[Ignore this for the moment. It'll be rewritten eventually as a piece on the British Constitution - David, 13th Feb 2011]
The Northern Irish blogger Slugger O'Toole has now suggested that it's illegal to appoint Adams as Steward against his will. He argues that the wording of the 1975 House of Commons Disqualification Act means that he cannot be appointed if he doesn't want the job. Namely:
'8.— (1) No person being a member of the House of Commons, or for the time being nominated as a candidate for election to that House, shall be required to accept any office or place by virtue of which he would be disqualified by this Act for membership of that House, or for membership of that House for the constituency for which he is sitting or is a candidate.'
So Adams is back to being an MP. Alex Massie meanwhile is arguing in The Spectator that in taking the Stewardship he could be disqualified from standing as an Irish MP.
Article 40.2.2 of the Irish Constitution states that:
'No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government.'
At which point I'm persuaded to go back to my thesis........
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