The candidate list for the first hereditary peer by-election, set for the 8th February, is out and includes some top-effort manifestos from those vying for the vacancy.
Most eye-catching is the Earl of Dudley, whose opportunity to hype up his qualifications for the job consists of a solitary YouTube link, leading to his youtube channel “Technodemic”
Earl De La Warr passes up the opportunity to go into detail, merely assuring the posh electorate that “Without listing my many political interests, I feel sure I can make a positive contribution to your Lordships House.”
Lord Strathcarron promises to “offer the House experience in less well-represented areas… For more background please see my Wikipedia page.”
Lord Biddulph provides the briefest biography, merely saying “I have always felt that in the House of Lords an honest opinion is the best one. I am always happy to be called on to serve.”
One candidate standing may ring bells among co-conspirators. In 2010 Viscount Monckton was going round as a Ukipper, claiming to already be a member of the Lords. In 2011, the House of Lords published a “cease and desist” letter demanding that he should stop claiming to be a member of the upper house.
“You are not and have never been a member of the House of Lords. Your assertion that you are a member, but without the right to sit or vote, is a contradiction in terms. No one denies that you are, by virtue of your letters patent, a peer. That is an entirely separate issue to membership of the House.”
Now Monkton’s standing for election to the house of which he was supposedly already a member. On an expertly climate-sceptic platform featuring a Bible quote…
