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Sat, 26 July 2025
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Patrick Kidd

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First past the post: the former Olympians who came to Parliament
Culture
By Patrick Kidd
First past the post: the former Olympians who came to Parliament
Discover the champions in the Chambers as Patrick Kidd hails the former Olympians who have brought their winning spirit to Parliament
Lords reform: Backwards, not forwards
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Lords reform: Backwards, not forwards
Attempting to change the second chamber has often been a case of two steps forward, one back
Liverpool love affair
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Liverpool love affair
Labour has a long – though far from unbroken – relationship with Liverpool. But while some conferences made the party 'Come Together’, others did quite the opposite
Conference Showdown: The 1963 Conservative Party Conference
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Conference Showdown: The 1963 Conservative Party Conference
Things may not be entirely rosy for the Conservatives, but at least this year’s conference won’t be the setting for a leadership contest. Patrick Kidd takes us back to an even more fraught time in the party’s history
Maiden Voyages: Nancy Astor
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Nancy Astor
The 100th anniversary of a landmark in parliamentary legislation occurred during recess. On July 31, 1923, royal assent was given to the first Private Member’s Bill that had been introduced by a woman.
What were MPs debating ahead of the Queen's coronation in 1953?
History
By Patrick Kidd
What were MPs debating ahead of the Queen's coronation in 1953?
What were MPs debating in the run up to the last coronation, 70 years ago? Issues very much of their time; and others that wouldn’t be out of place today. Patrick Kidd takes a stroll through the archives
Maiden Voyages: Ashley Dalton
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Ashley Dalton
Making a maiden speech can be daunting, but Ashley Dalton did not rise alone to make hers last month.
'Fascinating': Patrick Kidd reviews 'Horace Farquhar – A Bad Man Befriended by Kings'
Books & culture
By Patrick Kidd
'Fascinating': Patrick Kidd reviews 'Horace Farquhar – A Bad Man Befriended by Kings'
Lord Lexden’s study of an extraordinary scoundrel is well-researched and elegantly written
Maiden Voyages: Parliament’s newest MPs
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Parliament’s newest MPs
Parliament’s two newest MPs wasted little time over finding their voice, each making their maiden speech in January, having been elected in December.
Maiden Voyages: Pre-Christmas debuts
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Pre-Christmas debuts
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Bats And Ballots - The History Of Parliamentary Cricket
History
By Patrick Kidd
Bats And Ballots - The History Of Parliamentary Cricket
The Lords and Commons cricket team has been a parliamentary fixture since the Victorian era. Patrick Kidd traces some of its hilarious history.
Maiden Voyages: Rishi Sunak and his predecessors
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Rishi Sunak and his predecessors
Politicians used to wait decades before they became prime minister. James Callaghan, Harold Macmillan, and Anthony Eden were all in the House more than 30 years until it was their turn; Winston Churchill was kept from his destiny for almost 40.
Maiden Voyages: Liz Truss and her predecessors
History
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Liz Truss and her predecessors
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note
Conference Voyages: Patrick Kidd on the Conservatives in Birmingham
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Conference Voyages: Patrick Kidd on the Conservatives in Birmingham
With the pound plunging, inflation soaring, an energy crisis brewing, trade unions striking and a Chancellor staking the government’s future on tax cuts and a dash for growth, Liz Truss faces a similar Conference challenge to Ted Heath 50 years ago. Maybe it’s time for David Cassidy to make a comeback as well.
Conference Voyages: former Labour leaders Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Conference Voyages: former Labour leaders Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock
A stale whiff hangs over the government, which has been in power for more than a decade and trailed in the opinion polls for months.
