Tory peer Mark Harper was in the Lords last night to blast No10’s decision to go ahead with Matthew Doyle’s peerage. Although he’s had the Labour whip withdrawn over his links to a sex offender (which were known before his peerage was confirmed) he is still in the Lords…
Asked whether Doyle should be removed from the House, Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith claimed she didn’t know enough to decide:
“I think in all of these things there needs to be a proper process. There is an issue I think about party due diligence on issues of members being nominated from all parties. So we all have to ensure we have the right processes in place. He was approved on the information available at that time. He has now no longer has the Labour whip and there will be an investigation. I don’t really want to get into speculating and I don’t know enough about the details of whether an individual should have the peerage removed.”
The ‘details’ have been pretty clear well before Doyle was approved. A pattern starting to emerge here…
In Henry Mance’s piece today for the FT, lunching with Nigel Farage:
“Splendido!” Farage says, when the drinks arrive; I suppose it’s a step to European reconciliation. We clink glasses, and he lights the first of two back-to-back Benson & Hedges. A few minutes later, we’re back downstairs. “Are you drinking? Good.” He orders a glass of Sauvignon blanc for each of us — not a bottle, “because it’s Lent” — followed by a bottle of claret, to have with our meal. They say Farage drinks less than he used to. They say a lot of things.”