Law and Rights
The House of Lords Reform Bill has been abandoned for this Parliament - see the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Lords reform has been considered in several posts on this blog. It was the Parliament Act 1911 which declared the intention to move to an elected Chamber but major reform of the type proposed in the Reform Bill has proved to be extremely elusive.
Previous posts: 17th May 2010 - 17th May 2011 - 20th May 2011 - 30th June 2012 - 11th July 2012
The various attempts at reform are set out in the 20th May 2011 post - "Plantagenet Palliser - after 100 years, will Lords reform arrive."
It may be that, as in the past, more limited reforms will find support. Currently in the list of active Bills is Lord Steel of Aikwood's House of Lords (Cessation of Membership) Bill which will provide that
Peers will cease to be Members of the House of Lords by way of retirement or in the event of non-attendance or criminal conviction. The third reading in the Lords of this Bill took place on 24th July 2012 and the Bill now moves to the Commons for consideration. The Lords third reading debate was short so I quote it here in full:
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: My Lords, as is usual in these matters, I shall now read the following. I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the House of Lords (Cessation of Membership) Bill, has consented to place her prerogative and interest, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
Lord Steel of Aikwood: My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third-and, I dearly hope, final-time.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, very briefly, on behalf of the whole House, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Steel, for his perseverance in taking this Bill through. We shall have to see what happens in the other place. Does the noble Lord think that his Bill just might be part of the answer to the Government's problem on Lords reform?
Lord Steel of Aikwood: It is above my pay grade to answer that. I hope that it might be but we shall wait and see. In the mean time, like the noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, on the previous occasion when we debated this, I quote Aristotle:
Bill passed and sent to the Commons.
I am not so sure it was Aristotle who said that but there it is !
See also - Brian Barder blog - "Premature Lords 'reform' and the Commons gerrymander both torpedoed: a good day for democracy."
- House Of Lords Reform Act 2014
Legislative activity continues apace with 24 "Public General" Acts so far this year and some 1340 Statutory Instruments. There are numerous bills before Parliament, some of which will eventually emerge as law. One new Act, of which little seems...
- House Of Lords Reform - Bill Introduced
The House of Lords Reform Bill has been published. See the Bill as introduced - (pdf). Some time ago, Law and Lawyers looked at House of Lords reform - Plantagenet Palliser - after 100 years, will Lords reform arrive? A basic democratic principle...
- Queen's Speech 9th May 2012
Updated 11th May and 12th May The Queen delivered the Queen's Speech in the House of Lords. Details of the speech are available via the No.10 Downing Street website. 19 Bills are referred to in the Speech and these include a Crime and Courts...
- House Of Lords Reform: Boothroyd V Ashdown
Updated 29th June Hat tip to the Lloyd Rees Live blog which highlights a speech, in the House of Lords, by Baroness Boothroyd - a former Speaker of the House of Commons. She is scathing about the coalition plans to reform the House of Lords...
- House Of Lords Reform
House of Lords Reform Draft Bill The Deputy Prime Minister (The Rt. Hon Nick Clegg MP) has presented a draft House of Lords (Reform) Bill to Parliament. The Bill is to be considered in a committee which will report in early 2012. The proposal...
Law and Rights
House of Lords Reform Bill abandoned
"Politics is the art of the possible"
The House of Lords Reform Bill has been abandoned for this Parliament - see the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Lords reform has been considered in several posts on this blog. It was the Parliament Act 1911 which declared the intention to move to an elected Chamber but major reform of the type proposed in the Reform Bill has proved to be extremely elusive.
Previous posts: 17th May 2010 - 17th May 2011 - 20th May 2011 - 30th June 2012 - 11th July 2012
The various attempts at reform are set out in the 20th May 2011 post - "Plantagenet Palliser - after 100 years, will Lords reform arrive."
It may be that, as in the past, more limited reforms will find support. Currently in the list of active Bills is Lord Steel of Aikwood's House of Lords (Cessation of Membership) Bill which will provide that
Peers will cease to be Members of the House of Lords by way of retirement or in the event of non-attendance or criminal conviction. The third reading in the Lords of this Bill took place on 24th July 2012 and the Bill now moves to the Commons for consideration. The Lords third reading debate was short so I quote it here in full:
Third Reading
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: My Lords, as is usual in these matters, I shall now read the following. I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the House of Lords (Cessation of Membership) Bill, has consented to place her prerogative and interest, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
Lord Steel of Aikwood: My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third-and, I dearly hope, final-time.
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, very briefly, on behalf of the whole House, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Steel, for his perseverance in taking this Bill through. We shall have to see what happens in the other place. Does the noble Lord think that his Bill just might be part of the answer to the Government's problem on Lords reform?
Lord Steel of Aikwood: It is above my pay grade to answer that. I hope that it might be but we shall wait and see. In the mean time, like the noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, on the previous occasion when we debated this, I quote Aristotle:
"Politics is the art of the possible".
This item is possible. Let us get on with it and pass it to the House of Commons.Bill passed and sent to the Commons.
I am not so sure it was Aristotle who said that but there it is !
See also - Brian Barder blog - "Premature Lords 'reform' and the Commons gerrymander both torpedoed: a good day for democracy."
- House Of Lords Reform Act 2014
Legislative activity continues apace with 24 "Public General" Acts so far this year and some 1340 Statutory Instruments. There are numerous bills before Parliament, some of which will eventually emerge as law. One new Act, of which little seems...
- House Of Lords Reform - Bill Introduced
The House of Lords Reform Bill has been published. See the Bill as introduced - (pdf). Some time ago, Law and Lawyers looked at House of Lords reform - Plantagenet Palliser - after 100 years, will Lords reform arrive? A basic democratic principle...
- Queen's Speech 9th May 2012
Updated 11th May and 12th May The Queen delivered the Queen's Speech in the House of Lords. Details of the speech are available via the No.10 Downing Street website. 19 Bills are referred to in the Speech and these include a Crime and Courts...
- House Of Lords Reform: Boothroyd V Ashdown
Updated 29th June Hat tip to the Lloyd Rees Live blog which highlights a speech, in the House of Lords, by Baroness Boothroyd - a former Speaker of the House of Commons. She is scathing about the coalition plans to reform the House of Lords...
- House Of Lords Reform
House of Lords Reform Draft Bill The Deputy Prime Minister (The Rt. Hon Nick Clegg MP) has presented a draft House of Lords (Reform) Bill to Parliament. The Bill is to be considered in a committee which will report in early 2012. The proposal...