In this case, democratic principle. It’s nice that they have come around to the argument spiked has been making for the 20 years of our existence: that the House of Lords is an insult to democracy and should be abolished. It is not! In 1917 the Bryce Commission was set up to consider House of Lords reform proposals. Now read. The House of Lords is the world’s second largest legislative chamber – behind only the Chinese National People’s Congress. ... Time to Abolish the House of Lords - Now! It proves Boris takes Brexit seriously, apparently. The data shows the number of people who have signed the petition by country as well as in the constituency of each … Sure, we’ve left the EU, and the trade talks continue, but what about the spirit of Brexit? Lord Steel will tell a lecture to the Scottish Liberal Club on Tuesday evening that peerages should be scrapped to make way for federalism in the UK. Not words … More than 150 years ago, the constitutional writer Walter Bagehot suggested that “the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look at it”. The house of Lords is an archaic establishment that hinders the elected governments ability to execute the wishes of the people and as such should be abolished. They mean well. Some in the Brexit camp have argued that the ennobling of Brexiteers is a positive thing for democracy, even that it confers recognition or legitimacy on Brexit. The people of Stoke-on-Trent and Merthyr Tydfil and Essex did not vote for Brexit, and stick with it during the deranged meltdown of the Remainer establishment, in order to witness the ennoblement of people who share their views on the European Union. Jeremy Corbyn has signalled his intention to push for the abolition of the House of Lords with all new appointments from his party required to pledge they will vote for it in the future. They are paid for life by the taxpayer for just turning up. Not reformed, not trimmed (even if 800+ peers is ridiculous), and not ‘made more democratic’ – you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. If the government truly wanted to signal its recognition for the spirit of Brexit it wouldn’t have stuffed the Lords with more people – it would have given the people a referendum on the future of the Lords. Abolish the House of Lords Reform isn’t enough: Why the House of Lords should be abolished. This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months. Those who say it’s too far-fetched or impossible to abolish the Lords should bear in mind that it’s been done before. MPs who were defeated or resigned in 2019, as well as big party donors and allies, look set to be handed … The Upper Chamber or House of Lords has long been past its sell-by-date, and since it is filled chiefly by those opposed to Brexit there is every likelihood that the government will fail to achieve their goal and the people will be denied their democratic decision to leave the EU. Abolish the House of Lords! They are unelected and yet have the power to obstruct approved legislations. The House of Lords should be abolished and "replaced with an elected senate", according to former Liberal leader David Steel. There is now a very serious risk that Brexit will become a museum piece, institutionalised (and possibly neutered) in the Lords rather than enacted in the concrete world of people’s lives and people’s power. In killing off the House of Lords, the Commons was making good on one of the demands of the revolutionary Leveller movement, which in 1648 demanded that the Commons should be ‘the supreme authoritie of the people’ and should be defended against ‘all pretences of Negative Voices, either in King or Lords’. Having been degraded by successive party leaders who have stuffed it full of cronies, it is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and must be replaced with an elected chamber.’ – Nigel Farage, November 21, 2019 To date, May has appointed 42 new life peers but the resignation honours list beckons. The Lords must be abolished as a matter of democratic urgency. This is naive, and possibly dangerous. Sadly the Greens also nominated Peers to the Lords as did the yellow Tory Lib Dems. The House of Lords needs reforming, but abolishing it is not the answer. Lord Steel will tell a lecture to the Scottish Liberal Club on Tuesday evening that peerages should be scrapped to make way for federalism in the UK. The people’s desire to break free of the EU and take back democratic control cannot be fought for in an institution that poses a greater threat to British democracy than the EU did. This is an archaic institution which is accountable to no one and yet wields huge influence over how our laws are made. The House of Lords is a relic from a bygone era. House of Lords: "Congratulations to the Mirror" (Image: PA) #I applaud your petition to abolish the Lords. They are anti-democratic hypocrites. It didn’t do these things because it was inhabited by ‘bad’ people. And of course it adds new Brexit-defending voices to a notoriously Remoaner chamber. Let’s be clear what this means. Jeremy Corbyn has signalled his intention to push for the abolition of the House of Lords with all new appointments from his party required to pledge they will vote for it in the future. Even with good people in it, the second chamber plays a singularly destructive role in British politics. If you do, you will continue to win the support of the teeming millions out there who want Britain to be a greater democracy than it currently is. That is the first time a prime minister has made such a commitment. This new parliament was, in effect, the continuation of the Parliament of England with the addition of 45 MPs and 16 Peers to represent Scotland. The outdated House of Lords is unelected so should have no rights to stop what an elected government has been mandated to do. Time to Abolish the House of Lords - Now! The House of Lords is currently the second largest legislative chamber in the world, behind China. The House of Lords costs approximately £93m to run each year. The 'Rich' should not be allowed to dictate laws and legislation based on their financial worth or 'lineage' A PETITION to abolish the House of Lords has seen a staggering 100,000 signatures in two weeks following a “rolling