With the only reference to the House of Lords thus far being the proposals to reform it outlined by the Deputy Prime Minister earlier in the week, it was inevitable that members of the second chamber would find a way to get a little attention.
Yesterday, the Local Government Bill, intended to revoke the legislation creating unitary authorities for Norwich and Exeter, fell victim to an Opposition ambush, as it was referred to the Examiners of Petitions for Private Bills to clarify whether or not the bill is hybrid, by a vote of 154 to 150.
Whilst the Coalition does have a majority over Labour in the Lords, the presence of 182 crossbenchers, 26 archbishops and bishops, plus 33 others, means that it can be defeated if the Opposition manages to persuade enough of these swing voters to lean their way.
It was noticeable in yesterday's vote that, whilst both Labour and the Conservatives both managed to get half of their members into the lobbies, and the Liberal Democrats fielded 70% of their strength, the crossbenchers split 40-14 in support of the Labour motion, and four bishops leant that way too.
It is clear that the Coalition is going to have to work hard to convince the crossbenchers over the coming months if it is going to successfully carry out its ambitious plans to reform government in the United Kingdom, especially that related to the House of Lords itself. Yesterday was a reminder that they can't expect to have it all their own way...
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