So, last week while I was on holiday my colleagues Matthew and Francis implemented the splendid WriteToThem.com House of Lords edition, which offers an easy and convenient way for anyone to write to peers in the House of Lords. And as a way to publicise this in the (gak!) ``'blogosphere'' Francis has started one of those intensely irritating 'blog `memes', ``Birth Lords''.

So, my birth Lord -- the single extant peer who shares my birthday -- is Lord Cunningham of Felling, in real life Jack Cunningham, previously MP for Copeland and a ``cabinet enforcer''. As such he is living proof that you don't need to lend the Labour Party millions of quid to get a peerage -- you can just give them 23 years of your life and your intellectual integrity (if any). Naturally as a loyal New Labour toady he is in favour of the things everyone else is against, so I hardly think it worth writing to him with my views on the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill or, indeed, to invite him to my birthday party.

Anyway, as usual, the last step in the silly meme is to pass on the request to five other 'bloggers. I'm not a great fan of chain letters, so I shan't, but if you read this and have a 'blog, feel free to jot something down about your birth Lord.