By Ned Simons - 20th April 2011
The addition of 117 new peers in less than a year is unprecedented in recent times, and has had negative effects on the functioning of the chamber
UCL academic Meg Russell
David Cameron has been told by a group of peers, MPs and academics that his plan to appoint a further 269 peers is "foolish and unsustainable".
A report published today by University College London's Constitution Unit said there were already too many peers and any further increase in size risked rendering the House of Lords "completely unable to do its job".
"It should by now be clear that the objective of a House of Lords membership proportional to general election vote shares is unrealistic: it would require the appointment of, at a minimum, 269 new peers," it said.
"This would have disastrous consequences for the operation of the chamber, and be deeply unpopular with the public."
"Even if this was not the case, it would be a foolish and unsustainable course to pursue, as it would result over time in a second chamber whose size spiralled ever upwards."
Signatories to the report include former Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd, the convenor of the crossbench peers Baroness D’Souza, former Labour minister and director of the Institute for Government Lord Adonis and UCL constitutional expert Robert Hazell.
The recommendations are also backed by former MP Tony Wright who chaired the Commons reform committee and the current chair of the Commons political and constitutional reform committee Graham Allen.
As part of the coalition agreement the Conservatives and Lib Dems agreed to appoint a raft of new coalition peers in order to ensure the political make up of the chamber reflects the share of the vote secured by the political parties in the last general election.
The report's author, UCL academic Meg Russell, said there was now a major concern that if appointments continue the House of Lords would "simply cease to be able to function".
She said: "The addition of 117 new peers in less than a year is unprecedented in recent times, and has had negative effects on the functioning of the chamber."
There are 830 members of the upper House but some are on temporary leaves of absence. At present there are 792 working peers.
Russell concluded the coalition plan would require a minimum of 269 additional peers to be appointed on top of the 117 already sent to the Lords since May, taking the size of the chamber to 1,062.
As well as the overall strain placed on the chamber by an ever increasing number of members, the report warns that the speed of appointments has also destabilised the running of the Lords leading to a "fractious atmosphere".
Traditionally peers are appointed gradually, with each new member becoming "socialised" in the chamber's practices and conventions. But since the election it has become the norm to see three new peers taking their seat at the start of each day's parliamentary business.
The signatories to the report complain that the influx of so many new peers, including several former MPs, has damaged the chamber's traditional non-partisan ethos and "courteous atmosphere".
Russell notes: "There are now many more peers seeking to contribute to debates, ask questions, and become members of committees.
"This has created a more fractious atmosphere in the chamber, and growing frustration amongst members who cannot contribute effectively."
This was most evident during the marathon debates over the Parliamentary Voting and Constituencies Bill when the government almost took the unprecedented step of introducing a guillotine motion, a Commons practice, in order to end the impasse.
Among the recommendations made in the report is that there be an immediate moratorium placed on appointments until the number of peers naturally falls below 750 due to peers dying.
To speed up this process the report suggests permitting peers to retire from the Lords – something they are currently banned from doing.
Today's report comes ahead of the publication of Nick Clegg's proposals to create an elected House of Lords. The deputy prime minister is expected to recommend that the new chamber be 80 elected and 20 per cent appointed.
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