These ‘sham elections’ in the House of Lords must end – as the first step towards real change Today, with 12 votes, the Earl of Devon won the by-election to decide who will replace Earl Baldwin of Bewdley in the House of Lords. Wherever you stand on the House of Lords, the Prime... Posted 04 Jul 2018
Revealed: The Lords is increasingly out of touch with modern Britain To many of us, the House of Lords looks very much like a private members’ club – a cosy corner of Westminster, where unelected peers vote on our laws. But just how out of touch... Posted 18 Jun 2018
There’s a sham election happening in Parliament. Here’s what you need to know The idea that people can become lawmakers for life – simply because they were born into the ‘right’ family – is, to most of us, absurd. Yet in the UK, in 2018, this is the... Posted 04 Jun 2018
Without urgent action, Britain’s super-sized second chamber is going to get even bigger It’s already the second largest chamber in the world – but it’s about to get bigger. The House of Lords will be ‘bursting at the seams’ with more than 1,000 members by 2031, if its current... Posted 30 May 2018
The government tried to bury news on the bloated House of Lords. Here’s the facts… “Theresa May backs bid to cut the size of House of Lords” began a headline in February. It seems that three months is a lifetime in politics… Over the weekend, the PM attempted to bury... Posted 22 May 2018
Britain’s democratic farce: This is how the upcoming ‘hereditary by-election’ will work Last week, there was a rather hushed announcement in parliament: a resignation among the Lords. A peer has decided to retire. No big news usually, but this is no ordinary peerage. Nor will it be an ordinary... Posted 16 May 2018
What can be drawn from the House of Lords ‘abolition’ petition and other options for reform The House of Lords is a centuries-old institution of British politics which has outlived many others and which, to this day, plays an active role in crafting the laws of the land. But in its... Posted 27 Apr 2018
A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of history Westminster is packed full of peculiar traditions from the Commons’ door being slammed in Black Rod’s face to the ban on MPs clapping. While many of them are relatively harmless, there are others which are... Posted 03 Apr 2018
May has dropped the new Lords appointments for now. Here’s what must happen next For months now, there has been widespread speculation that new appointments to the House of Lords were imminent. The second chamber – already overflowing with nearly 800 peers – was to welcome yet more former... Posted 16 Feb 2018
There is no room left in the House of Lords and no appetite for yet more peers Whether it’s a restaurant, a stadium, or your belly – when something is full, logic determines you stop adding to it. This basic principle should be applied to the House of Lords, but it isn’t.... Posted 14 Feb 2018