| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Lord McNally: My Lords, it is with a real sense of honour that I rise to make my first speech in this Chamber as Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. I realise that I follow, as the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, has said, one of the outstanding parliamentarians of this or any other generation, my noble friend Lady Williams. It would be trite to say that she will be a hard act to follow: she is an impossible act to follow. But follow her I must, and I shall do my best. I will be assisted, of course, by the fact that my colleagues, in their infinite wisdom, have given me the support of two deputy leaders in my noble friends Lord Wallace and Lord Dholakia.
I also take some comfort from the warmth with which my election has been received on both the Labour and the Conservative Benches. Indeed, the warmth has been so intense that it is beginning to give my colleagues some worry that they may have made the wrong decision.
Before I turn to the gracious Speech itself, I must take a brief look back at the year just gone to record my sorrow at the passing of three sources of considerable wisdom from these Benches. Lord Wigoder was a distinguished legal mind, a first rate Chief Whip of my party and a constant source of wise advice to me from the day I entered this House.
Lord Geraint and I shared a room for my first five years in the House. I confess that I learnt more about Welsh fat stock prices than was entirely necessary for my education, but I also benefited from one of the shrewdest—some would say cunning—political brains that one could ever come across.
23 Nov 2004 : Column 15
Our third loss was Lord Russell—Conrad. I can give him no greater epitaph than that the grief at his passing was felt most keenly among the youngest members of our party, who felt that they had lost the oldest Young Liberal of them all. All three will be greatly missed not only on these Benches but in all parts of the House.
On turning to the gracious Speech, my first happy duty is to congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Lockwood. She and I were senior officials of the Labour Party more than 30 years ago. She was then, as she is today, a fierce fighter on behalf of women for greater educational and political opportunities. Indeed, the many women now on the green Benches of the other place from the Labour Party owe their presence there in no small measure to the battles fought on their behalf by Betty Lockwood. She has always been a firm believer in education as a liberating force for women throughout the world, a passion that she holds to this day.
The noble Baroness, Lady Billingham, and I are of more recent acquaintance. I was aware of her distinguished record in education and as a Member of the European Parliament, but we have also formed a common bond in our belief that sport and access to sport can be a powerful instrument for promoting not only a healthier lifestyle but in deflecting people, particularly young people, away from crime and anti-social behaviour. My congratulations to them both on outstanding speeches.
Tomorrow we start four days of debate on the gracious Speech, at the end of which I look forward to speaking from these Benches. But this has, of course, been no ordinary Queen's Speech. A recent report in the Financial Times quoted an aide to Mr Milburn as predicting that this gracious Speech would be,
We know that "a close aide" is usually journalistic code for the man himself. We also know that Alan Milburn has been given a key role in planning the next general election. Indeed, one can already detect that the Labour Party's election planning strategy is under entirely new management. Gone are that trusty team of Mandelson and Campbell, to be replaced by the new team of Gould and Milburn. That is a bit like replacing Jack the Ripper and Dr Crippen with Burke and Hare.
For what is clear from the gracious Speech is that, under the instruction of the focus groups of the noble Lord, Lord Gould, Mr Milburn is intent on robbing the grave of the Conservative Party of any right-wing policies that might appeal to the Sun and the Daily Mail. As a result we have a gracious Speech crafted for the hustings rather than a legislative year.
What is more, it is a programme intent on playing on the politics of fear. When researching these remarks, I re-read the speech made from these Benches by Lord Jenkins of Hillhead when he welcomed the new Labour Government in 1997. In that speech he warned new Ministers:
"If criminal justice Bills could have solved the crime problem, Mr Michael Howard would be more universally acclaimed today".—[Official Report, 14/5/97; col. 18.]
Yet seven and a half years and some 26 crime, terrorism and related Bills later, we are promised more than half a dozen more. The Home Secretary has already started to crank up the climate of fear so that anyone who questions the wisdom of any particular piece of legislation will be instantly branded as soft on terrorism or soft on crime.
