The House of Lords approved without a vote new rules which will mean that all 798 peers will have to attend behaviour training course or face being reported to the Lords Commissioner for Standards for breaching their code of conduct.
two public dissenters
The scheme had only two public dissenters – both Conservative peers – who claimed it was unnecessary. The move followed a couple of cases in the last year where two former Labour peers were found to have bullied and harassed Parliamentary staff. See my last blog here.
Lord Cormack, a former Tory MP who had a junior job in the Thatcher government said; “Speaking as one who has served in Parliament for over 50 years now, it is a very sad day when I am told that I have to be trained on how to behave. That is extremely unfortunate, and I believe that it is unnecessary. “
… “I regret and deplore it. After all, it is right that people accused of any offence should be appropriately dealt with, but I do not suppose that it would be thought appropriate for your Lordships to be given a course in how not to burgle.”
Lord Balfe, who as Richard Balfe was a former London Labour councillor and a Labour MEP until he switched to the Tories in 2002, called for the House of Lords Conduct committee to reconsider the move.
“I regret the compulsion attached to this training. I have done the training. It was largely irrelevant; most of it was about the House of Commons, or appeared to be.”
Lord Mance, a former judge and deputy president of the Supreme Court, chairs the Lords conduct committee which proposed the compulsory training, received support from a number of other peers who welcomed the move.
He said: “There is, unfortunately, a clear problem, even in this House. People sometimes behave in ways that one may not conceive of oneself, but that are recorded in great detail in the press and in the reports issued by the commissioner. Unconscious attitudes, and lack of consciousness of a problem, are real issues that the Valuing Everyone training is designed to address.”
All peers will have to either have attended or booked a training course by next April. Half of them have already attended one.
Westminster Confidential 
I think it’s a really good thing, as everyone who is paid to do a job (whatever form that job takes) should be accountable for their behaviour. No one is above that, even though some think that they are superior.
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What about the paedophiles? Or is that the training? They lie so how can we be sure this training is morally correct under our heavenly divine Fathers law.
The term ‘political correct’ is discussing. All politicians do is lie, cheet, steel in broad daylight. so What the hell is that supposed mean?
The rest of society are plebs to them, or goyam! I know a lot of them have suffered in their childhoods and I have compassion for that but many people go through the most Haines experiences and god bless them they turn out good, decent human beings. You can pass this email to each and every one of them. Tell them I will train them.
Angie
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Why are they paid to sleep at work every time they are on tv a good few of them are asleep too old to be in the job money for old rope get rid of them scroungers ,
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seriously? even they are now being forced to be ‘programmed’ by other people like that common purpose and hitler youth crap….? and not even a vote? when will the madness end? ar ethey getting paid extra for this or slavery re-legalised via the back door again….?
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I wonder if there is a place on this course for Boris Johnson after his disgraceful rudeness in the House of Commons yesterday, by walking out when Teresa May rose to speak. Pathetic, childish man.
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The problem with compulsory training is, participants there due to rules rarely take away anything positive and quite often create problems for all other trainees. I personally would prefer to see an ongoing programme where the issues are raised regularly and in a usual setting; this removes the label of training and the notion that to undertake such, one is not already competent.
I suggest this as an adult educator with years of experience of working with what I refer to as ‘training prisoners’.
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If anyone should know how to behave properly, it should be our Peers. Might I suggest that instead of training them all, The Peerage is removed from those who behave unacceptably. They would be fired from a company for such improper behaviour
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compulsory indoctrination.
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shhh…you’re not allowed to have opinions or talk anymore…under the threat they go hardcore on you and that only starts with getting ass raped in mental prison…..
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