's House of Lords Podcast.What is needed to make England a healthier nation? We hear from Karren Brady and Phil Willis – Baroness Brady and Lord Willis of Knaresborough – this month on the report just issued by their committee.The Lords Sport and Recreation Committee has called for a new national plan for sport, health and wellbeing. Matt and Amy find out why this is needed and what more needs to be done.‘We have some of the greatest sporting leagues in the world… We're producing world-class people at the top end, but in reality, that is a very small pool of people. And whilst they are excelling, the vast majority who are going to our schools, who are going into our youth clubs and our sports clubs, and indeed those who are doing nothing at all, are flatlining. And the result of which is that we are seeing a more obese nation, a less active nation, an unhealthy nation. And the cost on the NHS of all that is absolutely enormous… We're not asking for billions of pounds, we're asking basically for you to reorganize the money that is spent and to focus it where it is best needed at grassroots.’ Lord Willis Baroness Brady also shares her thoughts on her experience on the Sport and Recreation Committee‘It was also great that everybody on the committee came from a very different perspective and has very different expertise, which is what the Lords is all about. We're invited to come here by using our lifelong experience in our chosen field to look at legislation and hopefully make it better and recommend amendments to the government to change to improve them. So it was great to work with so many talented and incredibly knowledgeable people about their areas and come together with conclusions that cross-party we agreed.’ Baroness Brady ‘Government by diktat’This month we also speak to Lord Blencathra and Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbots about the government’s use of secondary legislation. The two committees they chair have recently warned about abuses of power by the executive and the need for a rebalancing of power back towards Parliament. Over the course of their discussion, they explain in detail the different concerns the committees have on the changing use of secondary legislation and why we should all be concerned at how it is being used.Go and read Hilary MantelThey also explain what secondary legislation is, other terms you may have heard like skeleton bills and Henry VIII powers and unlikely places to learn about them.‘Well, I'd give you one sentence. Go and read Hilary Mantel on the work of Thomas Cromwell and his relationship with the king.’  Lord HodgsonGuidance or law?We also hear about recent examples of confusion that have arisen from secondary legislation and the use of guidance.‘SLSC are really concerned about guidance, which is advice, and regulation which is law. You have to obey the law, but do you have to obey guidance?... ‘Right back in the beginning [of the pandemic], there was a restriction on only one form of exercise per day to every person in the country, quite an important issue, but that was in guidance. The regulation had no restriction at all. So technically you could exercise as many times as you'd like, but the guidance said only once a day.‘Now, how is the man in the street gain understand the difference between those two?’ Lord Hodgson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are discussing the environment and climate change this month on the House of Lords Podcast. We spoke to two leading environmental campaigners in the House about their perceptions of the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow. We also discuss work in the Lords on the environment, and the balance between personal, government and international responsibilities in combatting climate change.First up Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, one of two Green Party members in the Lords, gives us her impressions of the conference, working as one of the smaller parties in the House, plus how it felt to win the first vote on a Green Party amendment in the Lords. ‘There were some important steps, the fact that fossil fuels and coal are actually mentioned in the COP declaration for the first time is important. But we really didn't make the progress that we needed to make in terms of climate finance.’ Baroness BennettWe also discuss where the conversation on climate change should go next and the role of the Lords.‘There's a lack of what I would call systems thinking… even if every individual in the world tried to become an environmental saint. The way our systems work, the way things are arranged in our society, the way our economy is arranged, we still wouldn't meet anywhere near the carbon cuts we need.’ Baroness BennettWe also hear from Baroness Parminter, Chair of the Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee. Baroness Parminter gives her perspective on COP26 and discussing with representatives from parliaments around the world on how to hold their governments to account.‘We'll be making sure that the pledges that the government have now committed to are actually delivered on the ground. So there's that vital role of scrutiny. But also here in Parliament, we are the democratic body that makes sure that people's voices are heard. And that we are making sure that the questions that the people on the streets want to know are getting answered.’ Baroness ParminterBaroness Parminter also tells us about upcoming work of the committee and how it felt to lead the charge on the plastic bag levy.‘When I came in 10 years ago, I was determined to try and make a small contribution to helping make our planet a better place. And when we were in the coalition in 2010 to 2015, I introduced the Lib Dem's policy to support a levy on the plastic bags. And we managed to persuade our Conservative partners in the coalition to deliver that…‘Over 60% of the action that needs to be taken is around behaviour change. What we eat, how we heat our homes, how we travel, what we buy and what we throw away. And so we need to be looking at how we mobilize people to change their behaviours.’ Baroness Parminter·      Find out more about Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and follow on Twitter·      Find out more about Baroness Parminter and follow on Twitter·      Find out more about the Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first of our two October episodes, and in celebration of Black History Month, discover the story of Lord Pitt of Hampstead in partnership with the Parliamentary Archives.The second Black peer in the House of Lords, for many years Dr David Pitt was one of the most recognisable civil rights campaigners in Britain.From Grenada to Camden via Scotland and the House of Lords, learn more about this leading figure who contributed significantly to the passing of race relations legislation.This piece was originally written by Richard Ward and is narrated by Nimmy March.Read this article on the Parliamentary Archives websiteDiscover more Black History Month content from the House of Lords Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we hear from Parliament’s two Speakers: Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, and Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.In this episode, they discuss how their similar backgrounds have forged a new working relationship between the two speakers, the importance of engaging with the whole country and the surprisingly international aspects of their roles.