House of Lords (Media Watch)

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Media Watch: Reform of Public Institutions | Citizenship and Participation | Political Parties | Rights and Freedoms

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Source Date Author Headline (Link) Quote
The Herald 2 September 2005 Iain Wilson and Tom Gordon Disgraced peer admits fire attack at luxury hotel The Elect the Lords Campaign said the case "again de-monstrates the need for reform, just as when Lord Archer was convicted and imprisoned for perjury several years ago".

However, there are no government plans to resurrect a bill that would strip peers of their titles on conviction.

New Statesman 29 July 2005 Mary Riddell NS Interview - Lord Falconer On Lords reform, radical change is finally being mooted. Leaks of plans by a committee chaired by Falconer and Charles Clarke say that the upper house would be renamed the "second chamber" and that up to four-fifths of its members would be elected. The size would be roughly halved, to 300 to 400 members serving six-year terms.

"There is such a discussion document, which I welcome, but there is not yet any agreement on party policy," he says, hinting at a quid pro quo on the elected element. "Confidence about [the primacy of the Commons] will determine the view it takes in a free vote on composition. I suspect there are people in the Commons worried that changes in the way the Lords are elected, if they are to be elected, might affect that primacy issue." His own prerequisites, besides primacy, are "the ability to delay to make the Commons think again, an independent element and removal of the hereditaries".

Scotsman 20 July 2005 James Kirkup Lords could be renamed in overhaul by Labour "THE House of Lords could be renamed, restructured and ultimately include a majority of directly elected members under plans being discussed within the Labour Party."

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