OFF: Fw: weird facts - bollocks more like.

[Hardman DK]

On Tue, 3 Feb 1998, Jon Browne wrote:

> >The Speaker is basically there to shout "order" when the
> >politicians talk crap. You can't expect much from someone
> >who was a stripper 50 or so years ago.
>
> What's wrong with strippers, anyway?!

I think the slightly less lurid truth is that Betty Boothroyd was once in
a chorus line.

I'm not an expert on the commons, but the Speaker does have more to do
than shout "order"; she selects who gets to speak from the multitudes
waving their papers in the air - this isn't necessarily a random selection
as certain people will have more important contributions to make, and it
is her business to know who these people are; she also rules on whether
certain items of business are allowed to be added to the agenda (from time
to time an MP will demand an unscheduled debate about some crisis or
other); she also gets to arbitrate on constitutional matters, such as the
recent controversy as to whether or not Sinn Fein's MPs were to be allowed
into the commons without swearing allegiance to the crown. Probably other
stuff besides....she seems very well respected, and this doesn't happen
just because you know how to shout.

Dave
******************************************************************************

David Hardman                           "Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner
HCI Design Centre                        That I love Luton town"
School of Informatics                        (John Hegley)
City University
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB

Phone: +44 0171 477 8152
Fax:   +44 0171 477 8859
E-mail: D.K.Hardman at city.ac.uk
*****************************************************************************