Seriously, why is Richard Curtis not in the House of Lords? The place is full of banalities and non-entities whose merit is highly questionable. His Grace does not agree much with Richard Curtis' politics, and thought his
eco-jihad effort on behalf of the climate change lobby was repugnant. And, yes, the man has given us one or two dreadful films along with a few enchantingly mediocre ones. But Richard Curtis also gave us Blackadder, Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley. He is the creative mind and perpetual force behind Comic Relief, which has raised hundreds of millions (are we yet at a billion?) for the world's poorest. One doesn't have to agree with how every penny is spent and neither does one have to affirm every celebrity who participates: the sum total is good; Richard Curtis is a force for good. Perhaps a seat in the Lords might stifle his creativity; it will certainly give him a platform to spout his personal politics. But that's not the point. He is one of Britain's great successes: he merits a peerage.
