Posts by George Darroch

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  • Southerly: Confessions of a Social Retard,

    But why rule out half the population as possible friends? And why can't you make an emotional connection with someone without having sex?

    Cause men can't think about anything but sex (tm).
    Apart from when they're being more rational than women (pretty much always) (tm).

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Hard News: My Mum and other good things,

    Thank you Lucy. Cameron and Clegg make such a pair.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: Absent Members,

    I/S posts on the subject, dealing with much of what has been discussed here, and concludes by saying

    Graeme suggests simply making unjustified absence a contempt of Parliament. Its an elegant solution, which recognises that MPs get to regulate themselves, and it doesn't require any law changes. At the same time, we need to be careful not to surrender John Wilkes' victory, and let Parliament rather than voters determine its membership. Censure and fines are one thing, but the power to unseat a member is not something that should be left to politicians; if we want that as an ultimate sanction, then s55(1)(a) Electoral Act will need to be amended with an appropriate threshold.

    Which sounds very reasonable to me, at least in principle. I'll wait for details before I endorse any such solution fully.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Hard News: My Mum and other good things,

    Russell:

    And all this in a thread dedicated to my sainted mother ...

    Emma:

    I feel compelled to point out that "a gentleman of Emma's acquaintance" is one of the few things on this page that isn't a euphemism.

    I think the original thread was euphemised a while back.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Hard News: My Mum and other good things,

    What, hasn't it happened yet? I've already tabled a report.

    I'll never think about "tabling" reports in Parliament in quite the same way. Cross thread pollution, I'll be over that way --> .

    Although now that I mention it, the thought of Parliament fan-fic is perversely appealing.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: Absent Members,

    And of course, being in the House is no measure of effectiveness.

    Roger Douglas was reading bad crime-fiction in the house the other day. Yeah, I'm probably in contempt, but some things are simply contemptuous.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Southerly: Confessions of a Social Retard,

    Hmmm, I got 20 on that test. If you'd put me into university at 16, however, I would have been registering much higher numbers. I would spend days and days by myself pursuing arcane interests without any desire for interpersonal interaction.

    My personality changed dramatically between about 17 and 19. I'm not sure if it was the sex, drugs, rock and roll, or simply brain development.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: Absent Members,

    Or Flybuys - every sitting day gets you closer to that shiny toaster. They could even add the remaining travel perks to the scheme.

    To address Ben Wilson's point above, select committees could be worth more points, as would ministerial responsibilities.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Legal Beagle: Absent Members,

    I'm thinking of solutions that don't require changes to the law - like you I agree that it's not a particularly useful one. Is there the possibility of a statutory body (the SSC?) publishing a register of attendance? I mean, it's difficult enough to work out who attended Parliament on a particular day, let alone 120 MPs over 3 years of sitting.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • Hard News: My Mum and other good things,

    Immoral people don't own tables? So where does that put me on a scale of righteousness?

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

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