Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Shaughan Dolan

GET UPDATES FROM Shaughan Dolan
 

Lords Reform: Why the Man in the Pub Needs It

Posted: 06/03/2012 23:00

Whenever I start a campaign I ask myself a simple question - what does this mean to the man in the pub? The sense that a cause must be made relevant to others is often somehow lost by the policy wonks of Westminster. The latest casualty of this phenomenon is Clegg's latest crusade on Lords reform.

The man in the pub wants to know how this will make a difference to him.

First of all it means laws in this country are more likely to approach want he as an individual wants. When you give people more power at the ballot box you give them more power in government. Denying that privilege to citizens poisons our democracy.

It also means prime ministers can't rig the jury when a new government takes office. Cameron in his first year appointed over a 100 new peers. Considering that only around 400 people sit in the House of Commons in an average session he's making his life immediately much easier. The prime minister is in effect making sure the bills only get the scrutiny he wants. Welfare reform may have still exploded in his face but this is despite a back-room system of appointments not because of it.

For the man in the pub it means less power to the PM and more power to him.

The tired argument wheeled out at this stage is that this would fill the lords with professional politicians. Ironically that is exactly what you get right now - Lord Lamont and Baroness Warsi are both failed politicians. Despite the electorate kicking them out how did the political establishment respond? It gave them both jobs for life.

For the man in the pub it means the abolition of a jobs-for-mates culture in Westminster and more of what he likes and less of what he doesn't in government.

Another argument wheeled out is the high level of knowledge and expertise of the upper house. The reality is a less-than-inspiring selection of so-called experts, many of whom, very pointedly, have made significant contributions to the party coffers. The rest of the procession are retired MPs; civil servants for whom a peerage is part of the pension package and a rather nasty gaggle of hereditaries. For every Robert Winston there are nearly a 100 people there because of a family name. For every Lord Sugar at least 200 whose only exclusive knowledge is knowing the right names in Whitehall.

For the man in the pub this means an end to closed-shop politics and end to the scandal of Westminster's in-house pension racket.

To the man in the pub it would mean the political establishment would be put on trial. Detractors argue Lords reform doesn't engage the public. Let's see the 90 hereditary peers argue the divine right of kings, let failed politicians proclaim that elections give people less of a say and lets see if the Lords and Ladies of the realm can argue in favour of unearned privilege.

Because I think the man in the pub would crucify them.

 

Follow Shaughan Dolan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@dolansphere

FOLLOW UK POLITICS
Whenever I start a campaign I ask myself a simple question - what does this mean to the man in the pub? The sense that a cause must be made relevant to others is often somehow lost by the policy wonks...
Whenever I start a campaign I ask myself a simple question - what does this mean to the man in the pub? The sense that a cause must be made relevant to others is often somehow lost by the policy wonks...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 7
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Bloggers
Recency  | 
Popularity
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Drg40
Representative Democracy is all we have.
18:54 on 07/03/2012
I would be happier if the HoL was thought of a the second chamber. BUT we are supposed to have a "representative" democracy which, in the name of "efficiency" as defined by the Electoral Commission is now down to a 600 member HoC. Is there anybody out there so stupid that they think that such huge numbers of electors per MP makes for effective representation? It cetainly enables a dodgy PM to exert a stranglehold over a party in pieces and deny policy formulation in the interests of all the nation. When the HoC is overtaken by overwhelming common sense, then will be the time to create a balancing chamber. Until then, IMV this is the usual smoke and mirrors.
photo
HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Shaughan Dolan
13:36 on 07/03/2012
Hi Stephen,

One of the powers the executive has is over the appointment committee for the house of Lords, a power it would lose under the new legislation. I don't think under 15 year single terms that the party 'yes men' would prevail as the whips would useless to enforce the party line. Moreover due to the elections being carried by STV no party would have an overall majority. Therefore all amendments would require cross party support to be accepted.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Kevin Mcilroy
13:14 on 07/03/2012
If we elect the House of Lords (or whatever it is called after the change) what is the point of having the upper house at all? It will merely be an extension of the commons if it is subject to re-election.

What we need is a randomly populated chamber filled with people who have life experience .... since it is clear that we are now only ever going to have professional politicians in the House of Commons we need an upper house that will slow down the excessivley stupid legislation that they are constantly inventing to make themselves appear important. The last thing we need is more politicians; I have no idea why any of them think they deserve our respect
13:10 on 07/03/2012
This would all be fine if it were not for the fact that democratic politics in the UK (and elsewhere) is subverted by the Party Political System. This system concentrates real power in the executive and emasculates the legislature. As a consequence, adding elected members to the Upper House results in us having the place stuffed full of party 'yes men' instead of party 'has beens'.. At least the 'has beens' have security of tenure which enables them to tell the party whips to go and jump in the lake.
photo
HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Shaughan Dolan
12:33 on 07/03/2012
Hi Ben, not sure I agree with that he doesn't mind about the 'jobs for the boys culture'. Personally I think he feels the inevitable fact of our politics. I think Lords reform is at least a step in right direction to abolishing a politics centred around entitlement rather than merit.
11:34 on 07/03/2012
I always thought, incorrectly now I have found out, that I lived in a democracy.
I thought I at least had some choice in who was in my Government. You know the whole if you don't like us you can vote us out LIE.

I now know that is not the case. Take Baroness Warsi. Failed to win any election she has stood for but because she has a big gob and comes from the right religion and was thought to be able to garner some votes nationally for the Torry party from the Muslim community she was GIVEN a seat in the Cabinet for now and a seat in the House of Lords until the day she dies.

It is not a democracy it is a DMockery.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
Might as well laugh while you still can.
10:43 on 07/03/2012
To be honest I think the man in the pub would rather be allowed to light up a cigerette and for every other policy thats lead to so many pubs closing down to be reversed. Im absolutely sure they dont give a damn about the house of Lords. They long stopped caring about jobs for the boys. Reforming the Lords is not going to reverse the 'who you know' culture. The man in the pub just wanted to be left alone and he's had his little corner of England ruined by do gooders who would never visit his watering hole!