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News, gossip and insight from PoliticsHome Editor Paul Waugh
Monday 23rd July 2012 | 17:06
Lord Green, the working peer
Lord Green was the subject of an un-Lords-like clash today as Jan Royall and Tom Strathclyde went head to head in the Upper House.
Royall had tabled the Lords equivalent of a Commons Urgent Question, aka a Private Notice Question, on Lord Green's links to HSBC and what he knew of its money-laundering scandal.
Strathclyde made a stout defence of the trade minister, pointing out that although he had answered only two oral questions in 18 months, he had been a very busy bee indeed. The Leader of the Lords pointed out that Lord Green had visited 73 cities overseas in his role at BIS, promoting British business.
The implication was this: the definition of a working peer is not just how many times they are in the Lords, but how many hard yards they put in on the road.
But ministers are not just salesmen, they are meant to be accountable.
In fact, a quick perusal of attendance by ministers who are peers shows that Lord Green is bottom of the league in many ways.
He made just three appearances at the despatch box overall - compared to 34 times by Baroness Warsi. He also voted in just 32% of divisions, compared to 70% by Baroness Warsi (the next worst voting record).
Of course, the Strathcylde defence normally works (all trade ministers spend a lot of time overseas) but it does suffer from one particular flaw: Lord Green is actually in the UK for much of this summer, precisely to meet foreign businessmen. In fact last week, he was actually in Strathclyde's office just as Labour were demanding he appear in the chamber...
Here's a league table of appearances and votes for ministerial peers.
|
|
Att 2012 -/38 |
% |
Att 2010 / 293 |
% |
Div 2010-12 /236 |
% |
|
Green |
3 |
8 |
53* |
23 |
72** |
33 |
|
Freud |
14 |
37 |
162 |
55 |
209 |
89 |
|
Hanham |
19 |
50 |
166 |
57 |
198 |
84 |
|
Hill |
15 |
39 |
169 |
58 |
228 |
97 |
|
Howe |
25 |
66 |
197 |
67 |
226 |
96 |
|
Stowell of Beeston |
37 |
97 |
199 |
68 |
201 |
85 |
|
Wilcox |
19 |
50 |
210 |
72 |
227 |
96 |
|
Henley |
30 |
79 |
213 |
73 |
228 |
97 |
|
Warsi |
34 |
89 |
227 |
77 |
167 |
71 |
|
Younger of Leckie |
32 |
84 |
236 |
81 |
220 |
93 |
|
Marland |
26 |
68 |
248 |
85 |
187 |
79 |
|
Astor |
34 |
89 |
251 |
86 |
216 |
92 |
|
Taylor of Holbeach |
16 |
42 |
263 |
90 |
229 |
97 |
|
Howell |
37 |
97 |
272 |
93 |
188 |
80 |
|
Strathclyde |
37 |
97 |
274 |
94 |
224 |
95 |
|
de Mauley |
34 |
89 |
275 |
94 |
236 |
100 |
|
Sassoon |
37 |
97 |
275 |
94 |
223 |
94 |
|
Verma |
36 |
95 |
277 |
95 |
235 |
100 |
|
Attlee |
35 |
92 |
281 |
96 |
233 |
99 |
|
Anelay of St Johns |
37 |
97 |
283 |
97 |
236 |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* L Green figures out of 227 as not appointed a peer until Nov 2010 |
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** L Green figures out of 221 as not appointed a peer until Nov 2010 |
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November 2010