Reform the Lords Today

Today marks 94 years since the 1911 Parliament which included the following pledge.

“it is intended to substitute for the House of Lords as it at present exists a Second Chamber constituted on a popular instead of hereditary basis, but such substitution cannot be immediately brought into operation.”

94 years and we still have a Prime Minister who thinks an appointed upper chamber is not bad thing. ONe of his stauncest opponents to a fully elected chambers is the man who has preoccupied my postings in recent days, Robin Cook. Yesterday the Guardian wrote that his death left an intellectual vacuum at the heart of the Labour Party.

Electoral reform was one of the issues I agreed very strongly with Robin on. Indeed the last letter I recieved from him was on the subject of Lords reform on 27 May about my concerns on how certain Labour voices were talking about the new bill. he told me not to worry he would do his best to ensure my fears were not fulfilled. sadly he is not longer they to shepherd this bill through his Labour colleagues.

There is a growing groundswell for support for a predominantly elected upper chamber at Westminster. If you support replacing the Lords with a predominently elected second chamber sign up here. Let's make a change that is worthy of that intellect that was snuffed out at the weekend.