Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, it seems that the notion that the Liberal Democrats might pick up some new Peers through the Dissolution Honours list is upsetting some people. It is, they claim, causing increased disproportionality in the Upper Chamber. Well, yes, although nobody seemed to care very much when it worked the other way for so many years.
And if proportionality is such a good thing, are all of these people manning the barricades in favour of proportional representation? Almost certainly not.
The Dissolution Honours list is designed to reflect a desire to honour those perceived to have served their country well and faithfully over a period of years in Parliament (you will notice that I use the word 'perceived' - that's rather a matter of personal opinion, I appreciate). And some worthy recipients will be named in due course, I suspect.
There will be arguments about whether there were enough women, or BAME, Peers announced, undoubtedly, although those are as much arguments to be had within the political parties as anything.
But, in the lists of new Peers that will follow this one, it seems unlikely that there will be many Liberal Democrats, if any - if the proportionality argument resonates with David Cameron, that is. And the Grim Reaper will also act to level things up, if that's what people want - there is a steady winnowing out of the membership year on year.
So, good luck to the new Peers, whoever they are. Holding the government to account, scrutinising its activities and examining proposed legislation for defects is seldom glamorous, but in a Parliamentary system designed as it currently is, it is a means for Liberal Democrats to contribute to the governance of this nation.
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