Lords reform shouldn’t be a threat – it’s a core part of ‘taking back control’Lords have begun debating the Article 50 Bill. With 191 speakers lined up and plenty of amendments tabled, it’s a fascinating moment for democracy and Britain’s constitution. What we’re witnessing is this: legislation that resulted from...Posted 20 Feb 2017
The inquiry on cutting the Lords risks looking like a stitch upBack in December, the House of Lords voted unanimously to back the statement “that this House believes that its size should be reduced, and methods should be explored by which this could be achieved”. It...Posted 14 Feb 2017
How to shrink the Lords: have your say todayIf you think the House of Lords is in dire need of a shakeup, it’s time to tell Peers what you think. An inquiry by the Lord Speaker’s committee is looking at how to shrink our bloated upper chamber....Posted 07 Feb 2017
Cutting numbers can’t be the end of the road for Lords reformIt’s a sad but true fact that, in general, it’s not good news that brings the need for Lords reform to the fore in British politics. But on Monday, a packed chamber of Peers gathered...Posted 07 Dec 2016
1,000 new Peers? No thanks“If the Lords was obstructive we would just have to create 1,000 peers.” So said Jacob Rees-Mogg MP on Thursday, following the High Court’s ruling that MPs will have a vote on the triggering of Article...Posted 07 Nov 2016
The ludicrousness of hereditary peer by-electionsThe British constitution, its parliament and its institutions are well known for its oddities and eccentricities: the space provided in the Commons cloakroom for MPs to hang their sword; the fact that all swans in...Posted 15 Sep 2016
The House of Lords needs more than tinkeringLords reform is back on the agenda. And given the frequency of scandals we see in the upper chamber, that’s no surprise. A couple of weeks ago, we revealed that David Cameron’s 189 appointments to...Posted 17 Aug 2016
David Cameron’s Farewell GiftNow that David Cameron has moved out of Number 10, the staggering bill he has left behind is starting to become apparent. Since 2010, he has appointed 205 new life peers to the House of...Posted 08 Aug 2016
More Lords, fewer MPs?…Since 2010, the Prime Minister has appointed rather a lot of Peers. 244, to be precise. That’s a lot of new politicians. So it was strange to hear the news on Friday that the government are going ahead with...Posted 12 Feb 2016
Our bloated second chamberThe House of Lords is already the biggest chamber in the democratic world – yet it is growing in size with each new government. As peers sit in the chamber for life, it grows with...Posted 19 Oct 2015