Spring Break
Major overhaul of Britain's House of Lords gains support
The Associated Press
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
LONDON - It's a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages allowing Britain's non-elected elite to hold political power but lawmakers voted Wednesday to pursue radical reform of the House of Lords with a plan for a wholly elected second chamber stripped of dukes and earls.
House of Commons leader Jack Straw said a panel of lawmakers would draft proposed new laws to implement the change - potentially one of the most significant constitutional reforms in British history.
"The House of Commons has broken the deadlock," Straw said. "It is a dramatic result in the history of the British Parliament."
However, a draft bill will not be tabled before October and any law authorizing the radical change would need to clear a number of significant hurdles - including a further vote in the Commons and intense scrutiny in the Lords.
Straw downplayed expectations of swift action, saying the vote was a clear indication of the preference of lawmakers, but not a binding resolution.
Lawmakers in the Commons voted 337-224 in favor of electing all members of the upper chamber - a move which would bring it in line with similar institutions such as the U.S. Senate and chambers in Australia, Japan and Brazil.
Campaigners lobbying for an entirely elected second chamber claim only Lesotho - a poor African kingdom - has a system similar to Britain's, allowing a mix of unelected and hereditary appointees to influence laws.
Menzies Campbell, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, said the House of Commons "has at last taken the momentous step to reform the upper house and make it fit for a modern democracy."
Opponents claim that the current Lords composition, which is split almost evenly among members aligned with the Labour and opposition parties and those not politically affiliated, allows for considered debate rather than partisan point scoring.
They say members appointed because of their excellence in a particular field are also able to draw on skills an elected Lords would not possess.
House of Commons leader Jack Straw said a panel of lawmakers would draft proposed new laws to implement the change - potentially one of the most significant constitutional reforms in British history.
"The House of Commons has broken the deadlock," Straw said. "It is a dramatic result in the history of the British Parliament."
However, a draft bill will not be tabled before October and any law authorizing the radical change would need to clear a number of significant hurdles - including a further vote in the Commons and intense scrutiny in the Lords.
Straw downplayed expectations of swift action, saying the vote was a clear indication of the preference of lawmakers, but not a binding resolution.
Lawmakers in the Commons voted 337-224 in favor of electing all members of the upper chamber - a move which would bring it in line with similar institutions such as the U.S. Senate and chambers in Australia, Japan and Brazil.
Campaigners lobbying for an entirely elected second chamber claim only Lesotho - a poor African kingdom - has a system similar to Britain's, allowing a mix of unelected and hereditary appointees to influence laws.
Menzies Campbell, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, said the House of Commons "has at last taken the momentous step to reform the upper house and make it fit for a modern democracy."
Opponents claim that the current Lords composition, which is split almost evenly among members aligned with the Labour and opposition parties and those not politically affiliated, allows for considered debate rather than partisan point scoring.
They say members appointed because of their excellence in a particular field are also able to draw on skills an elected Lords would not possess.
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