02/10/2019 | 11:09:25 Thank you to Lord BALFE for this very important report. May I start my remarks by referring the Assembly to point 43 of the report where it reminds us of the Venice Convention when it says "ministerial and governmental decisions directly affecting individuals should be open to control by the ombudsperson". The reason I read that part of the report is to highlight a particular case of an issue that's happening in the United Kingdom that is requiring the intervention of the ombudsman. Whether... 22/01/2019 | 10:36:57 I am very grateful to the rapporteur for producing such a wonderful report and to Mr John HOWELL for presenting it this morning. I am a veteran of national referendums. In the last few years, I have been involved in the alternative vote referendum in the United Kingdom, the Scottish independence referendum and, indeed, the “B” word that we should not really be mentioning this week because it creates so much division in the United Kingdom: Brexit. Although I agree that referendums can enrich... 21/01/2019 | 18:29:19 This Council of Europe exists to uphold democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for everyone across these continents. In this free debate I want to mention the case of two of my constituents – 83-year-old Mozaffar Saberi and 73-year-old Rezvan Habibimarand – who are great-grandparents and have been threatened with deportation by the United Kingdom Home Office. They are Iranian nationals who have four children who are British nationals and they live in Edinburgh. They have grandchildren...