How Laws Get Made - The Inside Story

I am reading and enjoying enormously Daniel Greenberg's Laying Down the Law from Sweet and Maxwell. This should be read by pretty much anyone who uses legislation from the UK Parliament or who is involved in enacting, drafting or interpreting it. It is a readable and thorough account of the the roles of those involved in legislating in the UK from someone who worked as part of the team responsible for drafting statutes for many years.

I particularly liked his take on the distinction between policy issues and technicalities and his robust views on the roles of politicians and civil servants in Section 2 of the book.

Anyone seriously wanting to influence legislation should read this and keep it near them. So should anyone interested in the realities of how our government and parliamentary system work.

Happy Birthday Flann O'Brien

For all lovers of comic prose and the surreal, this is a great day. The excellent and underrated comic writer Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan) was born 100 years ago today. The above picture always reminds me of how men dressed in my childhood in the 1950's with the soft hat and the overcoat.

I hope to find time to (re) read his classics such as The Third Policeman, At Swim-Two Birds and the collection of his Irish Times pieces, The Best of Myles.

Try him and see what you think..............