UK - Labor To Eliminate House Of Lords

[Cheerful Charlie]

UK. Labor is outpolling Tories nearly 2 to one. The next scheduled national election will be 2025. Keir Starmer, new Labor leader wants to end House of Lords as it is now instituted. This will be interesting to watch over the next few years. No more hereditory Lords, no CoE bishops.

Labour may abolish House of Lords if it wins next election, leaked report reveals

Exclusive: Constitutional review by Gordon Brown also recommends devolving economic powers

www.theguardian.com

 

[bilby]

An elected upper house, with a more proportional representation than that in the commons, and without the existing automatic seats for bishops and people whose greatⁿ-grandfather was a drinking buddy of the king, would be a vast improvement.

Even a unicameral legislature would probably be better than the one they currently have.

Perhaps an even better idea would be to have an elected upper house, but with a requirement that candidates must hold an advanced degree from a recognised university, in a subject other than politics or law.

Of course, such a thing could never happen. The idea of idiotic lords lording it over everyone is unproblematic to the British public; But demonstrably intelligent and educated people doing so would be unthinkable.

 

[Patooka]

And yet the Tories will still fucking win.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Last January, Labor and Conservatives polled equally. Now Labor leads Conservatives 48% to 27%. Of course May 2025 is a long way off.

POLITICO Poll of Polls — British polls, trends and election news for the United Kingdom and Scotland

All polls, trends and election news for the the United Kingdom, Scotland and London — Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, Brexit Party, SNP, Greens, Scottish independence referendum and Scotland elect…

www.politico.eu

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

An elected upper house, with a more proportional representation than that in the commons, and without the existing automatic seats for bishops and people whose greatⁿ-grandfather was a drinking buddy of the king, would be a vast improvement.

Even a unicameral legislature would probably be better than the one they currently have.

Perhaps an even better idea would be to have an elected upper house, but with a requirement that candidates must hold an advanced degree from a recognised university, in a subject other than politics or law.

Of course, such a thing could never happen. The idea of idiotic lords lording it over everyone is unproblematic to the British public; But demonstrably intelligent and educated people doing so would be unthinkable.

Check out the Guardian link I posted. Great reforms are being discussed by Starmer and crew. It is a long read and worth the time.

 

[Metaphor]

Maybe the British public can get rid of Scotland and the Monarchy at the same time. Some kind of omnibus act.

 

[Bomb#20]

An elected upper house, with a more proportional representation than that in the commons, and without the existing automatic seats for bishops and people whose greatⁿ-grandfather was a drinking buddy of the king, would be a vast improvement.

Even a unicameral legislature would probably be better than the one they currently have.

Perhaps an even better idea would be to have an elected upper house, but with a requirement that candidates must hold an advanced degree from a recognised university, in a subject other than politics or law.

Of course, such a thing could never happen. The idea of idiotic lords lording it over everyone is unproblematic to the British public; But demonstrably intelligent and educated people doing so would be unthinkable.

Enter Lord Mountararat and Lord Tolloller from Westminster Hall.

Celia. You seem annoyed.

Lord Mountararat. Annoyed! I should think so! Why, this ridiculous protégé of yours is playing the deuce with everything! To‑night is the second reading of his Bill to throw the Peerage open to Competitive Examination!

Lord Tolloller. And he’ll carry it, too!

Lord Mountararat. Carry it? Of course he will! He’s a Parliamentary Pickford – he carries everything!

Leila. Yes. If you please, that’s our fault!

Lord Mountararat. The deuce it is!

Celia. Yes; we influence the members, and compel them to vote just as he wishes them to.

Leila. It’s our system. It shortens the debates.

Lord Tolloller. Well, but think what it all means. I don’t so much mind for myself, but with a House of Peers with no grandfathers worth mentioning, the country must go to the dogs!

Leila. I suppose it must!

Lord Mountararat. I don’t want to say a word against brains – I’ve a great respect for brains – I often wish I had some myself – but with a House of Peers composed exclusively of people of intellect, what’s to become of the House of Commons?

Leila. I never thought of that!

Lord Mountararat. This comes of women interfering in politics. It so happens that if there is an institution in Great Britain which is not susceptible of any improvement at all, it is the House of Peers!

- Iolanthe, Gilbert & Sullivan, 1882​

 

[TSwizzle]

Maybe the British public can get rid of Scotland and the Monarchy at the same time. Some kind of omnibus act.

The SNP may get their way eventually.

 

[lpetrich]

Looks good. What does the House of Lords ever do?

IMO, that report did not go far enough. It should have called for proportional representation. That's what many of the better-governed nations do, and it avoids one-size-fits-all representation for each individual district.