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House of Lords

obviously in its current guise it is completely and utterly unjustifiable

should we try to reform it and if so how?

or abolish it and replace it with a different upper chamber?

My own view: we can't just be governed by the commons, not with FPTP, so we do need an upper chamber

the upper chamber should either be elected or appointed by an independent commission

thoughts?

I think it should be part of a wider program of democratic reform and devolution

maybe a  PR system based off the commons vote 

or a representatives of regions/ regional parliament's/assemblies so they have more of a voice/veto over westminster

I think generally we need to get away from this over centralisation and the whole machinery of government being the PM's romp through their mad plans and a reformed house of lords could be some of the answer

One of the qualifications should be having actually worked in some kind of private sector business as I was reading earlier that a huge number of Labour candidates for the next election have no experience outside the public sector.

I agree, though sometimes calling for wider reforms just puts everything in the too difficult category

I would be strongly against having a qualification that people have to have worked in "some kind of private business". Having worked for private commercial clients for the whole of my career I can confirm they can be just as incompetent as anyone else. You'd also rule out most academics, teachers, doctors, lawyers, social workers etc 

You can have a mix by all means but you need someone to remind people that little things like providing receipts as proof of your expenses and the like is entirely normal.  Basically anyone whose career path has not been PPE followed by a think tank and then party HQ and working as a Spad.

SummerSails18 Dec 23 16:01

One of the qualifications should be having actually worked in some kind of private sector business as I was reading earlier that a huge number of Labour candidates for the next election have no experience outside the public sector.

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this is a bit like saying your next conveyancer needs to have spent 20 years working in criminal practice instead of having another one of those career property guys

government isn't like private business and a lot of private businesses are horrifically badly run but creak by because they are small and avoid scrutiny, there is no magic wand that someone who ran Bolton's biggest kitchen warehouse brings to government 

No Sumo but just someone with a bit of understanding how the world outside Westminster works.  Actually a doctor or two would be good to just explain why the latest plan for the NHS is shite.  I just remember them all being astonished in the expenses scandal that people in the real world had to provide receipts and stuff to prove they actually spent money.

And actually the best conveyancers have done a bit of something else and have a better understanding of how their clients work and what they're trying to achieve versus those who've only ever sharpened their crayons in PP.

I thought Mutters might have apoplexy at the idea of direct democracy. 

It's a tricky one though. 

The very worst option would be yet another elected body which would inevitably become dominated by tedious whips and representatives overly loyal to their party, and incapable of independent thought. 

On the other hand, the idea of patronage (nominated peers) in the 21st century seems as archaic as hereditary peers. 

A unicameral Parliament is attractive, but in a country with our constitutional background it would likely create more problems than it would solve.  

One of the qualifications should be having actually worked in some kind of private sector business

This is possibly the worst idea I've ever heard. 

So many people (retired Army officers, doctors, school teachers, any freelance person) would be barred. 

A unicameral Parliament is attractive, but in a country with our constitutional background it would likely create more problems than it would solve.  

I heard that in the voice of Penfold, Dangermouse’s trusty sidekick, channeling Goebbels

Like most political institutions in this country is exists to merely giver a veneer of legitimacy to our utterly broken and rotten electoral and legislative system

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