Congratulations to Angie Bray MP for opposing the House of Hacks
by voting along with 90 other Conservative MP's and over 20 Labour MP's against Nick Cleggs' silly plans to replace the House of Lords by a new assembly 80% composed of members elected for a term of 15 years from lists of candidates selected by the hierarchies or headquarters of the political parties. People elected for a term of 15 years will not be accountable to the electorate. People selected by the hierarchies of the political parties will not be representative of or accountable to the electorate. They will be merely party hacks or apparatchiks. It will be the House of Hacks.The election of candidates from lists proposed by parties is reminiscent of the "elections" held by Eastern European Communist regimes - not British democracy. It is a profoundly undemocratic and alien idea.Such an assembly will inevitably see itself as a rival to the democratically elected House of Commons. It will lead to disputes between the two houses, delays and compromises between the House of Commons and the House of Hacks on the other.And there is a high probability that the balance of power will be held by small minority parties such as the Lib Dems or the Nationalists.And why do we want over 400 more professional politicans and all their associated costs and staff ? Can we afford them ?The US Senate only has 100 members.Many democratic countries work pefectly well with only one House of Parliament. Do we really need two ?Replacing the House of Lords is a very important constitutional issue. As such it should be subject to a referendum as was AV, joining the Common Market, introducing a London Mayor, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly etc. If Scotland can have a referndum on independence, then the whole of the UK needs a referendum on replacing the House of Lords.Angie Bray has sacrificed her ministerial career for her principles.Well done Angie !
David Giles ● 4671d6 Comments