UK: No more Lords, please, the House is full

[Valmy]

Any reform to make it more representative of the voters' will would likely make it a stronger force. Hence governments like to bleat about reform but then never do anything about it.

'Vote for me for Duke of Northumberland and I promise to lead you all in revolt just like the old days.'

Yeah why would the Commons do anything to weaken themselves?

[Sheilbh]

Ah ok that is good to know.  The old hereditary ones should be allowed to die out naturally (or not) without more being added.

They're not allowed to die out naturally.  There was a recent election of a new hereditary Lord but it's rather difficult.  Basically they were allowed to choose 92 hereditaries.  But one died out without an heir so the remaining 91 hereditaries got to vote in a new hereditary peer from the list of former hereditary peers of the deceased hereditary peer's party. 

The Lords' main power is to review government legislation and bounce it back if it is a load of shit, the maximum delay is a year IIRC and they cannot hold back revenue bills. Most active members of the Lords are former government ministers, many of whom have drafted poor laws back in the day. It is quite a useful chamber of government IMO.

In addition lots of businessmen like Lord Browne or Lord Sainsbury get appointed, as do scientists like Lord Winston, or non-CofE religious figures like Lord Sachs.  My personal favourite is Peter Hennessy (now Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield ) who probably knows more about the constitution than anyone.  So though most active members are former (or current ministers, Blair said his noble ministers tended to be far more competent) there's this well of knowledge that occassionally speaks up.  So Peter Hennessy's first speech was about the fixed-term parliaments the government wants, it was very interesting - he's opposed to five years.

Many life peers are appointed by an independent commission that rewards the great and the good and most of them become crossbenchers (independents).  The PM's powers were left vague by Blair when he reformed the Lords and set up the commission that nominates new ones, the theory was that he'd stop - but he didn't so it's still a power of the PM.

Like RH I actualy quite like this House of Lords - though I do think it's getting unpleasantly partisan which this report points out.  I don't know that reform to a wholly democratically elected chamber is a good idea.  I don't think that the second, less powerful, revising chamber should have equal legitimacy to the Commons (and if they have PR, arguably more legitimacy) that strikes me as quite dangerous in our system.  I mean I think we could see some more tussles with this government anyway, as almost nothing they will try to do will have been in their election manifestos the Lords will not necessarily feel they should stay out of it.  If they had equal standing in terms of democratic legitimacy I can't see them just sitting back.

[Valmy]

They're not allowed to die out naturally.  There was a recent election of a new hereditary Lord but it's rather difficult.  Basically they were allowed to choose 92 hereditaries.  But one died out without an heir so the remaining 91 hereditaries got to vote in a new hereditary peer from the list of former hereditary peers of the deceased hereditary peer's party.

There are, of course, far more than 92 hereditary nobles in the UK so the plan is to promote one of them to the Lords as these 92 go extinct?

[Valmy]

Many life peers are appointed by an independent commission that rewards the great and the good and most of them become crossbenchers (independents).  The PM's powers were left vague by Blair when he reformed the Lords and set up the commission that nominates new ones, the theory was that he'd stop - but he didn't so it's still a power of the PM.

So it's like a super Knighthood?

[Josquius]

The lords really does need sorting out. I've no clue how though. A directly elected lords just sounds a bit...awry. Would mostly just be a double of the commons. A PR lords maybe? I dunno

[Sheilbh]

So it's like a super Knighthood?

Yep.  A title plus actual legislative power.

There are, of course, far more than 92 hereditary nobles in the UK so the plan is to promote one of them to the Lords as these 92 go extinct?

Yes.  Presumably at some point we will let the hereditaries just die out, rather than having them carry on with their political allegiance in aspic from 1999.  They could end up like the Bishops though.