Overdue Reform of the House of Lords

Talk about reforming the House of Lords has been going on for many decades but in 2011 a cross-party draft bill proposed 300 members, 80% elected and 20% appointed. The bill was dropped in 2012, and there has been no political commitment to implement such a major change to its constitution since then. 

Currently, Keir Starmer is legislating to remove those left in 1999 when hereditary lords were removed, leaving 92 of them to remain “until further reform is proposed”. However, Starmer is claiming that future Lords reform will take place step by step, as yet undefined, so in theory the remaining lords should be safe until that further reform happens!

Most agree a change is needed, but to what? A Senate with Senators? An Upper House? If most of them are going to be elected, maybe members should be called Counsellors as they will be ‘advising’ (and voting) on the legislation going through Parliament, but certainly not Lords, as that harps back to the aristocracy. 

Nor would there be any more life peerages for the party hacks and cronies who pack the Lords currently. Elections and appointments would be for a term of 3 to 5 years, maybe not all taking place at the same time, to ensure a degree of continuity. Those who had genuine expertise could apply for any of the appointed positions, not judged politically by any of the parties, but independently. Or they could stand for election in whichever Region they had their principal residence, but not from other homes, work locations, or land ownership.

Recent talk has been suggesting a reduction to around half the present numbers, perhaps with a maximum of 400 to ensure sufficient to deal with the legislation coming through the Commons. 75% of these would be elected, the balance appointed. The elected Regional allocation would be based on the last EU distribution for UK MEPs, and adjusted by the current distribution determined by the 2023 Review of UK constituencies set out below:

Region          EU MEPs         2023 MPs         Allocation

E Midlands            5                       47                               21

Eastern                   7                        61                               28

London                   8                        75                                35

North East             3                        27                                13

North West           8                        73                                 34

South East          10                        91                                 43

South West          6                          58                                26

W Midlands         7                          57                                26

Yorkshire etc       6                          54                                25

Scotland              6                           57                                26

Wales                  4                            32                                15

N Ireland           3                             18                                 8

Total:             73                        650                         300

If the Lords Spiritual were also reduced from 26 to 12, representing not just the CofE but representatives of UK religions based on their proportionate affiliation, this would be fairer as part of the appointed 100. 94% of those responding to the 2021 Census contributed to that optional question, and Christian affiliation fell to 46%, the first time it was below 50%.

Assuming that representation would be agreed, a possible division of the 12 could be:

Catholics: 3; Church of England: 3; Islam: 2; Methodist, Baptist and URC: 1; 

Church of Scotland and other denominations: 1; Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist: 1;  

Jew, Humanist and other religions: 1.