Mark Pack

A new public opinion polls shows that nearly three-quarters of the public (71%) wants elections introduced for the House of Lords.

Unlock Democracy reports:

On the question of whether the Lords should be elected or appointed, 71% said they supported a fully or at least partially elected second chamber, with the most popular response being for a fully elected chamber (39% – if you exclude “don’t knows” it comes to 48%). The poll did not ask people to distinguish between a mainly elected second chamber (the government’s “default” position is for an 80% elected second chamber) and a minority elected second chamber. However, support for a fully appointed chamber was tiny – just 10%.

The poll found that a clear majority – 60% – supported removing the bishops from the second chamber, with just 26% supporting them continuing to be able to sit and vote in Parliament.