In the United Kingdom, opposition party publishes report on constitutional reform

By Rowena Mason and Libby Brooks, 5 December 2022
 Parliament of United Kingdom (photo credit: Tim Graham / Getty Images)
Parliament of United Kingdom (photo credit: Tim Graham / Getty Images)
Labour will consult on replacing what the party calls the “indefensible” House of Lords with an elected chamber as part of a 40-point plan written by Gordon Brown to overhaul the constitution, but stopped short of committing to its abolition in the manifesto. [...] Labour said one of Brown’s recommendations would be the abolition of the Lords, as well as new rules to “end the undue influence of wealth and foreign money, and prevent MPs part-timing the job”. Brown also recommends “tighter enforcement of the rules, with the public directly represented in a new integrity commission” for politicians and public life. All 40 of Brown’s recommendations will now be subject to consultation, with the conclusions of that further process ending up in Labour’s manifesto. Abolishing the House of Lords would shake up a centuries-old constitutional model and would be likely to face resistance from existing peers. [...] In comments released ahead of the Brown report, [Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party] Starmer made no mention of the House of Lords, instead concentrating on how Labour would bring about “real economic empowerment for our devolved government, the mayors, and local authorities”. This would include new powers over transport and infrastructure, development and housing, such as compulsory purchase orders on vacant sites, and measures to stimulate growth.
Read the full article here: The Guardian

Comments

Post new comment