Baron Lang of Monkton Speaks

17270835You’ve got to admire the sheer chutzpah of Barons and Lords pontificating on democracy. Today a whole parade of ermine will trumpet the need for less of it. But what many commentators seem to have forgotten is that Lord Lang, the former Conservative Scottish Secretary, has previous. Way back in 1991, the man who had just closed Ravenscraig said he was against a Scottish parliament because it would “create expectations which could not be met”. Indeed. What a pickle.

He’s not all bad. As chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, Lang insisted that Tony Blair’s paid work for UI Energy Corporation, an oil firm with interests in Iraq, just 14 months after leaving office should be made public following a period when the committee agreed to keep it confidential due to “market sensitivity”.

But the famously patrician Lord – is we think pushing at an open door here as the fabulously dysfunctional expression of British democracy will have them queuing up to air their views on the “implications for the UK of the Scottish independence referendum”. Five hours have been set aside for this. Expect balanced shrewd analysis from their Lordships and Ladyships.

Anyway, here’s the stellar line-up:

Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Liberal Democrat), the Deputy Leader of the Lords and current Advocate General for Scotland, will contribute on behalf of the government. Also down to speak are Lord Lamont of Lerwick, The Rt Hon. the Lord McAvoy, and Lord Robertson of Port Ellen.

Lord Langs crest is, apparently, a dove ‘holding in the beak an Olive Branch slipped and leaved, all proper’ and his motto is SOIS VRAI (be true). So truth and conciliation should dominate, right?

You can watch British style democracy “live” (ish) from 11.30 here.

Comments (16)

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  1. Abulhaq says:

    The French had trenchant way to silence aristos.

    1. J. R. Tomlin says:

      Voting them out of existence (in Scotland anyway) is a bit less messy. No heads to dispose of.

      1. Abulhaq says:

        Spoilsport! was looking forward to taking up a spot of knitting…
        The titles must go! Déqualifier les aristos!

  2. Ken MacColl says:

    This definitely comes into the “haud me back” category.
    Almost without exception those are politicians who were dumped by Scots in the democratic process

    Could it be that those serried ranks of privilege see their very futures under threat? Bang goes the expences and the keys to the boardrooms.

  3. gerry parker says:

    £300 pounds a day each for this???

  4. bringiton says:

    Lang claiming that Scotland’s desire for democratic government is disrespectful to those who have died in UK wars.
    I don’t remember any of this nonsense when Canada,Australia,New Zealand etc decided they had had enough of London rule and if he tries this on with any Aussies,he better have a police escort.
    Utterly shameful.

  5. Catrìona says:

    I saw the list of luminaries and forgot most of them had ever existed. There’s one I’ve never even heard of. I do remember Ian Lang’s victory speech in the early 90s when he was trying to do a Sincerity Jim Murphy-style man-of-the-people thing and use popular jargon. His version of “And that’s a double whammy” came out as “End thet’s a double wemmeh”. It was a depressing election but he raised a few laughs in the house.

  6. BillfaeDenny says:

    Apropos Lord Forsyth of Drumlean. When only a mere mortal, Michael Forsyth MP for Stirling circulated the local schools with Tory party info including his mugshot. That summer a teaching staff member sent a holiday postcard from Ephesus which was pinned to the Modern Studies Base noticeboard beside that of the bold Michael.
    The accompanying caption read “EPHESUS / EPHENMP”. Quite!
    I’m disappointed the “stellar line-up” in the House of Lords does not include Lord Mike Russell of Vestas, I’m sure his involvement would have resulted in a really fiery debate.

    1. Hen Broon says:

      You surely mean Lord Watson the attempted murderer, who tried to set a hotel on fire after being refused drink.
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4269808.stm

      And then we have Lord Foulkes who biffed a polis, saying “don’t you know who I am.”
      http://georgefoulkes.blogspot.co.uk/

      That we continue to fund these criminals and crooks in this undemocratic instituition is reason enough in itself to Scotland to become independent. They are a boil on the arse of the UK.

      1. BillfaeDenny says:

        Oops! Sorry Hen Broon, can’t believe I wrote Russell instead of Watson. That was a “wee thing” of Johann Lamont proportions.

  7. Steven Ward says:

    I watched the Lords debate. They talked of war, they talked of history and of being ‘proud Scots’. They did not speak of democracy or acknowledge that 36% of people in Scotland support independence and want better democratic representation. In fact Lord Forsyth even said it was a ‘disgrace’ that people should seek to break up the Union. This is just another example of how out of touch the Westminster system is, and how democracy and politics in the UK is broken.

    1. Abulhaq says:

      Oh! do beware the “Proud Scotchman”,sending countrymen, kilted and bonneted, pipes skirling, off to fight and die for England’s eternal glory…the real “disgrace” Mr Forsyth.

  8. Wullie says:

    I must confess that I thought he died years ago but then, on the red benches it’s hard to tell. Nice to see that Lang was supported by Stalin’s Granny. Strange bedfellows indeed but at £300 an appearance and in these straitened times, needs must.

  9. Alastair Ewen says:

    Nasty stuff from “Lord” Lang about opening “home wounds” in Northern Ireland…

  10. Ken MacColl says:

    Great stuff from Stalin’s granny referring to Lang as “my noble lord.” GROVEL, GROVEL CREEP CREEP.

    Enough to give you the dry boak!

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