cronyism scandal”. Please give to our Christmas appeal today, to ensure we can keep bringing you our articles, essays and podcasts every day. Just like the monarchy and private schools, it is symptomatic of a society which pays lip service to democracy and meritocracy but so often falls short of achieving it in reality. Yet now, following the publication of the government’s list of new peers, these same Lords-lovers have decided that the second chamber is a foul, rotten institution, after all. It has to go. In those circumstances, having a second chamber to ensure legislation does not slip through without proper debate and analysis is absolutely essential. Picking fights with everyone will come back to haunt Boris Johnson. But of course, they have arrived at this position for entirely cynical, tangential and no doubt temporary reasons: because the Lords now contains people they despise. That means a clear majority of members of the Westminster parliament are not elected, or accountable, to anyone. Since the Burns report was published there have been almost 70 departures from the House but there is clearly more to do. But all this has now changed, for clichés are weak. “The petitioners, therefore, request that the House of Commons urges the Government to abolish the House of Lords in the interests of democracy, accountability and transparency.” Liberal Democrat life peer Baroness Angela Harris of Richmond also said the Lords should be more inclusive and representative of the UK population. It is not enough just to propose more powers for the Commons in a unicameral system – this would do little to improve levels of scrutiny when a government is returned with a big majority. Last modified on Mon 3 Jun 2019 14.08 EDT. Abolish the unelected House of Lords which costs hard working tax payers too much money. T he House of Lords will be abolished if Labour leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey ever becomes prime minister.. My belief is that a policy of reducing numbers and checking new candidates are prepared to make the contribution that most peers already make would go a very long way to eliminating the passengers. As we go into next year, we’re going to have to fight for freedom, democracy and sanity all over again. So what is the purpose of the House of Lords? The House of Lords should remain untouched. Over half the time in the Lords is devoted to examining in detail legislation sent to it by the Commons. It is unusual for a country as large and diverse as the United Kingdom to have a unicameral legislature. Both Conservative and Labour governments have confirmed that members should be allowed to take up part-time jobs, it would be extraordinary in a non-salaried House for it to be otherwise. It is in stark contrast to the policy of Tony Blair who appointed 374 new peers and David Cameron who appointed a further 245. Abolish the House of Lords NOW. There are over 800 members of the upper house. The role of the British Parliament’s second unelected chamber has been debated for a century to no avail. Now this role, widely accepted, has been thrown into doubt. Should it be left untouched, reformed, or ultimately abolished? Willie Sullivan started this petition to Boris Johnson (Prime Minister) The unelected House of Lords – with around 800 members – is about to get even bigger. 187 talking about this. Three of the new peers in particular have rattled the one-time cheerleaders of the second chamber’s plots against democracy – former Labour MPs and Brexit stalwarts Kate Hoey and Gisela Stuart, and former Brexit Party MEP, and friend of spiked, Claire Fox. Rather, they’re essentially saying: ‘Who let this riff-raff in?’ They were fine when a majority of the Lords looked and sounded like them; when a majority of peers used their unearned power to try to silence the masses. Changes in personnel do not alter that one iota. I very much hope that May will continue to follow her excellent policy of moderation. They’re only reaching for the smelling salts now because ‘dreadful’ people like Hoey, Stuart and Fox have been granted entry. The House of Lords is a fundamental part of the British parliament by which we are ruled in Scotland. Some people are calling for reform of the House of Lords, but not Nigel Farage - he wants it abolished altogether. T he House of Lords will be abolished if Labour leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey ever becomes prime minister.. The sex-and-drugs scandal and subsequent resignation from the House of Lords by Baron Sewel of Gilcomstoun merely re-confirms that Britain's political elite is rotten and out of touch with the real world. Show on a map. They have to understand why many are sceptical about that commitment. The House of Lords, formally known as The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, also known as the House of Peers and domestically usually referred to simply as the Lords, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.Membership is granted by appointment or by heredity or official … ABOLISH THE HOUSE OF LORDS The commission's recommendations were rejected by a vote in the House of Lords. The same could be said of the House Of Lords. spiked takes a wholly different position, one that is driven by that terribly old-fashioned thing, principle. Inherited power has no place in a democracy. After 1911, the House of Lords survived because it slowly and pragmatically reinvented itself as an innocent, wise revising chamber. As the House of Commons became the prime chamber the powers of the Lords were eroded and life peerages broke the historical link with land ownership. Today's Parliament of the United Kingdom largely descends, in practice, from the Parliament of England, through the Treaty of Union of 1706 and the Acts of Union that ratified the Treaty in 1707 and created a new Parliament of Great Britain to replace the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. Have they lost all contact with reality? Those who argue for the abolition of the second chamber, as Owen Jones did last week, need to say how this work would be done. It is populated entirely with busts of past luminaries of the House of Lords, each of whom has served as British prime minister. I remember one peer