Described by one constitutional expert as ‘truly stunning in its apparent ignorance of history, the impact of electoral systems and political reality’, it is fair to say the Lords Reform Bill is not universally popular.
The Bill will see 80 per cent of peers elected using a form of proportional representation – a system designed to favour the Lib Dems and give them a pivotal position in all future elections.
At the moment, the Government’s whole approach to Lords reform is wrong. Nobody understands why it is being discussed now.
In 2009, with Britain in recession and the financial crisis raging, David Cameron described House of Lords reform as a ‘third- term issue’.
At a time when Britain needs jobs and growth, seeing MPs devoting day after day to a fiddly constitutional issue will leave voters baffled.
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