Abbie Llewelyn, Press Association Political Staff
Labour must follow through on its manifesto pledge and scrap the House of Lords, a Plaid Cymru peer said as she presented her private member’s Bill to the upper chamber.
Baroness Smith of Llanfaes called for the Government to “honour its own promise” to replace the Lords with an “alternative second chamber”.
The House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill, which had its second reading on Friday, would force the Government to start a consultation on the issue within six months of the legislation passing, run it for at least 12 weeks and respond within six months.
It comes after Labour’s manifesto in the 2024 election promised to replace the Lords with “an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations”.
The manifesto also said the Government would “consult on proposals, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them”.
Asked about Lords reform during the Makerfield by-election, now Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We can’t delay this any longer.”
Speaking ahead of the debate, Lady Smith said: “The House of Lords is an undemocratic, unrepresentative institution that must be replaced with an alternative second chamber.
“While a second chamber does have a key part to play in scrutinising legislation, the House of Lords lacks the transparency, accountability and democratic legitimacy needed to effectively serve the people of these isles…
“My Bill simply calls on the UK Government to honour its own promise and to get the ball rolling, because this cannot be another report gathering dust on a Whitehall shelf – it must deliver the change we need.
“The Prime Minister has long been an advocate for reform, and these changes must go hand in hand if we are to tackle the deep-rooted problems in our democracy and build a system that is fit for the 21st century.”
Lady Smith, who is the youngest peer, said during second reading that she wanted to “break the cycle” of continuous debate about Lords reform that is not followed by action.
She said: “Too often, Lords reform follows a familiar pattern: a report is written, conclusions are reached, and then everything quietly grinds to a halt.
“This Bill seeks to break this cycle. It requires Government not only to listen, but to come back and explain what happens next.”
‘Long overdue’
Lady Smith was backed by several peers, including Labour’s Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway, who said the public believes Lords reform is “long overdue” and progress feels “painfully slow”.
The former Trade Union Congress general secretary said: “Opinion poll after opinion poll shows staunch support for change.”
Backing a fully elected second chamber chosen by proportional representation, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Scriven said: “As a matter of principle, in a democracy, I believe the right to make law comes from the people.”
He added that Labour’s promise to consult without committing to a date is the “constitutional equivalent of ‘the cheque is in the post’”.
Former senior civil servant Lord Burns, who carried out a 2017 review into the size of the House of Lords, stood by his nine-year-old proposals for a limit on the number of peers, a balance of new party appointments that reflects the most recent general elections, and 15-term limits for new peers.
He said: “I understand the complexity of the issue, but I am disappointed that successive prime ministers have shown little interest in reform of these elements of our system.”
Plaid Cymru peer Lord Wigley said his party is “denied reasonable representation” in the Lords, with just two members, despite his party being in government in Wales with 44 members of of the Senedd.
However, the Bill also received some pushback, with many peers backing some kind of reform but rejecting the idea of abolishing the Lords completely and replacing it with something entirely different.
‘Virtue signalling’
Branding the Bill “virtue signalling in legislative form”, Conservative peer Lord Jackson of Peterborough insisted the public “doesn’t really care about this issue” and that it would be “a race to the bottom among the perennially angry and activist class”.
He said an elected second chamber would result in “a House of compliant placement from party lists, donors, careerists, cranks and the unemployable, and fewer on meretricious achievement, skills, knowledge, and lived experience”.
The former top Tory aide added it would be a “recipe for gridlock and a constitutional impasse”, insisting the “dirty secret” is that the Commons would never allow a second chamber to threaten its authority with a competing mandate.
Tory former minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth said there are many peers with significant expertise who “strengthen this House immeasurably” but would “not dream of standing in elections”, such as lawyers, retired diplomats and trade union leaders.
Labour former home secretary Lord Blunkett said: “There is a House that is entirely representative, minutely representative, of the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. It’s called the House of Commons.”
‘Significant sympathy’
Cabinet Office minister Baroness Twycross said the Government has “significant sympathy” with the central principle of the Bill, but does not support it.
She said: “The Bill would, in our view, constrain the Government’s ability in how it approaches the delivery of our manifesto commitment by prematurely imposing a duty on the Government to consult.
Lady Twycross said the Government has taken “a staged approach” to Lords reform and rejected the view “that we have not acted or that we’re hesitant”, noting the expulsion of the remaining hereditary peers earlier this year.
The minister added: “A meaningful consultation on such an important issue demands a careful and thought-through plan…
“Rushing into a consultation for its own sake will not bring us any closer to fulfilling our objectives.”
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