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Campaign for an Effective Second Chamber

The Campaign for an Effective Second Chamber, a group of some two hundred members from both Houses and all Parties, and the Crossbenches, today published its own blueprint for a White Paper on Lords Reform. Sir Patrick Cormack, Member of Parliament for South Staffordshire, and Convener of the Group, said: ‘We are not a group campaigning for the status quo. We do, however, believe that it would be folly to abolish the present House of Lords and replace it with an elected, or hybrid, Second Chamber. We have reached a broad degree of consensus on the changes that are needed to make the Lords even more effective and we spell these out in detail in our Paper. This has the unanimous support of our group and is signed by a number of our leading members from both Houses on behalf of the Group.’

All enquires for further information:

David Clelland MP – 0191 420 0300
Sir Patrick Cormack FSA MP – 020 7219 5019
Baroness Corston – 020 7219 4575
Lord Lea of Crondall – 020 7219 8518
Lord Norton of Louth – 020 7219 0669
Lord Steel of Aikwood – 020 7219 6661

Those who have signed the Paper on behalf of the Group: -
Labour Members of both House
Conservative Members of both Houses
Janet Anderson MP
Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville
Ben Chapman MP
Sir Patrick Cormack MP
David Clelland MP
Philip Davies MP
Ann Coffey MP
Edward Garnier MP
Rt. Hon. Baroness Corston
Lord Higgins
Rt. Hon Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
Lord Howe of Aberavon
Lord Gordon of Strathblane
Lord Jenkin of Roding
Brian Jenkins MP
Dr Julian Lewis MP
Kevan Jones MP
Peter Luff MP
Lord Lea of Crondall
Lord Norton of Louth
Bill Olner MP
Baroness O’Cathain
Rt. Hon. Lord Sheldon
Baroness Shephard of Northwold
Lord Tomlinson
Andrew Turner MP
Rt. Hon. Alan Williams
Charles Walker MP
Sir Nicholas Winterton MP
Liberal Democrats from both Houses
Crossbenchers and Others
Viscount Falkland
Baroness Boothroyd
Andrew George MP
Baroness D’Souza
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank
Baroness Greengross
Lord Steel of Aikwood
Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Lord Low of Dalston
Lord Beaumont of Whitley
Lord Grenfell

CAMPAIGN FOR AN EFFECTIVE SECOND CHAMBER

Blue print for a White Paper

LORDS REFORM: THE WAY AHEAD

We believe that the present second chamber adds value to the political process. It complements the House of Commons. Each House benefits from the work of the other. The political system is enhanced by having two Houses that are qualitatively distinctive. The relationship between them serves to maintain the fundamental accountability at the heart of a representative democracy. Government is responsible to the people through the House of Commons.

Electing the second chamber, wholly or in part, would be value detracting. We know of no alternative that would add value in the way that the present second chamber does. A second layer of elected members would undermine rather than enhance accountability. It would not offer a distinctive capacity for detailed scrutiny. It would be costly, incurring substantial capital costs as well as anything from £50m to £100m annually in additional funding from the public purse. There is no evidence that it would engage popular support in the way that the present House does. An ICM poll in 2005 found that 72% of those questioned thought that the House of Lords did a good job.

To be against having a second elected chamber, though, is not to be against change. We believe that reform is possible that will refine and strengthen the second chamber and, in so doing, bolster trust in our parliamentary system. The changes we support are those on which we believe agreement can be achieved within and between the political parties and within and between both Houses.

The Government announced its intention in the Queen’s Speech of 15 November 2006 to seek a consensus on reform of the House of Lords. The Opposition has also said that it wishes to proceed where consensus can be achieved. There is no consensus on the issue of election. Proposals for change, such as a 50/50 split between elected and appointed members, have tended to generate more heat than light and there is little prospect of general support being mobilised for any proposal for an elected or part-elected House.

However, we believe that consensus is achievable, and indeed is apparent, on three issues, the principal one being the means by which members are selected to serve in the second chamber. Change can be brought about that makes the process fair, transparent and capable of further enhancing the quality and diversity of members of the second chamber.

The principal change that we wish to introduce is an independent appointments commission to recommend names for the conferment of life peerages. This will replace the existing non-statutory body operating under Lord Stevenson of Coddenham. Such a proposal enjoys broad political support and no opposition appears to have been expressed to it. We have devised a framework within which the commission has to operate and formulated certain criteria and goals. These include appointment on the basis of conspicuous merit, ensuring that at least twenty per cent of the members are not affiliated with any political party, and that no one party shall enjoy an absolute majority in the House. These are principles that have been articulated and accepted by the principal parties and are designed to maintain the existing strengths of the House of Lords in terms of ability and independence. Our proposal also requires the commission to have regard to the need to reduce the size of the House; we consider that the aim should be to ensure that it is no larger than the House of Commons.

We also favour closing off the by-election option for bringing hereditary peers into the House of Lords. The practical effect of the change is to render all members of the House of Lords life peers, other than the Bishops and Archbishops who sit as the Lords Spiritual. Though the change does not enjoy universal approbation, we believe it can be introduced on the basis of enjoying wide political support. Hereditary peers excluded under the 1999 House of Lords Act would be eligible for consideration for life peerages on the same basis as others who have contributed significantly to public life.

We also wish to see provision made for permanent leave of absence for those peers who no longer wish to continue to attend the House as well as for the expulsion from membership of the House of Lords of any peer who is sentenced to a prison term of more than one year. (This latter provision is designed to bring the House into line with the House of Commons, where conviction and imprisonment for more than one year is a disqualification for membership.) The provision does not affect the retention of the peerage but is confined to expulsion from membership of the House.

These changes can be achieved through a single Bill and would serve to enhance the parliamentary system. We appreciate that some people will regard them as necessary but not sufficient. We regard them as sufficient, enabling the country to retain and extend the benefits of the second chamber. By agreeing on these changes, we believe progress can be made. Otherwise, there will be a continuing and increasingly sterile debate – largely revolving around the latest pet scheme for partial election – that offers little and enjoys no resonance with the public.

Our proposals can be achieved in a straightforward Bill and we invite the parties, the Government and both Houses to sign up to such a measure. It represents the constructive way forward.

Signed on behalf of the Campaign for an Effective Second Chamber -

Labour Members of both Houses
Conservative Members of both Houses
Janet Anderson MP
Lord Brooke of Sutton Madeville
Ben Chapman MP
Sir Patrick Cormack MP
David Clelland MP
Philip Davies MP
Ann Coffey MP
Edward Garnier MP
Rt. Hon. Baroness Corston
Lord Higgins
Rt. Hon Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
Lord Howe of Aberavon
Lord Gordon of Strathblane
Lord Jenkin of Roding
Brian Jenkins MP
Dr Julian Lewis MP
Kevan Jones MP
Peter Luff MP
Lord Lea of Crondall
Lord Norton of Louth
Bill Olner MP
Baroness O’Cathain
Rt. Hon. Lord Sheldon
Baroness Shephard of Northwold
Lord Tomlinson
Andrew Turner MP
Rt. Hon. Alan Williams
Charles Walker MP
Sir Nicholas Winterton MP
Liberal Democrats from both Houses
Crossbenchers and Others
Viscount Falkland
Baroness Boothroyd
Andrew George MP
Baroness D’Souza
Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank
Baroness Greengross
Lord Steel of Aikwood
Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Lord Low of Dalston
Lord Beaumont of Whitley
Lord Grenfell