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nother hereditary peers’ by-election is required after the death of the 4th Lord Palmer, crumb of the famous Huntley & Palmers biscuit family. An eccentric fellow who said he was incredibly rich on paper but complained about tipping, Palmer owned a 110-room mansion in Berwickshire with the world’s only silver-plated staircase. In 2000, he appealed for volunteers to polish it in return for wine and sandwiches after his head buffer retired. Not that he was ungenerous: one of his last contributions to Parliament was to praise the kindness of the staff on the east coast main line and say they all deserved “a serious clap on the back”. Somehow this offer didn’t prevent another RMT strike.
Palmer also practised personal thrift. In 2021 he secured
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