It takes a special kind of stupid to turn discontent over an ill-thought and mean-spirited policy into a crisis that rocks the foundations of the Mother of all Parliaments. Such is the blindness of George Osborne’s overrated “genius” that the Tories have plunged themselves into a serious political crisis. They have threatened all kind of hell fire and damnation in the event the House of Lords votes to kill or delay their cuts to tax credits. They should “think very carefully” about their position, says Dave. Ken Clarke has urged the Lords not to abuse their position, and even cuddly old John Bercow has “reminded” them of the established constitutional position. And if their Lordships don’t submit, we’ve been threatened with a shower (in both sense of the word) of new Tory peers and/or some sinister-sounding reform of the upper house. Both of which were ever likely to mollify anyone, and duly the government were handed their arse. Twice. Two delaying motions have gone through, prolonging the political pain for the chancellor. Continue reading
Tagged with House of Lords
Cameron flooding the Lords prepares the way for its abolition
The House of Lords is beyond redemption. While recent scandals have brought this issue to the forefront of politics, the reality is that the Lords has been an outdated and defunct institution for over a century. At the last election Labour proposed to replace the Lords with an elected Senate representing the regions and nations of the UK. However, calls to reform and indeed abolish the House of Lords have been proposed by the Labour Party since our foundation.
The Lords is a chamber of privilege and patronage. There remains the old guard of hereditary peers granted their position by accident of birth as well as the theocracy consisting of 26 bishops of the Church of England known as the Lords Spiritual. Alongside privilege sits patronage, with failed and retired politicians sitting beside party donors granted their position based upon their ability to sign a cheque.
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The Stansgate title should not be revived, nor the pretender “elected” to the Lords
Tony Benn was devoted to his family, and so far as one could tell, it was always reciprocated at least in his lifetime. The devotion took many forms but I am concerned here with the impact of that devotion on the family’s public face and on political matters. In a family in which four generations have so far been members of parliament and a fifth looks set to follow, it would be surprising if there were not signifiant differences of opinion between them on occasion.
Tony was careful never publicly to criticise any of his family for the political views they held or advocated. Hilary Benn famously conformed to that practice by going no further than describing himself as “a Benn, but not a Bennite.” When his daughter-in-law, Nita Clarke, became Assistant Political Secretary to Tony Blair with responsibility for trade unions, Tony Benn made no public comment, which must surely have involved the suppression of regret, disappointment, even anger. I don’t know whether anything was said in private but I suspect Tony was capable of withholding criticism even in private (something my children would certainly testify is quite beyond my capability). Continue reading
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Cameron granting peerages for party donations is as corrupt as Lloyd George
It really stinks that Cameron’s latest list of peerages includes so many Tory party donors like the Asian jewellery tycoon who either personally or through his company has made 20 donations to the Tories in the last six years, and the Tory co-treasurer who has donated over £2.3 million to the party. This rancid exchange of status for lucre not only disfigures politics, but demeans the whole purpose of the second chamber as a more thorough and effective scrutinising forum than the Commons. Continue reading
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Why are Labour members not allowed to select Labour Peers?
Last week, it seems, rumours were circulating around the Westminster bubble about the possibility of Michael Cashman, being appointed to the House of Lords. He is of course well qualified in what matters in the Bubble, as a former Eastenders star and MEP, not to mention a longstanding member of Labour’s Blair-backed but misnamed Members First slate, generously funded to finance half-page press adverts, professional telephone canvassing and direct mail shots of party members. But who decides these things in the Labour Party?
The answer of course is the Leader, on the basis of confidential advice from his staff no doubt. All in keeping with the House of Commons Public Administration Committee’s recommendation for greater transparency in these matters. Not. Continue reading
