Quote:
Originally Posted by Incognitas
But don't you see that if you make them an entirely elected second house then the divisions will be along exactly the same lines as in the Commons.I want a second house that is entirely independent of the influence of party lines.
I've not been entirely happy about the imbalance of the past but I fail to see how an elected body won't bring us back to frequent imbalance every time there is an election.I frankly think what we have now is preferable to that plus at least with a Lord who is in for life that they aren't affected by short termism as so frequently affects the Commons.Someone complained about the kneejerk reactions of government but it has to be said that the HOL can avoid all that at present.An elected body may not be able to resist.
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To be perfectly honest coggy I'm not sure what is best, as you point out a 100% wholly elected house along party lines would just be a rubber stamp for the governing party, then or course if you have a wholly appointed house there's the question of who does the appointing. So it has to be a compromise between the two, whereby no party ever has a majority, say 60% elected 40% appointed. The problem comes I suppose with the appointees political affiliations, as I say I'm not sure, its just that I detest the idea of some Tufton Bufton from the shires whose only qualification is by accident of birth.
PS I like the new avatar, very sexy.
