Now is the time for a democratic second chamber

2.02.50pm GMT Wed 7th Feb 2007

Responding to today's White Paper on House of Lords reform, Liberal Democrat Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary, Simon Hughes MP said:

"I welcome the Government's commitment to make a further serious effort to reform the House of Lords. This is part of a reform agenda that began in 1911. Nobody can say that serious democratic reform of the second house of the British Parliament is not well overdue.

"Liberal Democrats have always been committed to a wholly or substantially elected second House. That remains our position. We will vote for at least 80% of the new second house to be elected. In the 21st century the only way that both Houses of Parliament can be legitimate is for them to be made up of people elected directly by the people.

"People rightly pay tribute to the effectiveness of the current House of Lords. With progressive reform it can only improve."

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, Lord (Tom) McNally said:

"Today's White Paper is the beginning not the end of the process of Lords Reform. Jack Straw should be congratulated for breaking the logjam.

"There is an urgent need to remove the taint of scandal and patronage surrounding appointments to the upper house. The corrosive events of recent months have merely added urgency to long overdue reform.

"The White Paper can clearly be improved when the Lords examine the subsequent Bill, but I am confident that most Peers will not want go down in history as fighting for a clearly outdated system.

"If MPs vote for a majority elected house, it would be a travesty if Peers tried to safeguard their own position against the will of the Commons. If the primacy of the Commons is to be respected there can be no Lords veto on this matter."

Applicability: this item refers to the UK.