Member

My third point is in a way a tribute to that made by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope of Craighead. While we are here principally to scrutinise and check the Executive, we must recognise that the Executive have a vital role to play in this House. One of the good things that this Government have done is to appoint distinguished figures from outside, such as the noble Lords, Lord Timpson and Lord Vallance, to the Front Bench. Previous Governments appointed people such as my noble friends Lord Hill, Lord Nash and Lord Agnew to the Front Bench. Are we really saying that a future Prime Minister should not be able to appoint a distinguished individual from outside to a ministerial position until someone had gone? That is the logic of this legislation. It would mean that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hermer, could not have been appointed Attorney-General until someone else had been fired from the ranks of Labour Members. I may disagree with the noble and learned Lord, but this House undoubtedly is enhanced by his presence. This legislation would, in effect, act as a turnstile, preventing him entering until someone else had departed.