Such an atmosphere and such an approach put a special onus and a special responsibility on this House to hold its nerve and to make sure that requests for powers which reduce civil liberties or infringe human rights are made to clear the highest of hurdles before they are conceded, if they are conceded at all. Unless we are willing to do that, we could well find ourselves losing, to the all powerful state, the very liberties which we are supposedly fighting crime and terrorism to defend.
There are aspects of the Queen's Speech which we welcome and which we will support in the months ahead. We will also use our considerable expertise on these Benches to hold the Government to account on foreign policy and defence as well as arguing for a robust consistency in making the case for Europe.
We will keep the issue of pensions and security in old age as a number one priority. We will continue to press for the early passing into law of a Civil Service Act to protect the political neutrality and integrity of our Civil Service. We will strive to ensure that the BBC emerges from charter review as a strong, independent, well financed iron pole of public service broadcasting. We will monitor closely the effectiveness of the Freedom of Information Act when it comes into force in January.
We will continue to press for a full second stage reform of this Chamber, releasing it from cronyism and political patronage. I have already marked down the noble Baroness, Lady Lockwood, as a supporter of that.
We will follow closely the Gambling Bill and the workings of the new Licensing Act to make sure, as the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, hinted, that the Government are not causing social problems at one end of their legislative programme while trumpeting their commitment to law and order at the other.
The Government can rest assured that the Liberal Democrats will be neither wreckers nor rubber stamps to the programme contained in the gracious Speech. However, we will insist that the Government explain and justify the case for each piece of new legislation and that the House of Lords uses all its powers of scrutiny to carry out its function as the advisory and revisory Chamber.
How much of the programme will be completed we do not know. That will depend on when the Prime Minister decides to go to the country. Some 30 years ago my noble friend Lord Steel of Aikwood once memorably sent members of this party back to their constituencies to prepare for government. In the coming months we will demonstrate in this Chamber and in the other place what has already been demonstrated in Scotland, Newcastle, Liverpool, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark and in dozens of other
23 Nov 2004 : Column 17
town halls up and down the country—that this is a party ready for government and ready to take its case to the country whenever the Prime Minister calls an election.
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak to the Motion moved by the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde.
I am delighted to congratulate my noble friend Lady Lockwood on moving the Motion with regard to the gracious Speech. My noble friend Lady Lockwood has considerable experience of this House. She has been an active Member of four of your Lordships' Select Committees and of course for the past 14 years she has been a Deputy Speaker.
Campaigning for equality and opportunity has been a central theme of my noble friend's life, which makes her a particularly appropriate mover of the gracious Speech. I hope that I will not embarrass my noble friend by telling the House that she has been an important role model for me as the first chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission in 1975.
My noble friend loves her native county, Yorkshire. She has worked to preserve Yorkshire heritage through her role at the Yorkshire Mining Museum—now the National Mining Museum—and she is also Chancellor of Bradford University and has been a Council Member of Leeds University.
My noble friend belongs to Soroptimist International. Definitions of soroptimist include "the best for women" and "the best of sisters"—both are equally apt descriptions of my noble friend. She combines great experience and wisdom with a common sense approach to tackling tricky questions and issues. When my noble friend speaks this House listens.
Education and sport have shaped the life of my noble friend Lady Billingham. Before she arrived in this House, my noble friend had a career of some 30 years in the classroom. Just think—three decades dealing with difficult behaviour, the odd tantrum and occasional enlightening moments in class. All those years living with long summer breaks, gossip in the staff room and with obscure, arcane and apparently nonsensical rules. Add to that my noble friend's experience as a Member of the European Parliament and some may argue that she had the best possible training for life in the House of Lords. My noble friend has also been a first class tennis player. She has played at Wimbledon and her contributions in debates on sport and other matters are very welcome in this House. I should like to thank both my noble friends for their excellent speeches and we look forward to their continued contributions.
Perhaps I may also welcome the noble Lord, Lord McNally, in his new position as Leader of the Liberal Democrats in this House. The noble Lord brings considerable experience of working in both government and opposition. I look forward to the noble Lord's contributions. But I hope that the noble Lord will not
23 Nov 2004 : Column 18
take it personally when I say that I hope that his contributions will continue to be made while the Liberal Democrats are in opposition.
