Ok, that sounds fine. Nobody in a free society should be forced to keep a job until they die, but when, exactly, will we be able to sack them? The answer is, under this bill, never (emphasis mine);
At the moment all peers are appointed, apart from the 92 hereditaries, who survived the first phase of Lords reform during Tony Blair’s first term as prime minister.
Government sources have said the Constitutional Reform Bill will tackle some of this unfinished Lords reform business.
For example, by-elections are currently used for replacing hereditary peers when one of their number dies, keeping their numbers topped up.
The bill would scrap that device, so the number of hereditary peers in the House of Lords would gradually dwindle to none.
In other words, the House of Lords would gradually become a vessel for state appointed cronies to rubber stamp government legislation. Add to the mix the number of political dynasties that are emerging (what are the Wedgwood Benn’s on now, generation 3?), it might represent the good old establishment house of lords, with a mix of those who are to be rewarded for deeds done, and those who have the correct surname.
Of course one could argue for something really, really radical. You know, like elected representatives, or something. But that would probably be a bit do democratic for the current lot.
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