tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post7465724042475296245..comments2024-03-20T12:28:00.031+00:00Comments on Liberal Bureaucracy: House of Lords Reform: I'm only a little conflicted...Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-89641368740051641302011-07-15T10:17:46.022+01:002011-07-15T10:17:46.022+01:00Absolutely agree Mark.
The problem is these propos...Absolutely agree Mark.<br />The problem is these proposals are based on the idea of ensuring the Lords are not more legitimate or representative than the House of Commons. Tuff though that is ! as the Commons is not very legitimate or representative. <br />You can see the problem straight away - a Lord elected every 5 years by STV with 500 members - who because of STV include many independent voices disagrees with the commons - a majority Govt. elected with 35% of the vote on a lower turnout. Which is more legitimate? <br />Having 80 or so people elected by STV in huge euro-sized constituencies makes it both cumbersome and less representative and less diverse.<br />Often the argument for an unelected element is that these marvellous people wouldn't put themselves forward for election and instead they would be replaced by party hacks. Let me leap first to the defence of some party hacks, who aren't all bad ! But also say, if these marvellous people stand for election, be they bishops, experts, ex-generals etc, all the people who want an unelected element of the Lords can vote for them, and under STV for a 500 (or even 300) seat Lords, many of them would get electedCaracatushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12957534953982574801noreply@blogger.com