'A changeless human reference point in British life': Parliament pays tribute to the Queen
Obituaries
By Patrick Kidd
'A changeless human reference point in British life': Parliament pays tribute to the Queen
Parliamentary sketch-writer Patrick Kidd hears the tributes paid to a very special sovereign
Sticky Westminster wicket: A century of cricket players in Parliament
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Sticky Westminster wicket: A century of cricket players in Parliament
In February 1916, two weeks after Britain had introduced conscription and a week before the start of the slaughter at Verdun, the government sent in a raw recruit to open the batting in the debate on the King’s Speech.
Maiden Voyages: John Bercow
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: John Bercow
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages: Anna Firth
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Anna Firth
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages: who goes first?
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: who goes first?
There is no prize for being the first member of a new parliamentary intake to make their maiden speech, though it may give an early inkling of someone eager for the limelight. Frank Dobson in 1979, Edwina Currie in 1983, David Blunkett in 1987 and David Laws in 2001 all went on to make a name for themselves. Colum Eastwood, the Kenny Keen of 2019, has much to follow.
Maiden Voyages: Commander Redvers Prior
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Commander Redvers Prior
Theresa May was probably relieved, given her majority, that by-elections became a rarity when she was prime minister. There were just five from 2017 to 2019, the fewest in any parliament save the eight months between elections in 1974. Things are now getting back to normal
Maiden Voyages: Louie French
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Louie French
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note
Maiden Voyages: the Bishop of Chelmsford
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: the Bishop of Chelmsford
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note
Maiden Voyages: The Latest Lords Debuts
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: The Latest Lords Debuts
There was something of a homecoming feel to the Lords in recent weeks with the maiden speeches of hereditary peers whose titles had not been on the order paper for decades.
Maiden Voyages - Sir David Amess
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages - Sir David Amess
Sir David Amess did not believe that new MPs should rush to make their maiden speech, calming the nerves by getting it out of the way when no one is looking.
Maiden Voyages: Sir David Amess
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Sir David Amess
Sir David Amess did not believe that new MPs should rush to make their maiden speech, calming the nerves by getting it out of the way when no one is looking. Rather, they should wait for an occasion with a decent audience. “The only time that the House will really listen to what honourable Members say is when they make their maiden speech,” the Southend MP said in 2001. “So I am not in favour of throwing that opportunity away when there is no one to listen to it.”
Maiden Voyages: Sarah King; Kim Leadbeater; Jill Mortimer
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Sarah King; Kim Leadbeater; Jill Mortimer
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages - Tory Conference Edition
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages - Tory Conference Edition
It began with a turquoise feather duster.
Maiden Voyages - Labour Conference Edition
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages - Labour Conference Edition
Tony Blair couldn’t bring himself to use the C word, though everyone expected it.
Maiden Voyages: Austin Mitchell
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Austin Mitchell
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages: Boris Johnson
History
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Boris Johnson
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages: Robin Millar and Anum Qaisar Javed
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: Robin Millar and Anum Qaisar Javed
In his occasional series, Patrick Kidd looks at maiden speeches of note.
Maiden Voyages - The Lords Get Off The Mark
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages - The Lords Get Off The Mark
A small landmark for political nerds was reached on 5 March, the 582nd successive day on which there had not been a Commons by-election, eclipsing that gloomy period from Ogmore in 2002 to Brent East in 2003 when not a single droplet of fresh blood entered the body politic.
Peers paid tribute to one of their own as the Lords marked the passing of Prince Philip
Social affairs
By Patrick Kidd
Peers paid tribute to one of their own as the Lords marked the passing of Prince Philip
Baroness Mobarik achieved the rare feat since Prince Philip's death of revealing something new: that he hated rhubarb crumble.
Maiden Voyages - Winston Opens His Account
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages - Winston Opens His Account
The guidance provided to new MPs on how to make a maiden speech says it should be brief, uncontroversial and contain remarks about their constituency and a tribute to their predecessor, regardless of party.
Maiden Voyages – Eddie Hughes Takes Flight
Political parties
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages – Eddie Hughes Takes Flight
Continuing Patrick Kidd's series looking back at memorable maiden speeches...