House of Lords reform was within reach but Labour blew it
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Version 0 of 1. Your editorial comment (Too many peerages. First cap the total, then change the system, 10 February) reignites the case for reform of the House of Lords. On 10 July 2012 the House of Commons gave an unprecedented 338 majority to the second reading of the coalition government’s Lords reform bill, squarely based on Jack Straw’s 2008 white paper. Conservative MPs voted 193 to 89 in support, Labour 202 to 26, and Liberal Democrats were unanimous. Only then did the Labour leadership refuse to support a programme motion – any programme motion, no matter how many days’ debate it allowed – choosing instead to play party games to embarrass the government. Had Labour stuck to its principles, we would by now be within weeks of the first elections to the Lords, with the resultant end of political appointments and a consequent reduction in the size of the house. Will the UCL Constitution Unit recommend the reintroduction of the bill immediately after the general election?Paul TylerLiberal Democrat, House of Lords |