Time for root and branch House of Lords reform

This week’s vote on the Bill to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords is a step in the right direction. 

But we need to go further.

From Local Campaigner Martin Gammon

The Lib Dems are committed to creating a fully elected second chamber that is fit for the 21st century. This would involve not only removing hereditary peers, but also ending the automatic right of bishops to sit in the Lords. We believe the chamber should reflect the diversity of modern Britain, rather than entrenching religious privilege.

Only Britain and one other country allows clerics to have an automatic right to sit on the legislature: Iran is the other

Only Britain and one other country has a system of hereditary peers in the legislature: Lesotho is the other

An elected upper house would provide proper democratic accountability and legitimacy. It would enhance scrutiny of legislation and government policy, while complementing the work of the House of Commons. Careful consideration would need to be given to the electoral system and term lengths to ensure the Lords remained distinct from the Commons.

Reforming the Lords is about more than just modernising our democracy - it's about restoring public faith in our political institutions. At a time when trust in politics is at a low ebb, ending hereditary privilege and creating a fully elected second chamber would be a powerful symbol of change.

Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson, said the measures outlined in the bill are “long overdue”, telling The Independent: “We will continue to urge the Government to go further on Lords reform, including by introducing the promised retirement age, and to give the Lords the proper elected legitimacy the second chamber should have.”

The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for comprehensive Lords reform as part of our vision for a fairer, more representative democracy. Removing hereditary peers is an important first step, but our upper chamber needs root and branch reform to truly serve the people. Further reading on the subject can be found in the Guardian article Lib Dems plan to force vote on replacing Lords with elected upper chamber | House of Lords | The Guardian 

Read about all of the Liberal Democrats’ Fair Deal Policies.

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