Reforming the House of Lords (original) (raw)
Related papers
Lords Reform: Some Inconvenient Truths
The failure of the Coalition government's attempt to reform the House of Lords has by no means taken further reform off the political agenda. The commitment to installing an elected upper chamber is still widely shared across the political spectrum, on the basis of perceptions that the House of Lords lacks democratic legitimacy. Against this view, this article considers recent literature upon non-electoral representation, deliberative democracy and bicameralism, which together highlight the possibility of an unelected second chamber playing a legitimate role within a wider (democratic) system of government. The article then considers the House of Lords from this perspective, reflecting on changes in the upper chamber since the 1999 reforms and evaluating its role within the wider political system. The paper concludes by suggesting that political debate should focus upon small-scale reforms to ensure that the Lords becomes more effective, representative and legitimate, within the constraints of its present role.
In May 2011 the Coalition government published a draft bill for reform of the House of Lords, proposing an upper chamber composed of 80% elected and 20% appointed members serving for single 15-year terms. These plans reflect aspects of the stated positions of the main political parties, votes in the House of Commons, and broader political and scholarly debates over the past decade. Nevertheless, there is significant opposition from across the political spectrum, and there is a significant possibility that the proposed reforms will not be enacted before the next general election. This article draws on the views of participants (including three current peers) in a Symposium at Trinity Hall, Cambridge to argue that the likely failure of the reforms may be less disastrous than many suppose. Especially since the 1999 reforms, the House of Lords is in many ways a more active and legitimate chamber than is commonly realised.
Dimensions of House of Lords Reform, March 2007
2007
We consider the recent British government attempts to reform the House of Lords at Westminster. We show that failures to achieve decisive change are a product of a multi-dimensional ideological space on the issue of institutional reform. In conducting our analysis we note that despite W.O. Adyelotte's pioneering efforts, roll call voting in the UK parliament remains woefully understudied. We present reasons for this lacuna and discuss resources and techniques that will hopefully bring the traditions and methods of the 'Iowa School' to the broad attention of scholars of British legislative behavior.
The House of Lords Reform White Paper and Draft Bill 2011 and a Simpler Alternative
Amicus Curiae, 2011
A consideration of the House of Lords Reform White Paper and draft Bill 2011 arguing that the proposals they contain to transform the House of Lords into a democratically legitimate second chamber follow from false choice and involve high cost and level of complexity. The author sets out a simpler proposal, developed from his submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the draft House of Lords Reform Bill.
Book review: the contemporary House of Lords: Westminster bicameralism revived
2013
This book provides the first detailed portrait of the post-1999 House of Lords, explaining who sits in the chamber, how it operates, and crucially what policy impact it has. Meg Russell aims to show that its membership is more diverse and modern than many would assume, and its influence on policy to be substantial. Gordon Bannerman concludes that this is an authoritative and very readable scholarly work which is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary British politics.