Legal Services Bill [HL]

That was a very helpful steer as to the comparative powers of the Prime Minister and the Government. But on the Prime Minister’s move to abolish the post of Lord Chancellor, which it appears that the Minister and the rest of the Government opposed, I do not want history to be rewritten—and the Minister is pressing me on this. If I recall the position correctly, we had the decision of the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, to abolish the post of Lord Chancellor, and we heard in this House that our Lord Chancellor and our Speaker had been abolished. There then arose the question of who would open the proceedings of this Chamber on Friday 12 June 2003. I think that I have the dates reasonably exact. A message came through fromNo. 10 asking whether this House would kindly agree to give the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor permanent leave of absence—or, at least, leave of absence for that day so that the whole mess could be sorted out. If I recall, this House decided not to give him leave of absence. I then have this wonderful picture, which I shall carry with me to my grave, of a small, rather rotund figure, encompassed in a huge wig and massive cloak, suddenly emerging as the new Lord Chancellor, re-established—