Possible expulsions of non-attending peers 2022

[colinp]

It has been announced that the State Opening of a new session of Parliament will be on 10 May 2021 -  State Opening of Parliament: May 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The present session will be prorogued probably at the end of April.  As the current session has lasted more than 6 months  the provisions of s 2 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 may be triggered in the case of a peer (not on leave of absence or otherwise disqualified/suspended) who has not attended a sitting of the House during the session.  Such a peer ceases to be a member of the House of Lords unless the House votes otherwise.

According to my records peers who may currently be at risk of expulsion for non-attendance are:

Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare (NA)

Lord Carter of Barnes (NA)

Lord Dear (XB)

Lord Kinnock (Lab)

Lord Moonie (NA)

Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve (XB)

Lord Oxburgh (XB)

Lord Stevens of Ludgate (Ind Con)

Lord Young of Graffham (Con)

I should stress these are based on records publicly available.  I have checked the voting and speaking records of each peer on Hansard via the Parliament website and also the members' allowances records which are available until October 2021 which include records of attendance even when a peer has not claimed an allowance.  It is quite possible (though perhaps unlikely for all of them) that those of the above peers who have taken the oath may have attended the House since October but have not voted or spoken.

[sven_me...@web.de]

I thought Archer at least attends the Opening of Parliament. And what about Baroness Afshar, Earl Rosslyn and Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank?

[colinp]

Baroness Afshar, the Earl of Rosslyn and Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank all attended for 1 day in October 2021 (they may have attended in other months but I haven't checked) and none of them claimed an allowance

The State Opening is of course 10 May 2022

[Henry W]

Thanks Colin - your work in producing this list is always appreciated.  It will be interesting to see if a flurry of retirements come in the last days of the session - if you are excluded by virtue of non-attendance, you lose attendance rights which are still available to retired peers. Hopefully non-participating peers do not choose to take Leave of Absence. Several in your list are over 80 and there is little prospect they might return to regular participation.

[sven_me...@web.de]

There is the case of Lord Sugar who was critized for rarely attending who took leave of absence instead of retiring. I think Leave of Absence should not so easily be given. Another similiar case is Baroness Campbell. 

[sven_me...@web.de]

Afshar last voted  in 2019 and Rosslyn in 2007 and 1999. 

[sven_me...@web.de]

and Kinnock could have retired with his wife. 

colinp schrieb am Samstag, 26. März 2022 um 13:01:43 UTC+1:

[sven_me...@web.de]

I've just read on Twitter Stephen Kinnock posting about the coming 80th birthday of his father and his mother having Alzheimers

[www.lordmountbattenofburma.com]

Alzheimer's: Neil Kinnock supporting wife through disease - BBC News

[www.lordmountbattenofburma.com]

David Young, Lord Young of Graffham was 90 this year

[colinp]

Lord Stevens of Ludgate has been granted Leave of Absence for the remainder of the session

[colinp]

The November 2021 Lords expenses claims have been published on the HoL website.  These reveal that Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve attended for 1 day in November and so will not be expelled

[sven_me...@web.de]

Why isn't public Whip updated anymore?

[colinp]

David Beamishhas  reported that yesterday Lord Young of Graffham retired from the Lords -  Lord Young of Graffham has today retired from the House of Lords (google.com)

The House of Lords Minutes of Proceedings from yesterday also noted that Lords Moonie and Oxburgh had given notice of their intention to retire from the House today.

[colinp]

The December 2021 HoL expenses are now available to view online.  These reveal that Lord Archer attended one day that month and Lord Dear attended 3 days.  That only leaves Lord Carter of Barnes and Lord Kinnock potentially at risk although there was no announcement in the House re expulsions yesterday

[sven_me...@web.de]

very sad if nothing comes out of it

[colinp]

There was no announcement in the Lords yesterday so I assume Lord Carter and Lord Kinnock attended in the period January to April 2022

[colinp]

The House of Lords January expenses claims have been published - Lord Kinnock attended 1 day in that month

[colinp]

The House of Lords February expenses claims have been published - Lord Carter of Barnes attended 1 day in that month

[sven_me...@web.de]

So he saved himself with that 1 day.

[colinp]

But he may have attended more frequently in March and April.

[sven_me...@web.de]

But why should he? He seems to belong to those who only attend enough not to be excluded?