Church fights on as bishop threat grows
By Alex Stevenson The Church of England has rejected suggestions from Jack Straw it will give up its seats in the House of Lords without a fight. Ending the association would be a “retrograde step”, a spokesman told politics.co.uk, after heavy hints from the justice secretary yesterday that bishops may no longer be welcome. Mr […]
Straw supports 15-year limit on peers
By politics.co.uk staff The reformed House of Lords could limit peerages to a 15-year maximum term, Jack Straw suggested today. The justice secretary was speaking at an Unlock Democracy seminar hosted by the Guardian newspaper. He said the government was likely to come down in favour of regional lists, or semi-regional lists, which would be […]
Parliament’s running costs fall
By Liz Stephens The cost of running the Houses of Parliament decreased by over £30 million last year to just under £500 million. The bill reduction came largely from the House of Lords, whose running costs were reduced by £46 million. The decrease was due to the amount spent on “other administration costs” according to […]
Law lords rule in favour of right-to-die claimant
By Liz Stephens The final judicial ruling made in the House of Lords ruled in favour of clarifying the laws on assisted suicide. In their last judgment in the upper house, the law lords ruled the law was not as clear and precise as it should be. The ruling was on the case of Debbie […]
Timeline: Law lords reforms
The new UK supreme court will come into operation in October. The court will mean the abolition of the appeal court in the House of Lords, creating the final separation of the judicial and legislative powers in the UK. We look at the history behind these fundamental changes: 1399 The House of Commons ceases to […]
End of an era for the Lords
By Liz Stephens Today is the last day that the House of Lords functions as the highest appeal court in the UK, bringing sweeping changes to the role and work of the House. From October a new UK supreme court will operate, completely separating the judicial function of the courts from the legislative function of […]
Major reforms for life peers
By Liz Stephens Life peers will be given the right to resign, in swingeing reforms published by the House of Lords today. The measure, which was included in the constitutional reform bill, means peers, such as Lord Mandelson, would be free to abdicate their titles to stand as MP’s and take up more senior government […]
Life peers to be given right to resign
Life peers are to be given the right to step down from their duties in the House of Lords. The proposal is to be included in a constitutional reform bill that will be go before parliament on Monday. At present, all members to the upper house are appointed except for 92 hereditary peers. Under the […]
Lords criticise parliamentary standards bill fast-tracking
By Liz Stephens The House of Lords constitution committee criticised the government’s approach to the parliamentary standards bill today. A bill with such constitutionally important elements should not be “fast-tracked” through the legislative process, the committee said. It warned that rushing the bill through parliament of the “cobbled together bill” prevented “proper examination ..of legally […]
No disciplinary action for sleaze peer
By Liz Stephens A Conservative peer who admitted twice breaking the House of Lords anti-sleaze rules, will face no action it was revealed today. Lady Cumberlege, a former minister in John Major’s government, broke rules on declaring outside interests and her business partner’s financial connections but will face no sanctions. The Lords’ disciplinary panel decided […]
