Aria Alexander Does Elle Sakso

Aria Alexander Does Elle Sakso

Search Metadata

Search text contents

Search TV news captions

Search radio transcripts

Search archived websites

Advanced Search

Full text of " The Times , 1998, UK, English "

See other formats

Passions flare over Lords reform

Brhain

>f smoke

Cheering
% breaks
tradition
of silence

By Philip Webster

POLITICAL EDITOR

THE future of the Lords was
established yesterday as the
battlefield for the next political
year as tensions erupted in
both Houses of Parliament
over the Government's plan to
strip 750 hereditary peers of
their voting rights.

,\V After a Queen's speech an-
l^floundng 22 Bills ran gin g
from welfare reform to trade
on the Internet. Tony Blair
and William Hague dashed fu¬
riously over Lords reform,
with Mr Hague saying that it
would hang like a millstone
round Mr Blair's neck and the
Prime Minister dedaring that
he would kill the Tory claim to
a "divine right” to govern.

Their Commons confronta¬
tion followed unusual events
in the Lords, where the
Queen's speech was interrupt¬
ed for the first time in the mod¬
em age. She is usually heard
in silence, but her announce-
*<. ment of the plans for the Lords
4 was greeted by cheers from la-
* hour peers and MPS, and mur-
murings of disapproval — ei¬
ther about their fate or the
breach with tradition — from
Tory peers. The Queen, appar¬
ently surprised. looked up
briefly before continuing.

It was an illustration of the
anger on both sides in both
Houses for whal may turn out
to be the ultimate constitution¬
al confrontation. And while
Mr Blair led a determined of¬
fensive to focus attention on
other measures. Labour strate¬
gists admitted that the way the
Lords behaved in the face of
their own destruction would
dominate the session.

The issue has clearly influ¬
enced the shape of the pro-

Duma reformer
is buried

Galina Starovoitova, the mur¬
dered Duma deputy, was bur¬
ied in St Petersburg’s Alexan¬
der Nevsky Monastery. Lead¬
ing pro-democracy politicians
joined her family and friends
and hundreds of supporters
mourned quietly in the streets
outside.-Page 18

Sir John Major

John Major is to become a
Knight of the Garter, replac¬
ing Lord Hunt. He will be in¬
stalled next Aprfl. on St
George’s Day-Page 22

TV & RADIO.50.51

WEATHER.26

CROSSWORDS ....26, 52

LETTERS ..23

OBITUARIES.25

SIMON JEN KINS.22

ARTS.3941

CHESS & BRIDGE ...47
COURT & SOCIAL ...-24

LAW REPORT.43

MIND & MATTER....20
HOMES.....36,38

Buying The Times overseas

Austria Scfi SO; Belgium 8 Frs 100: Canada

CJ Oft Canaries Pis 325; Cyprus CUftDm-

mirk Dfcr IB 0ft Finland Fhil:305ft Ftan«

F into Germany

Greece Dr 750: Netherlands 0

j Lu*em hours LTlOft Madeira EscSKfc

Malm Morocco Dir Jftltt Norway IO

2Sj00: PWiugal am Ex XO. Span iWbM*

Sweden Skr 2S0ft Swiurrbnd S Fta Mtt

Tunisia Din 3JSXfc ISA

jvriodicafc ftstage Patdai Rahway Nj Tto-

masicr. Send address corneowns »: The

t£ks c/p Mercury International 365 Blair

Rnad Awnel Nj 07001.

Lady Haden-Gnest better known as Jamie Lee Curtis, with Lords Cockfidd, St John of Fawsley, Monleagle, Evans of Watford. Rosslyn, Tomlinson and Ahmed, and Lady Monster

gramme with at least five sub¬
stantial Bills—on food stand¬
ards. elected mayors, freedom
of information, a strategic rail
authority and political fund¬
ing — held over. Paddy Ash¬
down complained that too
much that should be done now
was being held over for anoth¬
er time: ‘This Queen’s speech
kicks so much off the field thai
after it there will be standing
room only in the long grass.”

Ministers have already con¬
ceded that without help from
Tory peers their Bill to intro¬
duce PR for the European elec¬
tions next year cannot get
through in time. The Lords
Bill itself will contain only a
handful of clauses and will not
enter Parliament until next

V;.- ■£*■

ii ' -r v,•

year. But no one can be sure
how peers’ attitude to the Bill
ending their voting rights will
spill over into obstruction on
other government measures.

Mr Hague was roared on by
Tory MPs as he accused Mr
Blair of wanting to neuter the
Lords and replace the “inde¬
pendent” second chamber
with a “House of cronies”.

