The Lords are in a huff over what’ll happen to the members of the upper chamber when the builders boot them out for urgent renovations. While most would rather stay close to home and camp in the nearby Queen Elizabeth II centre, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has other ideas, claiming he “cannot endorse” their plan to “decamp to a temporary home a mere 200 yards from the Palace of Westminster”. Over the weekend it emerged he’s instead recommending they be shipped off to some place further afield – preferably in the North somewhere so he can say he’s levelling up the region. Inevitably the Lords have started chuntering…
One particularly upset Peer, Lord Cormack, tried making the point today that it’s not even within Gove’s gift to make those plans:
“On whose authority did Mr. Gove contact the Lord Speaker… was he speaking for the government? And if so, does he realise this wasn’t a matter for the government… or was this just another freelance exercise by an intellectual flibberty-gibbet?”
Caaalm down…
Heathite, Remainer Tory peer Lord Cormack has sensationally told ITV News that the present Ukraine crisis calls for a government of national unity to face down the Russian war machine. Peston was amazed: “Tory grandee Lord Cormack says the Ukraine crisis is so grave that the time has come for a national government. He has been in parliament for 52 years”. Guido’s not sure why Rob felt this intervention was worth reporting on… it’s the third time Lord Cormack has said he wants such a cross-party government since 2018.
2018, July – Brexit: “In many ways, the situation that we face needs a national Government”
2021, January – Covid: “I am not advocating a national Government, much as I would personally like one”
In October 2020 he also became starry-eyed over the idea of a national government during a debate on the internal market bill:
“We need to come together in this country more than we have ever needed to. We must not dismiss opinions because they come from parties other than our own. I am not so starry-eyed as to think that we could have a national Government tomorrow, but we have to treat each other with a degree of respect.”
Now he calls for one over Ukraine. Perhaps Lord Cormack needs to assess whether he actually wants to sit as a Tory peer…
