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Letter: Lord Fraser and the public order bill Letter: Lord Fraser and the public order bill
(3 months later)
In 1986, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie was still Peter Fraser MP. As solicitor general for Scotland he was a largely silent member of the standing committee on the Thatcher government's public order bill. I was then adviser to Gerald Kaufman, shadow home secretary, and assisting Labour's team to scrutinise (and delay) the bill and I enjoyed watching him.In 1986, Lord Fraser of Carmyllie was still Peter Fraser MP. As solicitor general for Scotland he was a largely silent member of the standing committee on the Thatcher government's public order bill. I was then adviser to Gerald Kaufman, shadow home secretary, and assisting Labour's team to scrutinise (and delay) the bill and I enjoyed watching him.
Occasionally, his eyebrows would elevate minutely when some member of the standing committee was talking drivel: these eyebrows responded impartially to opposition and government speakers. At every break in proceedings, he enjoyed a cigarette in the corridor. Finally came his big moment, when he had to respond to an ingenious Labour amendment to apply Scottish public order law in its entirety to Great Britain. He murmured a delicate speech showing why Scottish law was really too good for us English.Occasionally, his eyebrows would elevate minutely when some member of the standing committee was talking drivel: these eyebrows responded impartially to opposition and government speakers. At every break in proceedings, he enjoyed a cigarette in the corridor. Finally came his big moment, when he had to respond to an ingenious Labour amendment to apply Scottish public order law in its entirety to Great Britain. He murmured a delicate speech showing why Scottish law was really too good for us English.
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