‘We share a common heritage in that we're both local lads from the area that we represented. And that was a really important element of our representative history’ Lord McFall of Alcluith‘It's about both using soft power to make friends around the world, reaching out... Democracy matters to both of us, so it's about meeting up with people, sharing ideals’ Sir Lindsay HoyleThe Speakers also discuss the challenges of the last two years and preparing for the future.‘I'm still trying to get used to the idea of... What is a Speaker in the Commons really like? Because we've not really found out what it's like. No sooner than I got elected, within days I'm into a General Election, then Christmas comes, everybody's talking about Brexit, and before we know it, we're then into a pandemic.’ Sir Lindsay Hoyle‘I keep thinking of 2007, which to me, was just round the corner, but in 2007, that was the year of the iPhone. And that's a new life that's been adopted since 2007. So the pace of change, technologically, is going to be great. And we have got to be alive to that. Because our primary interest is engaging with the public, and with society.’ Lord McFall of Alcluith·      Find out more about the Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith·      Find out more about the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay HoyleRead a transcript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

·      How do you decide what constitutes the House of Lords when you cannot all meet in person?·      How has life changed for women in Parliament over the last 21 years?·      What do clerks do when they’re sat at the table in the chamber?·      How does it feel to miss out on a tour of the Washington Post with Brad Pitt?This month we hear from Chloe Mawson on all of these questions and more. Chloe is the Clerk Assistant, the second most senior role in the House of Lords Administration and the first woman to hold the role since the 1600s. ‘People were going through some of the most stressful periods of their life totally away from work and then having to deliver the most extreme changes that we've seen in this place for a long, long time.’In this episode, she explains what the role of a clerk is when they are in the chamber, creating new ways of doing business during the pandemic and her hopes for lasting changes to the way we work.‘I really hope that we can use our experience of the last 18 months to continue to allow as much flexibility as we can while of course, ensuring that we give really good services to the House and just make sure that we don't go back to a time where flexible working feels like a risk to your career progression, because certainly at times I worried about that and I hope that we're now in a new age where that's just not the case anymore.’We also hear from Chloe about how she first came to work in Parliament and whether clerks make good quizzers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What drove Lord McFall of Alcluith to stand for election as Lord Speaker, and what does he hope to achieve?This month we speak to the newly elected Lord Speaker about his career as a teacher and then in Parliament.‘The best think tank in town’Lord McFall also explains what makes the House of Lords unique, responding to the pandemic and  how he thinks both Houses of Parliament should collaborate more.‘What has driven me has been a sense of monstrous injustice which has got to be put right.’We also speak to Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom, who has been campaigning for subpostmasers who have been wrongly convicted for more than a decade. He explains how the Horizon scandal began, what needs to be done and what drives him and others to campaign for justice.‘What we were worried about in that particular session, was the risk that the politicians and the strategists might lack the imagination to work out what could get us.'Lord Arbuthnot also explains the work of the new Lords committee that he chairs, exploring what potential risks the UK could face in the future and how the country can be better prepared for them.Find out more about the Lord SpeakerFind out more about Lord Abuthnot of EdromFind out more about the Lords Risk Assessment and Risk Planning Committee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, we hear from Martha Lane Fox, Baroness Lane Fox of Soho, about the work of the Lords COVID-19 Committee, which she chairs. She discusses the impact of the pandemic on the digital shift in our lives and what more the government needs to do to ensure nobody is left behind.‘We heard so many examples of very, very difficult situations for children to be learning and when they were forced online at the beginning of the first lockdown. Families sharing one smartphone between multiple children, I mean, I just can't imagine how stressful that must have been for people and we know it was.’Martha also talks about her journey to the Lords and what surprised her when she first joined, plus her own experience of the rapid shift to online living over the last 15 months.‘I have been amazed at the rapid process of acceleration through some of the trends of the last year.’Amy and Matt also discuss the upcoming State Opening of Parliament, its origins and how changes to the ceremony are not as unprecedented as you might think.Find out more about the Lords COVID-19 CommitteeFind out more about the State Opening of Parliament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month we speak to two members about what inspires them, how they fight for change from inside the House of Lords and mobilising support for changes to draft laws.‘I believe that anyone who has the privilege of serving in our Parliament… has a duty, not just a privilege, but a duty to use that platform to speak for others, for whom no one else will speak.’We speak to Lord Alton of Liverpool about his work campaigning against human rights abuses around the world, including Tigray, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and North Korea, and why he proposed changes to the Trade Bill to prevent trade with countries accused of genocide. He also shares what he thinks the UK is doing well when it comes to human rights, and the incredible story about how Westminster inspired the defection of the most senior North Korean embassy official in the world to date. ‘I've been so inspired by people from organizations, from individuals, from victims who have contacted me, who have gone through this.’We also speak to Baroness Newlove about her work to bring about protection from non-fatal strangulation during scrutiny of the Domestic Abuse Bill.Find out more about Lord Alton of Liverpool and follow him on TwitterFind out more about Baroness Newlove and follow her on TwitterRead about the progress of the Domestic Abuse BillRead about the journey of the Trade Bill through the House of LordsFind out more about the election of the Lord Speaker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.