John Bercow: Cut The Size Of The House Of Lords

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41264966

Well said Mr Bercow....some common sense at last !

[youngmafbog]

Lets just cut the House of Lords and replace with an elected body.

[mikey4444]

Don't disagree with you there YMB ! At over 800 members, there isn't even room for them all to attend and sit down....clearly out of hand.

[scooping]

Reform of the House of Lords has been a problem for all Parties for than a hundred years. Should we not adopt the system used in Germany and, to an extent, in France and Switzerland. Their second chamber is comprised of representatives of local authorities and doesn't present a threat to the directly-elected primary chamber. This seems to me eminently sensible, particularly as local authorities have to implement central government legislation.

[Gromit]

Obviously Bercow is an idiot, and this is already being sorted.

The HOL was culled in the 1999s with the abolition of the Life Peers. By then it had bloated to 1300 members, largely due the Thatcher and Major dishing out Peerages like confetti to gerrymander the second chamber.

So 800 members is an improvement. Rather than size of the membership, the problem is its appointment and composition. memberships are given to political friends and the candidates often very weak. So a properly elected chamber by the people, not by politicians has to come. I am not bothered if membership is 800 or 8000 as long as it is representative and chosen by the people. It can be argued that there should be more Lords because their job is to scrutinise the crap that comes from the Commons.

The elephant in the room is the number of MPs, which should be halved. With improvements to communications and more information readily available to anyone, the number of local representatives needed to fulfil the local democracy aspect, is less than it was.




http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/LLN-2016-0006/assets/4a603d73-ce97-4fb8-ac65-367b2bc8112f.png

[youngmafbog]

Dont agree the HOL zhould be 8k !

Do agree mps should be culled too.

[Gromit]

If we sacked all the 26 Church of England Lords Spiritual, all the Rabbis, Imans and assorted other religous nut jobs, we could instantly make a reduction.

[ToraToraTora]

an unusual attack of common sense here. Heading the right direction but I'd go further. Abolish the whole shower and replace with 100 elected peers.

[vulcan42]

I wonder if Mr Bercow would have the same thoughts if he was elected to said House of Lords.

[ToraToraTora]

well he will certainly be "kicked upstairs" but he wont be "elected".

[Deskdiary]

"Obviously Bercow is an idiot..."

Sums it up nicely for me. The dwarf is a joke. I even preferred Gorbals Mick and that's saying something. At least he had, ahem, 'character'.

I agree with getting shot of the Lords Spiritual and the other peddlers of fairy tales. Religion should play no part in politics.

Of course there will be some in the Commons who will loudly voice their opposition to the Lords and then hypocritically accept a Lordship. See John Prescott.

[anotheoldgit]

It's about time that little squirt was cut down to size...oh wait a mo though.

[ToraToraTora]

not sure who's worse him or his trouble and strife!

[Old_Geezer]

400 should be more than enough. Should be fully elected. Political parties banned. Re-election done in tranches to avoid sudden swings of opinion back and forth in the house. Access to experts to come in and speak on relevant subjects to what the house is discussing.

[Old_Geezer]

MPs already represent a massive number of constituents. I'm not in favour of making that ratio worse.