With all this about Mandelson's vetting I feel an urge to tell a story of my own. One of my best friends (long since dead sadly) was offered a post in John Major's private office when he was Chancellor. One evening in the Red Lion on Whitehall he told me he had put me down as a referee for DV.

Just completed the DCMC BBC charter review survey. It's not exactly quick work but it is a labour of love and I would encourage others to give it a go before the closing date on Tuesday. www.gov.uk/government/c...

I suspect this might be my problem as well…

amid

Can the House of Commons handle multi-party politics? Earlier this week we were joined by @elliechowns.bsky.social, @courtenayilbert.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social to discuss smaller parties in the Commons. Listen to a recording 👉 linktr.ee/constitution.... Or watch a recording 👇

Does the House of Commons need to change to reflect a more fragmented politics? In one hour, join @elliechowns.bsky.social, @courtenayilbert.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social to discuss smaller parties in the Commons at our free, online event. Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

The Ribble

There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.

A lonely, confused, slightly depressed, socially inadequate, Norwegian fisherman. Suits quite well.

A more assertive and exciting report from the Commons Backbench Business Committee than I was anticipating, published yesterday. Longer thread from the UCL Constitution Unit below. (One slight correction - it describes me as the first Clerk of BBCom - I was in fact the second.)

Further to my earlier response to this post, I today stumbled across the Report of the 2013 report of the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201314/.... At paras 258-265 it discusses the very matter of MPs and witness summons./2

It melts my head that X is still used for official Government communications, and, catching up on today's news and the fact we have a foreign billionaire inciting violence on our streets, it's clearer than ever that this should end. I raised this in Parliament last week 👇

First conkers of 2025 - picked up in the bucolic surroundings of Heston M4 Services (Westbound since you ask). Autumn has definitely arrived. I love conkers - one of the greatest beauties in nature.

Miller2 being a fine example of the Burkean constitutional model. UKSC, rightly dismissing the idea that prorogation was a proceeding of Parliament, noting that it was an unrestricted executive power, thwarted it, handing the reins back to Parliament which, unused to exercising any power, bungled it

One can only congratulate the institute for Government for being willing to explore some of the most obscure corners of parliamentary procedure - in this case hybrid bill procedure. Surprisingly (to me) they are quite positive about it.

Had strange vision today of London deserted by climate change refugees (population of Scotland quadrupled) and public transport having become economically unviable so all those tunnels adapted to cycleways which intrepid tourists used to visit ruins of the Houses of Parliament, St James Desert, etc.

So Bluesky is supposed to be "nice", but here is a supposedly respected contributor shamelessly trolling ordinary decent people who grew up in the 50s to 70s when 22 degrees was regarded as quite adequate for what we humorously called Flaming June. I wonder if they're a foreigner - or worse, young?

Possibly the first appearance of an iPad in English art - Tirzah Garwood (currently to be seen at Dulwich Picture Gallery).

1 Has any competent, Marxist-tinged cultural historian written a history of Eurovision? In my lifetime (to show you how old I am I'm still in love with Sandie Shaw) it seems to have passed through a number of distinct phases, and I wonder what this might tell us about the wider zeitgeist. /2

I hope the conference will look at the work of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. So I'm posting this to encourage former legal advisers, members and clerks to consider submitting something.

An alarming proportion of people who follow me will be thrilled that the House of commons Procedure Committee has arrived on Bluesky. Let's hope this presages the arrival of many more select committees. If you follow one in particular, pile the pressure on for them to escape the cesspit of X.

For a long time I thought David Lynch and David Byrne were the same person.

Re-post if you stand by Jess. @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social

Why all this talk of the DUP *pulling* the Stormont Brake? Surely you *hit* the brake(s). Unless, of course, you are a joyrider performing a handbrake turn in an empty car park.

I saw something somewhere recently showing that people thought MPs pay and Parliament was the second largest area of public spending. Can anyone tell me where this might have been?

It's certainly more pleasing to gaze upon than that dreary lump of masonry that disfigures St James Park.

Can I just say that you get a much better class of bitter argument over whether the facts are the facts, or over conspiracies (maybe of silence) or over allegations of four centuries worth of fake news here on Bluesky than you ever saw you know where.

This is such a reassuringly (and in some ways refreshingly) compassionate take on the assisted dying debate. Worth five minutes of anyone's time.

Nearly your last chance to buy tickets for the Study of Parliament Group's 60th anniversary conference next Thursday and Friday in Westminster!https://studyofparliamentgroup.org/2024/10/09/study-of-parliament-groups-60th-anniversary-conference/

Another excellent piece on assisted dying by David Aaronovich. davidaaronovitch.substack.com/p/anything-b...

This analysis by Rafael Behr is excellent. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Very much looking forward to the Study of Parliament Group's 60th birthday conference in Westminster on 5/6 December. It is open to non-members of the Group - see here: studyofparliamentgroup.org/2024/10/09/s...

I think it may get better scrutiny because, not being a government bill, it will not be possible to force it through at high speed or against the convictions (as opposed to instructions) of a majority of MPs. See my post of a few days back: bsky.app/profile/cour...

Larry Elliott is banging on in The Guardian about how the EU is a neoliberal conspiracy against the workers. When I was a boy, Maggie Thatcher et al used to bang on about how it was a socialist conspiracy against free enterprise and private property. Could someone please tell me who is/was right?

Finally done it. Deactivated my Xitter aacount.

Here is a lesson for all UK companies but more especially for all public agencies and authorities (including PARLIAMENT!)

1/18 I don't want to enter the argument about assisted dying on one side or the other, but the debate prompted me to say something about parliamentary procedure in making legislation. I am often a critic of current legislative procedure, but here I want to defend some aspects.

1/6 I was researching the notorious Rooker-Wise Amendment, which took me to the Finance Act 1977 (incidentally the year I graduated). The Act revealed that the basic rate of income tax was 34%. 

I was moved to remind people of this resolution of the Commons of 1 Nov 1678: Ordered, That a Committee be appointed to inquire into the Causes of the late Noises of knocking, that have been heard in the Night in the Old Palace Yard; or thereabout ...

I've just been invited by LinkedIn to follow James Cleverly MP. It feels a bit pointed.

The argument for remaining on X has become so thin. It and its owner have become absolutely corrosive influences on public life. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Companies and organizations (universities etc) should also take the initiative review their presence on X to see if it aligns with their values.

I feel insufficient credit for their grasp of nominative determinism has gone to whoever named Storm Boris - which has produced a lot of wind and left a trail of chaos. And tragedy, sadly.

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,580,616!

@hansardsociety.bsky.social have published my latest blog on the peculiarities of the oath of allegiance that all MPs are required to swear before they can take their seats: www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/mps-oat...

1 Flattered to be invited, thought Twitter going to the dogs 2 Last month was like watching something reach a tipping point. Regulars in the constitutional/political nerdsphere arrived. Don't miss sweary loudmouths, braindead, narcissists, overtweeters 3 Sentimental videos, architecture nerds, govt.

Hi Its my birthday so help me out with a repost 😊 as I'm new here My name is Siobhan, I'm a nurse activist who fights for better pay and conditions for NHS workers. I post about the NHS from an on the ground perspective If that's for you give me a follow