Proposals on Lords criticised over number of elected members

Conservatives and Liberal Democrats yesterday criticised proposals published by a Royal Commission, chaired by the former Conservative…

Conservatives and Liberal Democrats yesterday criticised proposals published by a Royal Commission, chaired by the former Conservative minister, Lord Wakeham, for a reformed House of Lords.

Under the proposals, a revised second chamber will be made up of about 550 members, although it has not been decided if the new members and chamber will be given new names. However, for the first time a democratically elected minority, designed to represent the ethnic, social and religious diversity of the regions, will sit alongside a majority of new members chosen by an independent appointments commission. The report did not reach a full consensus on the number of members to be elected, but favoured the smallest option considered, 87 members.

Within hours of the publication of Lord Wakeham's report on "Reform of the House of Lords, A House for the Future", the Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, said he wanted a larger proportion of elected members.

Clearly disappointed with Lord Wakeham's report, Mr Hague said the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, would not move quickly to implement its proposals because his government was only interested in "neutering" the Lords.

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"Get rid of the hereditary peers, stuff it with a load of people from the Labour Party and then forget about it. That's really his strategy," he said.

The Liberal Democrat constitutional affairs spokesman, Mr Robert Maclennan, whose party advocates a wholly elected second chamber, said if the report were implemented the house "would continue to be illegitimate".

Predicting the end of "untrammelled party patronage and prime ministerial control" of the upper house, Lord Wakeham said the report would not be "kicked into the long grass" by Mr Blair.