The Government was set¬
ting up a Royal Commission
on the Lords foal was expected
to report within two years. Mr
Hague said, and should wait
to see what would replace the
existing arrangements before
changing them. He was wast¬
ing the whole of the coming
year on a jpiece of constitution¬
al vandalism that will be obso¬

lescent in just 24 months". Mr
Blair said that it simply could
not be right Tor the Lords to be
dominated by 750 hereditaries
out of a total of 1,100.

Of those who took the whip
the vast bulk were Tories, en¬
suring that one House in the
two-House system was perma¬
nently in their hands. “It is
time to end the feudal domina¬
tion of one half of our legisla¬
ture by a Tory Party that
claims a divine right to govern
this country.” he said.

The Government will bring
in a White Paper setting out
new arrangements for appoint¬
ing life peers. Under the pro¬
posals. Mr Blair will relin¬
quish the Prime Minister’s
sole right of patronage and es¬

tablish a Royal Commission to
review further changes and
suggest reforms.

In the Lords. Baroness Jay
urged peers not to obstruct the
reform. But Viscount Cran-
bome, the Opposition L e ade r ,
said the announcement of the
Bill had tinged foe Stale Open¬
ing with “great sadness". He
said: “Emotions will certainly
run high, and the measured
judgmentin great matters that
the public has come to expect
of your Lordships' House, will
require an extra effort of will
by all of us.”

Queen'S speech, pages 9-12
Simon Jenkins, page 22
Leading article, page 23
Reform delay, page 27

THE MAIN BILLS

Health: end the'NHS internal
market and replace GP tund-
holding.

Welfare: aD benefit claimants
to attend a job interview, more
targeting of benefits: first
stage of pension reforms.
Crime: overhaul of youth
courts; greater protection to
vulnerable witnesses.

House of Lords: remove vot¬
ing rights of hereditary peers.
Access to Justice: give solici¬
tors wider a cce ss to higher
courts: more targeted legal
aid; give private security firms
power to arrest fine defaulters.
Fairness to Work new rights

for workers including automat¬
ic union recognition where 40
per cent of the workforce want
it or where 50 per cent are un¬
ion members.

Asylum and Immigration:
crackdown on asylum seekers,
replacing cash handouts with
benefits in kind to deter bogus
applicants.

Age of Consent: lower the age
of homosexual consent from 18
to 16 in line with that for
heterosexuals.

London: set up mechanisms
for a directly-elected mayor of
London and Greater London
Authority.

Hague
accused
of‘gutter’
sneer

by Roland Watson,

POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

PETER MandeIson’S advisers
last night accused William
Hague of “entering the gutter"
after the Tory leader used the
opening of the Parliamentary
session to make a veiled refer¬
ence to allegations about the
Trade Secretary's private life.

Mr Hague’s decision
stunned MPs gathered in the
Commons to hear the Leader
of the Opposition’s keynote ad¬
dress replying to the Queen's
Speech. During a rhetorical as¬
sault about the reformed
House of Lords becoming a
chamber of “Tony’s cronies”.
Mr Hague said the future up¬
per House would indude
‘‘Lord Mandelson of Rio".

ft was a reference to an arti¬
cle in last week's Punch claim¬
ing that Mr Mandelson had
visited a gay nightdub — a
claim denied by the minister.

Last night a friend of Mr
Mandelson said: "Mr Hague
has in the past refrained from
entering file gutter occupied
by so many of his colleagues”
Mr Hague’s office defended
the comment as "a little bit of
light entertainment**.

The reference to Rio was in
the text of Mr Hague's speech*
written by the Tory leader, fje
also mentioned “Lord Draper
of Lobbygate". a reference,* to
Derek Draper, the former lob¬
byist. and “Lord Robinson of
Offshore Funds in the Island
of Guernsey”, a reference to
Geoffrey Robinson, the Pay¬
master General.

A spokesman for Mr Hague
said the reference to Mr Man¬
delson was “just a reference to
a place that he likes to visit”.

Mandelson secret page 2

Up in smoke: the Toyota Corolla catches fire within sight of the finish of the rally

Rally driver bums out
300 'metres from glory

^0140^46237'

BY Kevin Eason

CARLOS SA1NZ has pursued
the World Rally Champion¬
ship for almost 15,000 miles
across the sand, mud and grav¬
el of five continents. Yester¬
day. he was 300 metres from
triumph when the engine of
his car burst into flames and
stopped.

It was a moment to rank in
the pantheon of great sporting
disasters, with the bean-bro¬
ken Spaniard able to see the
finishing post of the Network
Q Rally of Great Britain
through the mud-spattered
windscreen of his Toyota Co¬
rolla yet helpless to stagger
past it.

