House of Lords reform debated by members

Debate

Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour), Leader of the House of Lords, opened the debate and responded on behalf of the government.  

This is a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.      

Members speaking

Contributing members included:

• Lord Burns (Crossbench), chair of the Lord Speaker's committee on the size of the House
• Lord Grocott (Labour), former Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and frequent sponsor of legislation to abolish by-elections for hereditary peers
  
• Lord Newby (Liberal Democrats), Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords
• Lord Norton of Louth (Conservative), constitutional expert and professor of government at the University of Hull
• Lord Strathclyde (Conservative), author of the Strathclyde Review, a government report on primacy of the House of Commons.

Opening the debate, Baroness Smith of Basildon said:

'There is growing consensus on the need for a smaller chamber, with a greater focus on active contribution and which is more representative of the country we serve.

'The government introduced the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, delivering on the first of our manifesto commitments, to remove the right of the remaining hereditary peers to sit and to vote.'

Lord Newby said:

'[The House of Lords] should be elected on the basis that, in a democracy, laws should be passed by people chosen by the people to act on their behalf.'

Earl of Kinnoull added:

'There were three unfairnesses in the current make-up of the membership of this House: the hereditaries, the Bishops, and the unlimited and unfettered power the Prime Minister has to make appointments to this House.'

Lord Norton of Louth added:

'This House makes a significant difference to the detail of bills, and its changes are generally acknowledged by government as having improved the legislation. The law of the land would be significantly diminished without the work of this House.'

Catch up

Watch and read the debate  

Watch on Parliament TV or read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information  

• Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the House of Lords Library briefing  
• Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government. 

Image: Roger Harris