You’ve Ruined The House Of Lords

Labour has ruined the House of Lords, they really have. Now the best attempts to salvage it will be the 80% elected chamber, but that is not perfect either.

Here’s the shock. The Lords are not meant to be the democratic chamber, that is the House of Commons. The Lords by contrast are meant to exist for pure deliberation – to improve laws, not propose them – and to be an awkward, slow and obstructive body to balance out short term electoral extremism of any colour.

Whatever loonies were elected to the Commons, the Lords would slow them, allowing the public time to take note of what was going on, for popular opposition to organise, and opponents fight back. The entirely undemocratic Lords thereby actually improved democracy. A strange mix of the Parliament Act and reverence for public opinion made them accept the Commons will, but only after tough scrutiny.

By getting rid of all but a few of the hereditary peers, Labour ruined the independent, deliberative and gently obstructive legislative calming side of the Lords. Now it is largely full of cronies, dodgy money lenders and other crooks.

So well done Labour for ruining a perfectly good system and leaving a shambles. Have they never heard the saying: “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” and its extension “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, and don’t go jumping on it either”?