Laing Time Coming

This is the face of Eleanor Laing, Shadow Justice Minister. You are totally forgiven for not recognising her. I have been monitoring contributions by the region's MPs since the turn of the year and this appears to be Ms Laing's first contribution to Parliament in that time. As a shadow Minister her absence from debates seems inexplicable but when you read her interjections to last week's debate on fixed-term Parliaments you may begin to understand why.

The Private Member's Bill presented by David Howarth (Cambridge) seeks to set Parliamentary terms to four years. On the face of it seems eminently sensible proposal which no sitting Government would consider implementing. So much for another PMB. The main case for the proposal would be to put an end to the long and tedious speculation about calling elections. The arbitrary nature of prorogation also fuels the suspicion amongst the general public that all MPs are devious and self-serving when most are not.

As the genial Mr Howarth put it, all countries do it differently put none look as capricious as us. Replying for the Conservatives, Eleanor Laing took the 'ad hominen' line that Mr Howarth's true motive for presenting the Bill was simply to offer protection to Gordon Brown. As Howarth is a front-bencher for the Lib-Dems that assertion looks a bit off the mark. Howarth had made it clear the Bill, if enacted could only subsequently be amended by a further Act. She thought she had spotted a fatal flaw. "In effect," shrieked La Laing,"he is arguing that the Prime Minister of the day could throw out the provisions of this Bill and have a general election whenever he or she wanted within the four or five-year period." Almost with embarrassment, Howarth had to point out that any such Bill was not the gift of any PM, would need cross-party support and agreement from the House of Lords. Most of the time we call this Parliamentary Democracy.

She would have been advised to stop digging but no, on she went. She referred to the one month delay to the 2001 General Election because of the foot and mouth outbreak. And said she was glad of it because she was at the time in the latter stages of pregnancy. If anything, her point strengthened the case for pre-ordained election dates. She continued on the theme assuring the house breezily that her "son is of course the most wonderful person in the world" and then remembering where she was, said "I appreciate that point is out of order and nothing to do with the Bill." It may be a while before Ellie speaks on behalf of Her Majesty's Opposition again, certainly if the Tory whips have anything to say about it.