General Chat

Not all of the Lords are a-holes by a long, long way.

Any democracy needs an upper house otherwise all that you end up with is a de facto dictatorship renewed every five years. The Lords is very good at revising Bills often very badly drafted in the Commons and making a platform for other points of view of the govt of the day. The Lords has many people with wide experience of life in the UK outside of professional politics.

If the chamber was elected it would tend to disregard its role as revising chamber and turn into something more like the US Senate with all the problems that would ensue.

If Cameron decides to create enough Tory peers to force through his bills on the basis (quote) that the Lords should "reflect the govt of the day" then he may as well go the whole hog and have an elected chamber and regret it at length.

Meanwhile Sewel will get nicely done over by the red top press. His timing at the start of the summer silly season is impeccable. He will have friends who have friends of their own who knows where it will lead? Most entertaining. He deserves every bit of what is coming his way for arrogance, duplicity and demeaning parliament. He has not even resigned in the usually understood sense just "retired" complete with a comfy pension.

The Tories must really feel they are on a roll adding faces to their rogues gallery. Until one of theirs gets rumbled.

Dolphin Curve not a good place to go Johnny Angel.

There was an interesting snippet on BBC Breakfast this morning explaining just how the House of Lords works and how it performs a vital role in the law making of this country.

They are no longer the priviledged few - Blair saw to that - but bring experience and knowledge from a wide range of occupations. Many members continue to be active in their fields and have successful careers in business, culture, science, sports, academia, law, education, health and public service.

Members are only paid if they attend, so the cost is actually far less than it would be if the House consisted of elected salaried members.

Never seen the point of The House of Lords, just a sop to the privileged classes from way back.
In a democracy unelected members have no place, imagine what those 800 odd lords cost the country. OK if you want to keep the position as a pat on the back for your cronies, but just give them the title and a little medal to go with it!
Convert the second house to bed-sits so MP's cannot claim for accommodation :-D :-D

I agree, Sharon - shame he didn't say it openly!!
Obviously wanted to keep his overpaid job and vast 'expenses'.
Not only a hypocrite, a two faced one as well :-\

or seven swans a sniffin'

He probably took the Christmas Carol literally, ak.four lords a leaping. :-D :-D

Oh dear.
My paternal grandmother was a Sewell.
Hope he´s not one of mine. :-0 :-0

But he did say what a lot of people were thinking.

wonder what his wife feels - did she know about his "other life" - what a scumbag

"The former Labour minister stepped down from the chamber after footage was released appearing to show him snorting cocaine with two sex workers at his property in central London.

A police investigation into the claims resulted in a three-hour-long search on the peer’s flat at Dolphin Square on Monday night, with officers leaving the building with several bags of evidence.

Additional footage of the alleged incident released by The Sun appears to show Lord Sewel, 69, bragging of having sex with a BBC presenter as he reveals her name and the programme she worked on.

“I had her in the attic,” he tells the sex workers."

Good to see his home raided this morning.

Probably in the hope it will 'all go away'.
Lord Sewel, who oversaw guidelines for acceptable conduct by members has resigned from the Lords.
Fine example he set!!!

I hope he's treated like any other illegal drug user as well.

Hypocrite :-|