Who voted them in?

I have just been watching Lord Drayson on TV dodging questions about Afghanistan. He managed to avoid just about every one. His title tells you everything you need to know about modern British Government - he is the Minister of State for Strategic Defence Acquisition Reform.

Anyone who can come up with a translation of what that means in something approaching English please let us all know.

Have you noticed though how Gordon Brown is slowly turning Government and the Cabinet into a quango - filling it with unelected mates and useful contacts?

Top of the list is Lord Mandelson who has a bunch of titles that seem to come straight from either a 1950's Politburo guest list or a comic opera set in a small, European principality called Ruritania or Ruinitallia if New Labour is involved.

He is the First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord President of the Council. Perhaps he should also have Secretary to the second Chancery added to his title, that being the one held by the original Mandy, Niccolò Machiavelli.

Also there under Gordon's patronage - non-elected and unaccountable to Parliament - are Secretary of State for Transport Lord Adonis and, doubling up, Lord Drayson again as Minister for Science and Innovation - nice to see Defence is not a full time job despite fighting two wars.

Among the other minsters we have Lord Davies of Abersoch, another two job man in both trade and foreign office', Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Energy, Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead and Lord Malloch-Brown KCMG both in the Foreign Office and soon to be added after being found a seat in the Upper House, Sir Alan, soon Lord Sugar.

At a quick count, including Sir Alan Sugar we have 29 Lords and Baronesses in Government. Some, admittedly, are traditional appointments in the upper house but the majority are there because No 10 picked them rather than MPs who were elected by the people and who are accountable both to the commons on a day-to-day basis and to their electorate come a General Election.

Just another little example of how democracy is slowly being airbrushed away by Government.