Lording it over them?

House of Lords campaign – the next phase

Last week the Government announced the composition of the Joint Committee on House of Lords reform. Earlier this year Charter88 successfully campaigned against the proposals in the Government's White Paper - Completing the Reform, and for a substantially or wholly elected House of Lords. For details of the campaign success click here

This is where the hard work begins. We have to persuade the Joint Committee that the weight of opinion within parliament and amongst the public lies with a substantially elected second chamber. This is the greatest opportunity we have had so far to get as large a proportion of the second chamber elected as possible.

Below is a model letter that you can send to your MP, members of the Joint Committee, Government ministers or opposition spokespeople responsible for Lords reform. Please do send a letter to as many of these as you can and send this web page on to anyone else that you think may be interested in the campaign. The names of members of the Joint Committee are below the letter.

Please remember to forward any responses you get to Araba Webber, Local Groups Officer. Contact details are at the bottom of this page.

Thank you very much for your support in working towards a democratic second chamber.

Model letter (please feel free make amendments)

Your MP/Member of Joint Committee/Government minister/Opposition spokesperson
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA

OR

House of Lords
Westminster
London
SW1A 0PW

Date

Dear X,

I am writing concerning reform of the House of Lords. I welcome the Government’s decision to establish a Joint Committee of both Houses to move forwards on reforming the second chamber, and the promise of a free vote on options for reform.

It is my belief that the second chamber should be wholly directly elected/ substantially directly elected, as only this can give the upper chamber the legitimacy it requires to act as an effective check on the actions of both the Government and the House of Commons.

The Joint Committee is charged with taking account of the consultation on the Government’s White Paper and the Public Administration Committee Report, including its consultation among MPs. The weight of opinion within the House of Commons and outside Parliament is clear. The wide spectrum of views must not be used as an excuse to delay or limit reform by those opposed to election to the second chamber.

A clear consensus exists for a majority-elected second chamber. I therefore urge you to encourage the Committee to bring forward proposals for reform as soon as possible, and to support a wholly or substantially elected upper house.

Yours sincerely,

Members of the Joint Committee:

Jack Cunningham MP (Lab: Copeland)

Joyce Quinn MP (Lab: Gateshead and Washington West)

Janet Anderson MP (Lab: Rossendale and Darwen)

Chris Bryant MP (Lab: Rhondda)

Clive Soley MP

Terry Rooney MP

Steven McCabe MP

Paul Stinchcombe MP

Kenneth Clarke MP

William Hague MP

James Arburthnot MP

Paul Tyler MP

Lord Carter

Baroness Gibson

Lord Brooke of Alversthorpe

Lord Archer of Sandwell

Lord Forsythe of Drumlean

Lord Selbourne

Lord Howe of Aberavon

Baroness O’Caithan

Lord Goodhart

Lord Oakshott

Lord Weatherill

Lord Bledisloe

Campaigns: 020 8880 6088 campaigns@charter88.org.uk

Policy: 020 8880 6088 policy@charter88.org.uk