Pauline Neville-Jones

Watching her on Question Time, I am reminded that she is one of my favourite politicians across both Houses, I should think. An old spook and now a Baroness, she is exceptionally impressive as a politician. I suppose it is her straight-talking knowledgeability, which is completely different from many others of her profession, and she not only speaks her mind, but her mind is basically in the right place. Despite (or perhaps because of) her background, she is clear on the important place our liberties occupy, and of the need to behave according to basic human decency. Her positioning as Shadow Security Minister is great: she makes a good foil to Dominic Grieves in his concerns for civil liberties shadowing the Justice Ministry, and therefore I should think that between them they form an effective team in holding back Chris Grayling's more obviously authoritarian instincts.