Sweeping House of Lords reforms announced by Nick Clegg

Proposals for a trimmed second chamber with 80% of seats elected by PR in draft bill attacked by Labour Nick Clegg has unveiled sweeping plans for elected members to take seats in a reformed House of Lords in the next parliament The deputy prime minister announced proposals for a cut-down second chamber, with 80% of its 300 members elected by proportional representation. Labour attacked the plan, contained in a draft bill, and argued the Liberal Democrat leader should have stuck to his party’s commitment to a wholly-elected upper House of Parliament. Clegg was mocked by both Tory and Labour MPs as he gave a statement in the Commons on the proposals. The government has published a draft bill setting out plans for an 80% elected upper house but also a White Paper containing a range of options including the election of 100% of its members. The deputy prime minister said: “Personally I have always supported 100% elected, but the key thing is not to make the best the enemy of the good. “That approach has stymied Lords’ reform for too long. Surely, at the end of the day, we can all agree that 80% is better than 0%.” Setting out the proposals he told MPs: “The bill makes provision for 80% of members to be elected with the remaining 20% appointed independently. “The 60 appointed members would sit as cross-benchers, not as representatives of political parties. In addition, bishops of the Church of England would continue to sit in the other place, reduced in number from 26 to 12. “The white paper includes the case for 100% elected. “The 80/20 split is the more complicated option, and so has been put into the draft bill in order to illustrate it in legislative terms. “The 100% option would be easy to substitute into the draft bill should that be where we end up.” The draft bill and white paper will be scrutinised by a committee of 13 peers and 13 MPs, with a report due early next year. “The prime minister and I are clear: we want the first elections to the reformed upper chamber to take place in 2015. “But, while we know what we want to achieve, we are open minded about how we get there. Clearly our fixed goal is greater democratic legitimacy for the other place but we will be pragmatic in order to achieve it.” Under the government’s plan members of the second chamber would serve a single term of three parliaments – up to 15 years. Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan was greeted with cheers from Tory backbenchers as he said Lords reform was not a priority for many voters, a sign that not all in the coalition share Clegg’s passion for the subject. Khan added: “These proposals risk being a dog’s dinner with nobody happy at the outcome, not even the Lib Dem activists he is trying to appease.” Clegg said the proposals “represent evolution, not revolution” and follow decades of wrangling over Lords reform. He said the choice of 300 members was “the number we judge to be right” but the government was “open to alternative views”. Under the plan elections would be staggered, with a third of the chamber’s members elected or appointed at each general election. “That is to prevent the other place from becoming a mirror image of this House,” Clegg said. The draft bill proposes the single transferable vote (STV) form of proportional representation (PR) to elect the members, but Clegg said the government was open to other forms of PR. “The coalition agreement specifies only that the system must be proportional, and what is most important is that it is different from whatever we use in the Commons. “That is so the two chambers have distinct mandates; one should not seek to emulate the other.” Under STV, “votes are cast for individuals rather than parties, putting the emphasis on the expertise and experience candidates offer, rather than the colour of the rosette they wear”. This would help give greater independence from party control, Clegg said. But as others preferred a party list system, the government was “willing to have this debate”, the deputy prime minister added. Critics of reform believe giving the second chamber a democratic mandate could increase tensions between the two Houses. Clegg said: “The Commons will retain ultimate say over legislation through the parliament acts. “It will continue to have a decisive right over the vote of supply. In order for a government to remain in office, it will still need to secure the confidence of MPs. “The other place will continue to be a revising chamber, providing scrutiny and expertise. “Its size, electoral cycle, voting system, and terms will all help keep it distinct from the Commons – a place that remains one step removed from the day-to-day party politics that, quite rightly, animates this House. “What will be different is that our second chamber will finally have a democratic mandate. It will be much more accountable as a result.” The transition would be phased in over three electoral cycles, he said. Clegg told MPs: “History teaches us that completing the unfinished business of Lords reform is not without challenges. “Our proposals are careful and are balanced. They represent evolution, not revolution, a typically British change.” Clegg was flanked by David Cameron as he gave his statement to the Commons. Khan joked the deputy prime minister “must feel like the manager of West Ham going to see his chairman” following the team’s relegation at the weekend. The Labour frontbencher said: “I agree that our politics and constitution are in need of reform. “Like (Clegg’s) party, Labour had a manifesto commitment to create a fully-elected second chamber.” He continued: “Let’s be frank, Lords reform is not near the top of any of our constituents’ priorities.” As Tory MPs voiced their approval, Khan said: “I’m grateful for the support – I’m not sure (Clegg) is.” He poured scorn on Clegg’s insistence that he favoured a wholly-elected chamber. “He says he supports a fully-elected second chamber and yet he unveils a bill today that leaves at least 20% appointed, plus bishops, plus ministers appointed by the prime minister.” The joint committee examining the bill would have a government majority “so the idea of them overturning anything of substance in this bill by next year is unrealistic”. Khan added: “After 12 months in office he has nothing new to say on Lords reform, simply putting out proposals that kick the issue into the long grass.” He told MPs: “The deputy prime minister has confirmed, by the publication of this bill, just how irrelevant he and his party are in this coalition government.” Following the overwhelming rejection of the alternative vote, Khan asked whether PR would be imposed without a referendum. He also questioned whether Clegg would use the parliament act to force his legislation through even if peers opposed it. Electoral reform House of Lords Nick Clegg House of Commons Liberal Democrats Labour guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.