How Parliament Works

"This is one of my other bibles. I read lots and although I like fiction I also read factual books which I learn from. So this is my bible of what you can and can’t do in parliament – how the place works and its rules. But it’s written for people outside parliament as well as inside. Yes, and it is so important to know the rules. It is a bit like in sports: You need to know every single rule so you can try to win. There is no point doing really well and then getting disqualified because you weren’t aware of some rule. In the House of Lords we have loads of rules for everything, and it is very hard because some of them aren’t even written down. It can be an awful lot to take in when you first arrive. There is a bit of help, but it is a real challenge because you can’t learn all the rules in one day. It is like telling a 15 year old: “Do a bit of archery for a while and then next week we are going to compete in the Olympic final.” For me, this book was a bit of a life-saver really. It helped me learn the right questions to ask. It is written by people who work there, so they really know what is going on. But there are far drier books on the subject – this one is actually very readable. I have taken part in quite a few political debates. I have been involved in the Olympic and Paralympic Amendment Bill, and the Sunday Trading Bill which is about games’ times. It is interesting to be able to talk about it from the political standpoint, but then say: “I have been to various Paralympic Games, and this is why I think we should do this.” That is what the House of Lords is about – bringing all those personal experiences. Night-time delivery in London. It is not terribly exciting, but it is really important that we were able to temporarily change the law to allow shops and restaurants to have night-time deliveries to free the roads up in the day. There were some objections, but I was there to say, “I know what it is like and this is why we need to do it”. It is a little victory but quite a nice one. I just want people to have a really good time and watch some amazing sport. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter I think the legacy is a massive one for debate. Anyone involved in sport is responsible for the legacy. There is not one person or organisation who can tackle it. It is way more than which football club plays in the main stadium. It is about how we get young people involved in sport and staying in sport. The legacy is important, and we all have to play a part in making sure it happens."