Lord Monks

Former Trade Union General Secretary John Monks, now Baron Monks, spent time discussing life in the House of Lords today with the Politics Society. Naturally the girls’ questions veered off the beaten track and it would be invidious to include quotes about which Labour leader made the Unions look like embarrassing elderly relatives at the party conference! The process of the Labour Party leadership election was dissected and reassembled; alternatives to the House of Lords were conjured, and the virtues of having celebrity members (Sir Alan Sugar anyone?) were mooted. Which speakers would Lord Monks make a beeline to hear in a chamber where the standard of debate is so high? Lord Monks was very clear: those graduates from the House of Commons have the best pedigree and training. “I’d always want to hear Shirley Williams, Nigel Lawson and John Reid. They’re articulate and what they say is powerfully delivered.”

11 October, 2011