Another exclusive Riddled Interview

Also shouts at clouds

Good morning, Viscount Monckton.

If you think it's morning then you are blindly accepting what the papers tell you. You have not invested anything like my own independent investigation of the question.

You are in Australia to promote the House-of-Lords-Membership Denialism cause, is that correct?

That is outrageous balderdash!*

But...

'Denialist' is a loaded pejorative term, made up by people who are afraid of debate. It implies that there is a consensus among peerologists and lordologists as to who belongs to the House of Lords; and that dissent is confined to a tiny minority of cranks with easily-discounted opinions. This impression of consensus and unanimity does not stand up to rigorous inspection for one moment. For every so-called 'expert' with a vested interest who says I am not a member of the House of Lords, there is another expert, equally-qualified, who says I am. The latter group, however, has no representation in politics or journalism. That is why I am touring this benighted country to set the story straight.

Surely the appropriate experts on whether you belong to the House of Lords are the House of Lords themselves --

Don't call me 'Shirley'.

-- and they say No, your viscountcy entitles you to call yourself 'Lord', but you are not one of the 92 hereditary peers who sit in the upper house of the English Parliament.

Poppycock and balderdash. There is no credibility to the views of an elitist, self-selected group who have inherited their position through accident of birth. My own position -- supported by experts chosen by me -- is that I am entitled to be part of that elitist self-selected group.

They quote the 1999 House of Lords Act.

That law does not have the import that the House of Lords and various judges have given to it.

Do you have legal expertise, Viscount?

That law does not have the import that the House of Lords and various judges have given to it.

Viscount, there are also divided views as to your membership of various other organisations: the Velvet Vice Gentlemen's Club (of Old Compton St., Soho); the Air Baltic Frequent Fliers Club; the Ooky Spooky Fan Club. The organisers maintain that you have not paid the dues or met other criteria for membership, while you say --

As a member of these groups, I have as much right to set membership criteria -- which I happen to meet -- as the organisers do. Why are they trying to shut down debate?

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Balderdash anders

Viscount Christopher Monckton also espouses unconventional views about climate change (not to mention his cure for AIDS, and sundry other disputes about reality and history). Australian journalists continue to interview him as if he were a sane person, and quote his speeches against carbon-emission legislation... possibly his speaking tour is credible because well-funded institutions are paying for it. Sadly, he is not extending his tour to include New Zealand so we miss out. We didn't get the Yes 35^th Anniversary tour either.

* No relation.