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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Tory leader looks to Lords reform | Tory leader looks to Lords reform |
| (about 23 hours later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has told a meeting of students in north Wales he wants a part-elected House of Lords. | Conservative leader David Cameron has told a meeting of students in north Wales he wants a part-elected House of Lords. |
| He said it was the proper way in a democracy for the House of Lords to be elected. | He said it was the proper way in a democracy for the House of Lords to be elected. |
| The Tory leader was speaking to politics students at Alun School in Mold as part of his party's European election campaign. | The Tory leader was speaking to politics students at Alun School in Mold as part of his party's European election campaign. |
| Mr Cameron also said he wanted more independence for backbench MPs. | Mr Cameron also said he wanted more independence for backbench MPs. |
| Mr Cameron was hosting a question and answer session at Alun School with around 30 politics students and was asked about constitutional changes. | |
| "The proper way in a democracy is for the House of Lords to be elected," he said. | "The proper way in a democracy is for the House of Lords to be elected," he said. |
| "They have a lot of expertise so you might want to have partly elected, say 60 or 70%." | |
| But Mr Cameron also told the students changes to the way the House of Commons worked was his first priority. | But Mr Cameron also told the students changes to the way the House of Commons worked was his first priority. |
| Stressing his earlier comments, he said he wanted to give MPs greater independence from the whips. | Stressing his earlier comments, he said he wanted to give MPs greater independence from the whips. |
| "Backbenchers should elect the select committee members and the select committee members should elect the chairman," he said. | "Backbenchers should elect the select committee members and the select committee members should elect the chairman," he said. |
| "So then you get proper independent backbenchers." | "So then you get proper independent backbenchers." |
| Link | Link |
| The Tory leader told the students he was firmly opposed to proportional representation, despite its use in elections to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh assembly. | |
| He said it would undermine the link between MPs and their constituencies. | He said it would undermine the link between MPs and their constituencies. |
| He also said the first-past-the-post system gave the electorate more chance to vote out the government. | He also said the first-past-the-post system gave the electorate more chance to vote out the government. |
| "One of the great strengths of our system is you really can throw out the government." | "One of the great strengths of our system is you really can throw out the government." |
| The Tory leader also faced an open question and answer session in Coleg Llandrillo in Rhyl. | |
| The "Cameron-direct" event was the second to be held in Wales, after a similar session in Barry in February. | |
| It is part of the Conservative campaign for elections to the European parliament on June 4 where the party is aiming to go beyond its present representation of one Welsh seat. | It is part of the Conservative campaign for elections to the European parliament on June 4 where the party is aiming to go beyond its present representation of one Welsh seat. |