I know that we all look forward to working with those Members who have recently joined us. I must thank in particular the new Members on these Benches, many of whom arrived towards the end of the Session. They came into the House during its busiest period, so have had a tough induction. Fortunately, the Chief Whip has rarely had to ask noble Lords to stay very late. Last Session, thanks to the co-operation of all Members in the House, we saw remarkably few breaches of the commitment to rise by 10 p.m. on Monday to Wednesday and 7 p.m. on Thursday. I am pleased to say that these rising times have now been endorsed by the House.
It was a good day for this House earlier this month when we agreed to the working practices package, following the two-year experimental period. The changes are sensible and will, I hope, contribute to better working conditions for noble Lords on all sides and a more efficient use of the House's time.
Perhaps I may now turn briefly to the detail of the gracious Speech. In response to the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde—yes, it is a full programme of 28 Bills. The Gambling Bill, mentioned by the noble Lord, commenced in the other place at the end of the last Session. Three themes lie at the core of the Government's legislative programme. First, reform has been vital to ensure that the investment in our schools, our National Health Service, our police forces and our public transport system is matched by a corresponding increase in their quality and standards. Continuation of that reform programme is an important element of the Queen's Speech and we will introduce in this House an Education Bill to improve the inspection system.
Secondly, improving and increasing opportunity is also at the heart of our proposed legislation. Opportunity means that all citizens have the chance to flourish, to harness and maximise their potential and to use their talents to build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. It means widening access to good education, facilitating equal access to decent public services and allowing people to participate fully and fairly in the labour market and wider community.
When I arrived in this House the subject of my maiden speech was the need for a Human Rights Commission. I am delighted that the gracious Speech includes a Bill to create a commission for equality and human rights as well as proposals regarding disability discrimination.
Security for Britain and her citizens, both from domestic and international threats, is the third major theme of this year's legislative programme. The Government know that crime and anti-social behaviour on our streets and estates is a serious concern for people across the United Kingdom. We believe that it is unacceptable that the behaviour of the criminal few should bring misery for the decent majority. We are determined that Britain's hard-working families should
23 Nov 2004 : Column 19
live free from fear in safe and vibrant communities. That is why we will introduce the serious organised crime and police Bill to establish a single agency to fight serious organised crime. The drugs Bill will seek to implement legislation to provide tougher powers for tackling drug dealers, and to educate young people about the dangers of drugs.
Security is an important issue for Parliament too. Last Session there was increasing concern about security in our two Houses. While we all recognise the importance of taking security seriously, we must also ensure that Parliament remains accessible to the public so that people feel involved in politics and in the political process.
This is my second State Opening as Leader of the House. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work in a co-operative way with colleagues on the government Benches and with Members on the other Benches, particularly the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, the noble Baroness, Lady Williams of Crosby, and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley.
I have already paid tribute in this House to the noble Baroness, Lady Williams of Crosby. The noble Baroness will, of course, continue to be held with great affection by us all and, while we shall miss her wise words from the Front Bench, I am sure that we shall continue to have the benefit of her experience from the Back Benches.
The last Session also saw a change in the Convenor of the Cross Benches, with the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig of Radley, standing down. He was always a good ambassador for the Cross Benches. While I am sorry that he has stood down, of course, I welcome the noble Lord, Lord Williamson of Horton, to his first full Session as Convenor.
I also thank the chairmen of your Lordships' Select Committees and the Chairman of Committees, the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, and his team of Deputy Speakers for their hard work.
23 Nov 2004 : Column 20
Before I end, I would like us all to remember those Members whom we have lost during the year.
In the seven years that I have been in the House, there has been no such thing as a quiet Session. I am sure that this Session will be interesting and perhaps even controversial at times. That is the House of Lords at its best. I support the Motion.
On Question, Motion agreed to, and debate adjourned accordingly until tomorrow.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |