The rise and fall of inflation: tracking the concerns of MPs
There are all sorts of oddities and curiosities to be found in old Parliamentary debates, including the occasion during the Second World War when… … Read the full post »
Hansard Gems
Read about some of the stranger things I have found when reading Hansard, the official record of what happens in Parliament.
Hansard gems: The first mention of the internet
Leaving aside two typos (no, they weren’t really debating the internet in 1919 and no, those 1974 radios weren’t wireless access points ahead of their time) the first mention of the internet in Parliament was in February 1990. … Read the full post »
Gems from Hansard: the Christmas card that fell over
Lord St John of Fawsley asked the Chairman of Committees: Whether the arrangements made with regard to the latest House of Lords Christmas cards were satisfactory. … Read the full post »
Which MP tried to vote in their pyjamas?
Simple question: which MP once triggered a point of order in the House of Commons for attempting to vote in their pyjamas? … Read the full post »
Corbyn signed Early Day Motion attacking humanity as “obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal”
Jeremy Corbyn signed an Early Day Motion in Parliament attacking humanity as “obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal”. … Read the full post »
From the Parliamentary archives: the Palestinian false leg
The payment of £341 listed under subhead “B4: Palestine” in the 1981–82 Appropriation Accounts was for a new artificial leg for Mr. M. A. Issa, who used to work for the former Palestine Government. … Read the full post »
Hansard gems: an assurance that has aged tragically badly
It’s time to bring this series of entries from Hansard’s past to a pause as there are only so many speeches about paperclips and potato salad to be written. … Read the full post »
Hansard gems: every motor car must have a steam-roller preceding it
It’s an obvious road safety move isn’t it? Don’t lets cars loose in our roads unless each of them has its own steam-roller heading in front of it. And a person with a red flag in from of the steam-roller. … Read the full post »
Hansard gems: is someone counting ladies rubberised raincoats?
Michael Meacher has been an MP for a long time. So long in fact that it was he who, as a government minister in January 1977, gave a written answer revealing… … Read the full post »
Hansard gems: peanut butter, tooting trains and industrial relations
It’s May 1971 and the House of Lords is debating the weighty matter of industrial relations. Step forward Lord Mansfield. … Read the full post »