Complaint of Privilege

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 5 Rhagfyr 1973.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Charles Pannell Mr Charles Pannell , Leeds West 12:00, 5 Rhagfyr 1973

Thank you very much for your ruling, Mr. Speaker. I know the extreme difficulty you are in when you are commenting on matters arising from a speech made by the Speaker of the other House. That is the difficulty I face. We are dealing with the Speaker of the House of Lords, with the Lord Chancellor. We are really dealing with a judge in his own right.

Consequently, the Leader of the House will have to consider the matter, because you cannot, Mr. Speaker, give a prima facie ruling which goes back only to 1934—[An HON MEMBER: "It was 1964."] It is to 1934 that the prima facie business goes back. The hon. Gentleman should do his homework. You cannot give a prima facie case which goes back only to 1934. Mr. Speaker, as would have been the case if it had been any other Member.

It will not have escaped your notice, Mr. Speaker, although I did not make too much of the matter yesterday, that apart from the insult to you and your authority the Lord Chancellor threatened those about to take part in the debate by calling on the voters of the country to note the identity of the Members concerned, to note the party to which they belong, to sound the alarm, and ask the moderates and constitutionalists of every party and of none to stand together against any constitutional innovation of this kind. It was not a constitutional innovation.

The Lord Chancellor's speech was not made in a post-prandial fit of exuberance but had been released to the Press earlier in the day, embargoed for nine o'clock. It was a threat to Members of this House with malice aforethought, and was repeated on television.

Another point I ask you to note, Mr. Speaker—