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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Straw unveils elected Lords plan | Straw unveils elected Lords plan |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw has set out the latest plans for reform of the House of Lords. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw has set out the latest plans for reform of the House of Lords. |
| Under the proposals most, if not all peers, would be elected and serve terms of between 12 and 15 years. | |
| The Lords would be reduced in size from more than 700 peers to no more than 450. The bishops would stay, but the 92 hereditary peers would be abolished. | The Lords would be reduced in size from more than 700 peers to no more than 450. The bishops would stay, but the 92 hereditary peers would be abolished. |
| Mr Straw told the Commons that any change would only take place after the next General Election. | Mr Straw told the Commons that any change would only take place after the next General Election. |
| MPs voted last year in favour of a reformed Lords being either 80% or 100% elected. | MPs voted last year in favour of a reformed Lords being either 80% or 100% elected. |
| The White Paper represents a significant step on the road to reform and is intended to generate further debate and consideration rather than being a final blueprint for reform Jack StrawJustice Secretary | |
| Publishing a reform White Paper, Mr Straw stressed that it had never been the government's intention to legislate in this Parliament. | |
| Instead, a package of proposals would be put to the electorate as a manifesto commitment, he said. | |
| "The White Paper represents a significant step on the road to reform and is intended to generate further debate and consideration rather than being a final blueprint for reform," he told MPs. | |
| Commons primacy | |
| Sources have told the BBC there is little appetite for pressing ahead with reform at a time of economic difficulty. | Sources have told the BBC there is little appetite for pressing ahead with reform at a time of economic difficulty. |
| There are also several probable obstacles, including expected opposition to elections from peers themselves and the question of how to reduce the size of the Lords. | There are also several probable obstacles, including expected opposition to elections from peers themselves and the question of how to reduce the size of the Lords. |
| Mr Straw insisted that the Commons would retain primacy in policy and decision making. | |
| While there would be no role for the bishops in a fully elected chamber, they would still be represented in a mainly elected House, he added, to some protests from Labour backbenchers. | |
| Further discussion is still needed on the rights of life peers to sit and vote in a reformed second chamber, he said. | |
| 'Historic' | |
| In March last year MPs voted by a majority of 113 in favour of an all-elected second chamber. | In March last year MPs voted by a majority of 113 in favour of an all-elected second chamber. |
| Allowed more than one choice, they also opted by a majority of 38 for 80% of members to be elected and the rest appointed. | |
| The results of the votes were used to "inform" government plans, with Mr Straw - then the Commons leader - calling them "a historic step forward". | The results of the votes were used to "inform" government plans, with Mr Straw - then the Commons leader - calling them "a historic step forward". |
| The previous time the Commons voted on Lords reform, in 2003, all options were rejected. | The previous time the Commons voted on Lords reform, in 2003, all options were rejected. |
| At the moment all peers are appointed, apart from the 92 hereditaries who survived the first phase of Lords reform during Tony Blair's first term as prime minister. | At the moment all peers are appointed, apart from the 92 hereditaries who survived the first phase of Lords reform during Tony Blair's first term as prime minister. |