who had just been sworn in coming to me to say they had made a mistake and had not realised the work that was involved. ‘We also want to abolish the House of Lords. The vote to leave the EU was not a cry for help or for recognition. It has its origins in feudal England, specifically in councils of ‘wise ones’ – religious leaders and powerful landowners – who would gather to advise kings in the 12th and 13th centuries. The House of Lords works well. For most of Labour’s history, our policy has been to abolish the House of Lords or have an elected second chamber. Their blocking of the Internal Market Bill recently exemplified this, where 800 peers thwarted the democratic will of the people. The biggest controversy over Malevolent May’s decision to dole out 41 awards and peerages has been the Knighthood conferred on former English cricketer Geoffrey Boycott. The House of Lords is undemocratic . Photo by comedy_nose (Creative Commons (Click to enlarge) Clive Walder . The House of Lords must be reformed and ultimately abolished. Rather, they wanted more democratic clout. In this way it serves as a useful check on the government by making them think again Powers of the upper chamber are … The House of Lords should be abolished after the UK leaves the EU, a conservative think tank has argued.. And find Brendan on Instagram: @burntoakboy. It is not remotely coincidental that the Lords sought to frustrate the revolutionary will of the 1640s and the Brexit revolution of the 2010s. The guy played cricket for a … It is time to get rid of them. Covid, lockdown, censorship, woke cultural revolution… 2020 will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. 4,810 signatures. Some of them are very nice people. No legal barrier effectively stops the Remainer Lords in their course It is a constitutional cliché that the House of Lords exercises only a revising power, and that the legislating power resides in the House of Commons alone. Former Liberal leader David Steel calls for House of Lords to be abolished The House of Lords must be replaced to enable federalism across the … In the past 12 months the House of Lords has made almost 2,300 changes to improve legislation; apart from daily oral questions, peers have tabled more than 8,000 written questions and taken part in more than 160 debates; while well over 300 peers have been active members of select committees which have published more than 150 reports on subjects ranging from tuition fees to intergenerational fairness. The House of Lords: in order for a democracy it should be abolished Photo: Jim Trodel/Flickr. Because the newly ennobled include Tory pals of Boris Johnson, including his brother, former minister Jo Johnson, and, even worse, some Brexiteers. But turkeys don’t vote for Christmas, and the Lords then rejected this proposal. Baron Home of the Hirsel occupies pride of place, the very last of Britain's hereditary peers to hold the post, even if he had to renounce his title, becoming plain Sir Alec Douglas-Home, to do so. To enquire about republishing spiked’s content, a right to reply or to request a correction, please contact the managing editor, Viv Regan. The House of Lords can be viewed as a ‘revising chamber’. In the second piece in our five-part programme for democratic reform, Tim Black makes the case for abolishing the House of Lords. This article is more than 1 year old. Unelected Lords should not have the power to hold the British Government to ransom. The House of Lords should be abolished. The liberal elite in this country has no shame. The House of Lords is a private members club for an unelected few. [The Lords] is a reminder of our arcane British institutions.” The Lords contains many conscientious and hard-working peers, who apply their serious diligence to … What about making good on ordinary people’s radical insistence on their right to influence public life? The House of Lords is a private members club for an unelected few. The House of Lords must be reformed and ultimately abolished. Responding to the Burns report, she said: “I intend to continue with the restraint which I have exercised to date and, when making appointments, to allocate them fairly, bearing in mind the results of the last general election and the leadership shown by each party in terms of retirements.”. The Lords, in the words of the 18th-century revolutionary Thomas Paine, is ‘the remains of aristocratical tyranny’. abolish the house of lords This week in the House of Commons I presented a Parliamentary Petition calling for the abolition of the House of Lords. People get there through political favours and patronage. In our view, nobody should be given a seat in the House of Lords. spiked intends to play our part. There has been concern over the work of sitting Lords. by: Shane Beaver; recipient: Theresa May, Prime Minister ; Following the Supreme Court's decision to insist that Parliament must decide when and how Article 50 is triggered, the Remain Campaign are calling this a "victory for democracy". Here's what we should do with the toppled statues. ABOLISH THE HOUSE OF LORDS September 4, 2020 This week in the House of Commons I presented a Parliamentary Petition calling for the abolition of the House of Lords. The rules clearly prohibit peers acting as paid lobbyists and also require public disclosure of sources of income. The House of Lords could be something great if governments weren't too afraid or selfish to change it for the better. The House of Lords should be replaced with a Senate of … Anything you can spare is greatly appreciated. If there is any question, the independent commissioner for standards can investigate. The House of Lords is a chamber of experts. The House of Lords was abolished in 1649 but not for long "The House of Lords is useless and dangerous to the people of England." Because as an institution the Lords plays one role and one role only: it polices and frustrates elective democracy. Things, yes - although not in everything chamber of experts of Britain absolutely essential elected. Ruled in Scotland days the House but there is any question, the House of Lords now. With good people in it, the executive committee of the Remain-leaning middle.... 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