MINISTERS TO REFORM LORDS 'DRECKLY'

Speaking in the House of Lords this week, former Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Constitutional Affairs, Lord (Paul) Tyler, told Peers that Cornwall had a special term for the Government’s approach to Lords reform.

“In Cornwall,” he said, “we have the word ‘dreckly’. It is much used by plumbers and others in the sense that the Spanish use the word ‘mañana’, but in Cornwall we use it with less urgency than the Spanish use ‘mañana’”.

Commenting on the Government’s statement on reforming the House of Lords, Lord Tyler continued, “After 95 years, it is fair to say that today’s Statement does not take us one step further. It fulfils the promise made by the Prime Minister that there would be a Statement, but scarcely takes us further than that.”

The Cornish Peer, and former North Cornwall MP, has campaigned to gain elections to the Lords for some thirty years – not least to reverse the present bias for London and South East – and has welcomed recent movement by Ministers but described the process as “snail-like”.

Lord Tyler is calling for the Government to bring forward draft legislation immediately for scrutiny by both Houses of Parliament, which would see a third of the second chamber elected every four years and retain the present powers of the House of Lords.

In response the Minister defended the “considerable progress” made on Lords reform since 1999 but refused to put further reform forward for full legislative scrutiny.

Commenting after the exchange, Lord Tyler said:

“The Government plans to publish another White Paper on reforming the Lords.  This will be the umpteenth consultation and discussion on the matter.

“Never has an issue with such an obvious basic principle behind it – that of legitimacy and democracy – been subject to such interminable rumination and reporting by Committees of Parliament, and of the great and good.

“What is needed now is not another Report but legislation.  If the Government is serious, that is the course they should pursue – and Ministers should make clear that refuseniks in the House of Lords cannot put off in perpetuity the dawn of democracy in our second chamber.

“We have been promised action ‘dreckly’ for nearly a century.  It is time to stop discussing and start doing.”