From Convenience and Ermine to Eminence
Progressive writers like to have a go at the House of Lords. It is an easy target as it appears old-fashioned, is not elected and so is undemocratic. Archaic to some and historic to others. But it works, as far as it is ever going to be allowed to function by the Commons. It works by delaying and amending contentious legislation from the Commons for up to a year.
The House of Commons is not likely to create a Second Chamber with powers to rival theirs. So, it is not the place for ambitious politicians seeking the higher echelons of politics, unless they were allowed to “regress” to the Commons which has happened occasionally, but not very successfully.
The original concept was of the aristocratic elite and the Chamber will function best if it returns to a genuine elite status. It does not have to be democratic because it passes very few Laws directly to govern the rest of us.
Recently there is a clear fall in standards of members of both the Commons and the House of Lords, where some Lordships turn up draw their days fee and go to the bar or home. And there is no case for automatic right to attend by inheritance or for the 26 Bishops of the Church or England. It is popular to decry the whole institution for its undemocratic anomalies.
But this opinion is caused by the move away from ennobling people of true eminence in their chosen profession, who are not answerable to a party or the electorate, but only to their conscience and wisdom. The independence of their Lordships of the Other Place is why it in general works.
The committee that accepts nominations must be strengthened to allow it to enforce minimum standards of “eminence.” No political hacks, previous Cabinet level posts as a minimum for politicians but no serving Secretaries of State. Only the top leaders of all major churches, although that is arguable in these more secular times. The top people in all disciplines, who wish to give their time, should be considered. By all disciplines I mean Engineering, Science, Medicine and well as the Law, Finance and Business. By applying the wisdom of truly successful people in multiple fields it would ensure that Laws sent from the Lower House would return better that they otherwise would have been.
Logic says that we should drop the titles of Upper and Lower Houses in favour of Second and First Chambers. But the existing titles are quaint and British so I for one am against changing them.