While Sainz contemplated
his misfortune, the new cham¬
pion was also disconsolate.
Knowing nothing of the disas¬
ter. Tommi Makiren had
packed his bags and was pre¬
paring to fly home to Finland.

Makinen had come to Brit¬
ain to defend a two-point lead

in the 13-rallv championship

only to fall victim to equally bi¬

zarre circumstances. A
31-year-old Hillman Imp
dumped its engine oil cm the
circuit within a few miles of
the start on Sunday and Mak¬
inen skidded on the slide,
smashed into a concrete block
and wrecked his Mitsubishi
Lancer.

That meant Sainz had to
come only fourth to claim the
championship for the third

time. For three days, it was a
vir tual cruise, that fourth
place secure, and yesterday
spectators waited in the sun¬
shine at Margam Park in
South Wales to cheer him

ho me...and waited.

The leaders lore through the

In tears: co-driver Moya

grassland to finish the
1.100-mile rally, but their first
sight of Sainz was when his
car coasted to a halt, flames
spurting from the bonnet

The inconsolable Spaniard
clambered out and burst into
tears. His co-driver, Luis
Moya, at least gave vent to his
frustration, kicking the strand¬
ed car before tearing off his hel¬
met and hurling it at the
smoke-blackened bodywork.

The first man on the mobile
telephone was Tuomo Makm-
en, who had watched incredu¬
lously and was just in time to
catch his brother carrying his
ha g s down to his airport taxi.
“He said, 'Don’t go. don’t go.
You have won'," the champion
said. “I told him to stop joking.
I could not believe what had
happened. I had given up and
just wanted to go home, it
must be terrible for Carlos.”

So terrible that Sainz was
unable to speak through his
emotions and retreated to the
sanctuary of his hotel.

Briton triumphs, page 50

Major critical of
Army social ‘elite’
faces discharge

By Michael Evans, defence editor

MAJOR Eric Joyce, who has
been in dispute with the Army
since publishing a controver¬
sial pamphlet in August last
year criticising the “elite" in
the Service, is to be told to re¬
sign or face “administrative
discharge".

All the senior officers in¬
volved in his chain of com¬
mand. including General Sir
Michael Walker, the Corn-
man der-in-Chief Land Com¬
mand, have recommended the
two-option ultimatum and the
matter is now in the hands of
the Army Board.

TTie 38-year-old officer with
the Adjutant General’s Corps,
who was sent home in Febru¬
ary on full pay, has been invit¬
ed to appear before the Army
Board on December 18.

The board, which is the
Army’s senior decision-mak¬
ing body, is expected to concur
with the opinion of Major Major Joyce: “I feel I’m
Joyce’s commanding officer bemg unfairly treated"
that he leave the Service.

Last night Major Joyce said class system and being run by
he had not made up his mind a social elite, he has created an
whether to accept the Army embarrassing dilemma for his
Board’s invitation. “If I decide superior officers.

1 want to fight to stay in the Originally, he faced court
Army, then I shall obviously martial or other disciplinary
take the opportunity to ad- proceedings for breaching the
dress the beard. But if I decide regulations under which offic¬
io resign then I wont” ers are prohibited from writ-

He said: “I have been in the frig articles about the Service
Army now for 20 years and it without permission,
would be a pity to end my ca- That threat was dropped,
reer by bring forced even though he continued to
out... The whole process of make public comments about
administrative discharge is ar- the Army in newspapers, on
chaic and outmoded and 1 feel radio and television. He was
I’m being unfairly treated." much in demand.

Ever since the publication of The officer is hoping to be in -
his article in a Fabian Society duded on the Labour Party’s
pamphlet in which he accused list of candidates for the Scot-
the Army of maintaining a fish Parliament.

“I fed I’m
V treated"

class system and being run by
a sodal elite, he has created an
embarrassing dilemma for his
superior officers.

Originally, he faced court
martial or other disciplinary
proceedings for breaching the
regulations under which offic¬
ers are prohibited from writ¬
ing articles about the Service
without permission.

That threat was dropped,
even though he continued to
make public comments about
the Army in newspapers, on
radio and television. He was
much in demand.

The officer is hoping to be in¬
ducted on the Labour Party’s
list of candidates for the Scot¬
tish Parliament.

Capture Her Heart

“Tiffany Heart" pendants of diamonds set in platinum
on 16" chains. Large. £5.750. Small. £2^00.

Set in eighteen carat gold. Large, £5.525. Small, £2.000.
Also available with sapphires, rubies or emeralds.

