More Peerage Pressure
Posted April 28th, 2006 by quarsan
The wife of Peter Law is saying that he was offered a peerage if he didn't stand against Labour. The party have issued a catagorical denial.
Welsh assembly deputy presiding officer John Marek, also a former Labour member, said Mr Law also told him he was offered a peerage.
Dr Marek, the Wrexham AM who left Labour in 2003, said: "I remember Peter telling me that a high-ranking Labour official phoned him from London and in the course of the conversation said: 'There may even be a place in the Lords for you'."
So, if it's true, who offered the honour? Could it be someone who has had some legal problems recently?
Its called patronage. They
Its called patronage. They all do it. Bribe the awkward squad (Tony Banks, Jenny Tonge..) with a peerage and shove the upstairs to free up a seat for a party apparatchik.
Is there a reason this one is so special? We need to wipe out the Lords and end the power of patronage delegated from the Queen to the Prime Minister, who then doles out a few of the goodies to give patronage power to Lib Dem and Tory leaders.
I'd lay odds it's Peter
I'd lay odds it's Peter Hain.
Hi Bob, you're right, they
Hi Bob, you're right, they all do it and reform of the Lords is well overdue.
Reform of the Lords was in
Reform of the Lords was in the Labour agenda with a pre 9/11 world view. I guess it got countermanded by trans-atalntic divinely annointed commander in chief dictats. Seriously though, how do you accommodate big money even if the ground rules re political patronage is tinkered with? Do we go down the road of Abramoff reincarnations across the Atlantic?