Archive for lords reform
The party with the British instincts
Rather nice graphic from Liberal Martin:
* Mark Pack has written 101 Ways To Win An Election and produces a monthly newsletter about the Liberal Democrats.
Lords reform: what the failure means for the Coalition, David Cameron and Nick Clegg
First up, here’s Nick Robinson’s take on yesterday’s events followed by myself, via the BBC News Channel: Here also are Tim Montgomerie’s rather pungent views on David Cameron and my own on Nick Clegg, via Radio 4′s The World Tonight: * Mark Pack has written 101 Ways To Win An Election and produces a monthly [...]
Lords reform off, boundary changes off
Lords reform off, boundary changes off, plenty MPs thinking “Hooray, my seat is safe and so is my retirement home” — Mark Pack (@markpack) August 6, 2012 @nick_clegg right to have fought for more democracy, right to recognise that Tory MPs blocked deal and Labour wouldn’t support reform. — Chris Rennard (@LordRennard) August 6, 2012 [...]
I bet David Cameron now wishes he hadn’t said this
David Cameron on Lords reform during the general election TV debates: Hat-tip: Nick Thornsby
Lords reform: what next?
Four quick thoughts before I go off in search of chocolate, pizza and friends (in reverse order of priority, of course): 1. The last rites on Lords reform for this Parliament have not yet quite been uttered, though it’s striking how those in government I’ve spoken to are all now pretty much just talking about what [...]
Lords reform: my letter to Lib Dem News
Richard Balmer raises the old argument that having unelected peers in the House of Lords is good because it means outside experts are able to scrutinise legislation (Letter, 13 July). The reality is very different, not only because so many of those appointed to the Lords are not outside experts but rather former elected politicians [...]
The compromiser’s dilemma: House of Lords reform
You propose something. Someone objects to it, giving many reasons. You offer to make some changes to meet some of the objections. A deal is made and progress is achieved. A perfectly normal sequence of events, both inside and outside politics and whether the matter is as mundane as what to eat for dinner tomorrow [...]
The best reason for House of Lords reform is one almost nobody mentions
My post from last year is rather relevant again, so here it is with some slight updates: The voters have cast their verdict and an MP is out of office. What should happen to them next? Most people’s answers are somewhere on the spectrum from the polite (let them tidy up their affairs and see [...]
Kennedy and The Guardian on Lords reform
Following yesterday’s Thornsby and Ashdown on Lords reform, here is another couple of bites for today. First Charles Kennedy: For 100 years progressives in British politics have tried to bring democracy to one of the most important but arcane institutions in our country – the House of Lords. And for 100 years, the establishment has [...]
This is what an honest MP opposed to Lords reform would say
Interlocutor: What’s all this about needing experts in the Lords? Don’t MPs sit through debates and vote on everything, so aren’t you pretty knowledgeable about what you are doing? MP: Look, I know f*** all about most things I go to vote on. Frankly, we need some people who know what they’re going on about. You can’t [...]
