The House of Lords...

[Joe Black]

Long time no poll, so why not...

As always, if the option you want isn't there then it just means your opinion isn't important for 'official statistics'...

[xoggoth]

Like many I daresay, I initialy thought there was more than 1 worth ticking. Then I realised that the UK will never be a one party state. Just that every party that gets into power is as much a bunch of undemocratic BASTARDS as the last lot. They all need KILLING in horrible ways! Have I said that before??

[Churchill]

Like many I daresay, I initialy thought there was more than 1 worth ticking. Then I realised that the UK will never be a one party state. Just that every party that gets into power is as much a bunch of undemocratic BASTARDS as the last lot. They all need KILLING in horrible ways! Have I said that before??

Stabbity - stab - stab....?

[threaded]

Non of the poll options represents my view: we ought to go back to how it was before the New Lie started meddling. I really cannot see what the problem with an hereditary peerage is.

Democracy is all well and good for the hoi poloi, and tends to stop the proles becoming a pain. But at the end of the day the country does need to be run, and run well. The only people with an interest in the long game are the peers, as the other bunch are sat watching the popularity meters far too much.

[zathras]

Go Back to before Tony started meddling.

Although some may consider it undemocratic. Hereditary Peers do have a place in protecting democracy. This apparent contridiction lies in the fact that hereditary peers owe patronage to nobody and are able decide based on their own beliefs. This is why TB has failed to control the upper house despite creating more peers than any other. Once in the position they cannot be removed and they do not need to do anything for him in order to keep the position. Because one may still do favours for the person who appointed them to the upper chamber hereditary peers go someway to removing the effect of this potential patronage.

[Mordac]

"Go back to how it was" would have been my vote as well. Although it's faintly amusing to see a House full of Tony's Cronies and he's still losing key votes.

[Joe Black]

Go back to how it was...

...didn't think of that one. Guess I was too stuck in NL-think, the only way forward is to change things whether it's broke or not.

Still, can't say the old hereditary peer system appeals to me any more than the idea that the Duke (lord?) of Westminster gets to own half of central London in perpetuity just because his great-great-granddad perhaps sh*gged the virgin queen.

My two cents is that it should either be abolished altogether and a new voting system brought in, or it should be set up as a proper second chamber which determines if parliament is stepping outside a defined mandate/constitution...hmm, or perhaps Ms Hewit could just outsource it instead?

[xoggoth]

Good point z, but surely those of us who believe in merit would agree that the hereditary principle sucks? There must surely be other ways of getting people in the upper house who are not appointees or proteges or representatives of the major parties? Trouble is, I can't think of a serious one that would work.

[wendigo100]

"Go back to how it was" would have been my vote as well. Although it's faintly amusing to see a House full of Tony's Cronies and he's still losing key votes.

I agree wholeheartedly. Go back to the way it was.

I'm fed up with elected politicians. We've already got enough of the lying barstards.

I'm fed up with party donors and other cronies being made peers. They are elected politicians of the worst kind - elected by an elected politician to do his bidding!

600 hereditary peers are too random to do any harm, and they tend to think for themselves.

[xoggoth]

What about? Write a massive consititution in sufficient detail that it can be programmed and replace both houses by an enormous computer? Come to think of it, if we just wanted laws more sensible than this lot come up with I have an old ZX Spectrum in the attic that should do.