Douglas ‘clean my moat’ Hogg fails to make it to the Lords

MP Douglas Hogg (PA)

Speculation that Lord Hailsham, previously known as Douglas Hogg, was about to become a member of the House of Lords has been proved wrong. The former Tory cabinet minister, famous for trying to claim the cost of cleaning the moat around his ancient pile on his MP’s expenses, was one of 27 candidates for a seat left vacant by the death of Earl Ferrers. Ferrers, a Tory, was one of the 92 hereditary peers who stayed on when the Labour government cleared out most of the hereditaries.

Under the ridiculous system created during that reform, he could only be succeeded by a Tory who had inherited a title which in the old days would have meant a place in the Lords, and the only people who could vote were the Tory hereditary peers already in the Lords. It was, therefore, an all-male shortlist and an all-male electorate. Hogg came second on the opening ballot, with 10 votes, but picked up only one second preference vote. Viscount Ridley, scion of another eminent and wealthy Tory family, who led from the start, and is the latest addition to the House of Lords.

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• maias

  Who will notice if there’s one less Hogg at the trough?

• Paul A

  And you think failed ex-Chair of failed Northern Rock bank is a better choice? All the taxpayers money that went into NR would pay to clean a lot of moats.