House of Lords Reform Bill

Tim Farron Excerpts

Monday 9th July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sadiq Khan]

The hon. Lady raises one of the issues that need to be resolved.

[Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)]

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

[Sadiq Khan]

The hon. Gentleman has been very patient, so I will give way to him.

[Tim Farron]

I am extremely grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his statesmanlike address. He seeks credit for the Labour party for reforming history, and he is right to do so. The last but one Labour Prime Minister, who introduced devolution in Scotland and Wales and a Northern Ireland Assembly, and, indeed, introduced proportional representation for European elections without a referendum, deserves enormous credit.

Does the right hon. Gentleman feel comfortable about concentrating on the details now, and essentially asking for a prevaricators’ charter? Does he feel comfortable about being ranked as a pygmy alongside those giants of constitutional reform?

[Sadiq Khan]

I am not sure whether I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point. He seems to be suggesting that we skip the details and rush the Bill through the House, and I am not sure that that is my idea of good government.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Liberal Democrat Members should not be yelling at the right hon. Gentleman. The right hon. and learned Member for North East Fife (Sir Menzies Campbell) intervened and the right hon. Member for Tooting (Sadiq Khan) is replying. The hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) is an aspiring statesman—

[Tim Farron]

indicated dissent.

[Mr Speaker]

Well, perhaps he thinks he is a statesman already, and he should behave accordingly. Let us hear Mr Sadiq Khan.