Why House of Lords reform is necessary

An unelected House lacks legitimacy. While the House of Lords often does a good job at improving legislation, it is constantly hampered by the fact that it has no claim to be representing the will of the people. An elected upper house would have more authority.

As strong Upper House need not mean a weak House of Commons. Rather, as House of Commons Leader Jack Straw has argued, a stronger Upper House would encourage the House of Commons to raise its own game. This can only lead to better legislation and more accountable Government.

The current House of Lords is elitist. In a modern democracy there should be no place for ‘the great and the good’. Labour has always stood for an egalitarian society for the many, not the few.

Party Patronage devalues politics. The perception that people can buy or secure a seat in the legislature has been a source of controversy for over a century. It undermines trust in our political system and fuels public cynicism about participation in politics. Only by ending party patronage can be begin to challenge this downward spiral.

A voice for the regions. An elected second chamber elected in regional constituencies (as proposed in the Government White Paper) would end the South and London bias in the Upper House and provide a new voice for the regions and nations of the UK.

An end to Tory dominance. Historically, Labour Governments have always been hampered by a Tory majority in the House of Lords. While this is not the case now, election is the only way of guaranteeing that no single party will be able to dominate the Upper House in the future.

The public want reform. Opinion polls consistently suggest that around two-thirds of the public want a majority or wholly elected upper house.

For more information, please visit our website:

www.democraticupperhouse.org.uk