Apparently it is illegal to die in the House of Commons. UK Gold viewers (whatever that may be, sounds more like a radio station to me) have voted this the silliest law in Britain and unearthered some other oddities reported by reputable broadcaster the BBC here. Apparently according to an ancient statute, sticking a stamp on a letter upside down is also potentially a treasonable offence. Oh the joys of having an unwritten constitution.
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November 7, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Rumbold
“Oh the joys of having an unwritten constitution.”
It’s made this country what it is today (and it is not unwritten, merely uncodified). Nothing wrong with the law against dying in Parliament- imagine the cost of a state funeral (it may come to even more than what Shahid Malik racks up in expenses).
November 7, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Tim
Glad you enjoyed that article – it caused my collegues and I some amusement at lunchtime. I want to know how people get away with the machines that ’stamp’ an imprint on a coin – surely crushing the queens head is an act of treason!
On a more serious note I do wonder how people get to know what the law is that we are supposed to abide by. I guess it’s just common sense really but we’re supposed to abide by laws when there is nothing to tell us what the law is (in many cases), and of course many laws go unenforced.
November 8, 2007 at 10:22 am
Chris Paul
Meanwhile the latest Blackpoool conference is on the rocks here.
November 8, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Paul Linford
This brings to mind a famous exchange between legendary Labour hardman and deputy chief whip Walter Harrison and his Tory opposite number John Stradling Thomas during the vote of confidence in the Callaghan government in March 1979. The vote was on a knife-edge and several Labour MPs had been called off their sick-beds to attend. One of them was so ill he had to be wheeled into the voting lobbies by Harrisopn on a stretcher.
Stradling Thomas: “You can’t bring him in here – he’s dead!”
Harrison (prodding the alleged corpse): “No he isn’t – his eyes just moved.”
Stradling Thomas: “Well, okay, I’ll let him through this time – but you’re not bringing him in here again!”
Sure enough, the unfortunate MP died a few days later.
November 8, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Paul Burgin
I knew one of them was wheeled in and died days later but I didn’t know that exchange happened. Its practically Pythonesque
November 9, 2007 at 9:44 am
rupahuq
I remember hearing that an Ulster Unionist came in on a stretcher so that he could “abstain in person”. Maybe just an urban myth?
How would they enforce it anyway – drop dead and you’re under arrest… ?
November 9, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Tim
It’ws like suicide being illegal!