Lord denied permission to leave

Lord Phillips of Sudbury wants to resign from Parliament

A city lawyer who wants to resign his seat in the House of Lords has found out he is not allowed to.

Liberal Democrat Lord Phillips of Sudbury was made a life peer for his work as a campaigning lawyer.

But unlike hereditary members who won the right to give up their titles in the 1960s, a life peer can only request a "leave of absence".

Lord Phillips, who lives at Sudbury in Suffolk said he is now disillusioned and wants to leave political life.

He said: "I feel frustrated. I feel the whole mode of modern British Government, Whitehall and Westminster, is in a profound way counterproductive.

"Basically we mistake passing new laws for achievements on the ground.

"We have politicians and civil servants who have done nothing outside parliament. All they are fit for is passing new sky blue laws."

Lord Phillips who lives in Suffolk, is still a practising lawyer and specialises in charity law, business law and libel.

He was the "legal eagle" on BBC Radio 2's Jimmy Young programme for 26 years.

He continues to broadcast as a freelance on political and legal matters and is Chancellor at the University of Essex.