I am firmly of the opinion that a bi-cameral system is vital to prevent the Commons from being an elected dictatorship, where even a tiny majority means a vicious government can ram through laws which are opposed, under First Past The Post, by the majority of the electorate.
The Lords is the House of Review. This week it reviewed Tax Credits, found the government bill wanting, and rejected it. It is what the Lords is for.
But Tories cry “Constitutional crisis!” and “Unelected house!” not because these are valid counter-arguments but because the current system is the result of tinkering, not revolution. The Lords as it has developed to where it is, radical reform was off the agenda, so we have a halfway house.
What is needed is a Constitutional Convention and a Lords elected by PR List with the regions protected. It will stop being an “unelected” House but will represent the people in a fair and proportional manner.
Tory “reforms” that they threaten will not do this. They aim to hamstring the Lords further to prevent any proper review of their vicious policies.
Inn the light of this, there is only one logical approach for the opposition parties to take in the Lords – and it is the one that the Liberal Democrats are taking: Fight and Oppose, act to cut down and reject as much of the Tory agenda as possible.
It is protest, it is street fighting, it is using the instruments to hand as best you can, while you still have them.
It ought to be something that a Corbyn-led Labour party understands but they don’t seem to be getting the message. Lib Dem Lords voted against several other policies this week to try to protect people but the measures passed anyway – either Labour Lords abstained, or voted with the government?
Labour needs to get its act together. The Tories WILL act to curtail Lords’ powers. SO USE THEM NOW to fight for the people. Resistance against this government IS street fighting, it is manning the barricades.
DO IT!
Winds of Change
29th October 2015