In 2006 the Blair Government attempted to bring in a Bill

entitled the  'Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill'. This

Bill had a very close similarity to the 'Public Bodies Bill'

now going through the House of Lords.

Both bills are 'enabling bills',  bills that seek power

to wipe out, at a stroke, any laws that are seen to stand in

the way of, or hamper future legislation without debate by

Parliament.

In essence ministers would have the power to wipe

out, at the stroke of a pen, any law from habeas corpus to

present day legislation including the unique laws that

govern the Forest of Dean.

The then Conservative opposition saw the dangers 

in this piece of legislation and fought it to the point where

it was drastically amended such that when it reached the

statute book it was a pretty ineffective law.

The Shadow Minis­ter, leading for the opposition in

the committee stages, speaking of the impact that the

legislation could have on the Forest of Dean  said: 'The 

reason for raising the point about local Acts is that by

their very nature they can be ex­tremely important locally

and effect the interests of all or many residents in an

area'. Leading for the opposition that day was Mark

Harper MP.

I am sure we are entitled to ask him what it is that

has made him change his mind. Is it Government pressure

or simply personal ambition?

– Keith Morgan, Broadwell.