Tiffany & Co.

Since 1837

LONDON 25 OLD BOND STREET V! 0I7I-4B9 r?90
HARkODS. KNIGHTSBRIDGE 017I-7J0 1234

2 HOME NEWS

LS E faces
revolt oyer
plan to
raise fees

THE TIMES WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER

ig> % ^'■ > ti-j

By Victoria Fletcher

ONE of Tony Blair'S leading
academic advisers faced a stu¬
dent revolt last night after pro¬
posing a 30 per cent rise in tui¬
tion fees at the London School
of Economics.

Anthony Giddens. who is di¬
rector of the LSE. said the rise
from £5.500 to £7.700 for Brit¬
ish postgraduates would bring
the fees more in line with those
paid by overseas students.

But. in a demonstration rem¬
iniscent of the LSE’s years as a
hotbed of radicalism in the
1960s. students and lecturers
said the rise would deter Brit¬
ish postgraduates, and would
be widely interpreted as a test¬
bed for increasing university
income by squeezing more
money from students.

Professor Giddens is a politi¬
cal sociologist known to be in
regular contact with the Prime
Minister. In September, he ac¬
companied Mr Blair to Ameri¬
ca for a seminar with Presi¬
dent Clinton on how the Unit¬
ed States had interpreted the
"third way" and how more
flesh could be put on the new
political philosophy.

The plans are part of a pack¬
age to be examined over the
coming weeks by the govem-

students who already pay
more than £9,000 per year for
the course will only have their
fees raised in line with the 3.5
per cent basic rate of inflation.

Last night the 30 students at
the demonstration accused
their governing body of trad¬
ing education tor financial re¬
ward. Nanus Aga. the general
secretary of the student union,
said: "This would create a very
dangerous intake based cm fi¬
nancial and not academic
means. We are astounded that
LSE are considering it and, if
they are wanting to compete
with Oxbridge, this is not the
way forward."

A spokewoman for the Asso¬
ciation of University Teachers
said that the proposals were
the first in what could become

a worrying trend in education.
This is the first, it wont be the
last Universities will make
postgraduates pay however
they can if they are desperate
for money. It will put educa¬
tion solely into the hands of
those who can pay.’ she said.

However. Professor Gul¬
dens insisted that the LSE had
made no firm derisions and
was stiU looking "at ail op¬
tions" for addressing funding.

He added: "We must not do
anything to penalise UK stu¬
dents and I hope there will not
be too much dissension. We
are already concerned to ex¬
pand access and we are look¬
ing to drive more fund-raising
for scholarships."

In 1960s there were protests
ar the LSE over the right for ac¬
cess to information and for stu¬
dents to be given more of a
voice. Even Baroness Black-
stone, then a junior lecturer
and now the Higher Educa¬
tion Minister in the Lords, be¬
came involved in a sit-in.

Many former alumni have
become famous, and include
Karl Popper, William Bev¬
eridge, John F. Kennedy and
Cherie Blair.

The LSE Standing Commit-

the first time last night, and
agreed to refer the issue back
for further consultation on the
grounds that it had not estab¬
lished whether higher fees
would deter students and ef¬
fect access. If this were found
to be the case, the committee
derided, an increase in hard¬
ship funds would also have to
be introduced.

A spokesperson for the De¬
partment for Education and
Employment yesterday said it
hoped the LSE would veto the
proposals. “The Government
has not yet announced new
rates for postgraduate- stu¬
dents. This will be announced
next month. We surprised they
are proposing a rise more than
the rate j f inflation.-Hopefully
they wm not do it"

wm-r -

- - : s

The Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton. Sea winds fanned the flames of the fire, thought to have started in a chip pan in the ground-floor kitchen

By Helen Johnstone

A COUPLE slept on for more
than three hours as the hotel
at which they were staying
was burning down around
them. They did not leave their
first-floor room until the fire
had spread to all five floors.

When the middleaged cou¬
ple. booked in under the
name of Burton, eventually
rushed out of the front of the
Royal Albion Hotel in Bright¬
on. onlookers and hotel staff

Couple slept on for hours as
hotel burnt around them

said that they were lucky to be
alive. They were directed -to
the nearby Thistle Hotel
along with other guests, many
of whom were still in their
nightclothes, but they left
soon afterwards.

They were among 120

guests and 30 staff
Analacrobats Chanel Preston Anal 3some Şaşkın
Boşalma Can Atma Derleme - Hd Porno İzle Sikiş Videoları
Yuttu Serena, Kenzie Ve Brooklyn Büyük Bir Penis Sakso

Aria Alexander Does Elle Sakso

Report Page