My letter to The Guardian: false friends on political reform
Labour peer Lord Falconer’s warning that the Conservatives may turn out to be “false friends” to the Liberal Democrat over Parliamentary reform applies, alas, all too well to the Labour Party.
Over the last two decades many in Labour have talked a good talk about introducing elections for the Lords and changing the electoral system for the Commons but whenever it has come to the crunch, it has always been a case of the Labour Party backing away saying it was not quite the right time or not quite the right proposals or not quite such a good idea after all.
In just eight months a Conservative Prime Minister has done more than Labour did in three full terms with large majorities – voting through the Commons a referendum on its voting system and signing up to a legislative plan for elections by proportional representation for the Lords. Where Labour talked, the Conservatives so far are delivering. I agree with Lord Falconer there is a risk the Conservatives may not continue doing so, but if he really wants to take the fight to false friends of electoral reform he could do no better than start with many of his Labour colleagues in the Lords.
Yours etc.
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