Written Questions

Both of Kamala Harris's parents were born in the British Empire. As the half-Tamil and half-Jamaican daughter of the grander sort of Californian academics, she must have gone to some lengths to cultivate both the accent and the speaking style that she has just exhibited at Fayetteville, North Carolina. Much as Barack Obama dueted Sweet Home Chicago with B.B. King, and led them in Amazing Grace at Mother Emanuel. Anyone would think that she were staking a claim.

Fresh from his first State Opening of Parliament, Nigel Farage has made it to the Republican National Convention. He is there, both as a representative of a British television news station, and as a strong supporter and personal friend of the nominee. No, I do not understand it, either. Mind you, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss have also been in town. Did anyone ask them about Ukraine? Johnson and Truss are not Members of Parliament, but Farage is. His outside paid work will prevent his making it from Milwaukee to Clacton for surgeries on Saturday. Over to Lee Anderson, then. Or what is a Chief Whip for?

We had all expected Luke Akehurst to be made a Whip, But having been given nothing, he has already tabled 12 written questions. While seven are hooks on which the Ministry of Defence will hang the announcements of sweeties for back-kicking arms companies, two are about supporting community pharmacies, one is about regenerating the town centres of Chester-le-Street and Stanley, one calls for a timetable for an inquiry into Orgreave, and one seeks justice in the matter of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme. Gosh. I mean, well, gosh.