The Spectator’s Notes | 22 January 2011

To interview people for my biography of Lady Thatcher, I often go the House of Lords, where many of the best witnesses lurk. Recently, the place has become so crowded that queues form at the Peers’ Entrance and mobs of petitioners are kettled beside the coat-racks. The reason is that New Labour created more peers than any government since Lloyd George, so the coalition felt it had to balance the numbers. As controversial legislation, such as the Alternative Vote referendum, is debated, three-line whips have become frequent. This week, we had the great sleep-in. The place is an ermine slum. Now reformers are saying that it is disgraceful that some peers do not attend the House much. But why should they? They are not paid unless they do, and if they judge that they are rarely needed, they are almost certainly right. Besides, my companion last week pointed out as we weaved our way through the throng in the Royal Gallery, if you threaten the absentees, they will all start turning up.