Lordy! Lordy! Not for long. Yes – it was an historic day as the Commons voted to put paid to the bad old, bad old appointed Lords. Perhaps less of the historic and more of the hysteric. On a series of votes designed to find which proportion of appointed to elected Lords we will have in future – from fully appointed, through 20%, 50% 60% 80% to fully elected – we trooped through the lobbies.
To everyone’s shock – 100% elected got through – and with even a bigger majority than there was for 80% elected. The Lib Dem manifesto commitment was for a fully or predominantly elected House of Lords – so we are in a win / win on either of these. However – the shock was the 100% beating the 80%. And it is the result of shenanigans on behalf of some of those trying to distort the vote. Some who are wholly in favour of totally appointed Lords went through to support 100% elected in the hope that the Lords would be more likely to reject a 100% option than one of the lesser options. Lord knows what will happen now!
Lynne Featherstone 
I would hope you – and the Lib Dems – would respect the fact that a) a lot of people voted for 100% and against 80% because they didn’t want a hybrid house and that b) no ifs no buts – a vote in the Commons is a vote in the Commons.The Commons was given a clear choice between a hybrid house and a fully elected one, and it chose the latter. Backing down now would just bring the whole vote into question and we would have to start all over again.
I’m fully in favour of a fully reformed upper chamber, however, the title ‘reformed chamber’ is very very dry. We ought to maintain our title ‘House of Lords’ as this is a traditional title and ought to be kept. The serving ‘grandads’ and ‘granmothers’ will have competition from younger, far more enthusiastic and clearly more educated candidates. Look at those in the House of Lords now…. they don’t represent me and can’t as unelected officials.
As people may be aware the Liberal Democrats’ Better Governance Working Group is currently looking at the Liberal Democrats policies on Re-engaging citizens, Effective scrutiny, Decentralisation and Defining boundaries between the State and citizens. Please visit http://consult.libdems.org.uk/governance/ and share your comments, thoughts and views.