3 February 2017
* Green peer seeks to transform House of Lords from within
* Jenny Jones: Lords reform is essential for proper scrutiny of Brexit process
Jenny Jones, Green member of the House of Lords, will today (February 3) continue her fight to transform the unelected chamber.
Baroness Jones’ House of Lords Reform Bill will get its second reading on Friday, with reform of the Lords more important now than ever to enable proper scrutiny of the Brexit process.
Baroness Jones hopes to gather support from within the Lords for her plans to replace the House of Lords with a democratic and effective second chamber. This would use proportional representation to elect a new house, but keep many existing peers as non-voting experts.
Her Bill is the first with this mix of proposals to come from within the Lords.
Jenny Jones said:
“I’m not the only Lord who wants to abolish their right to vote in the second chamber, but I’m aiming to be one of the most energetic peers in making it happen. I’m relatively new to the Lords and I hope my fresh approach will help fast track the various discussions about Lords reform.
“The referendum vote in favour of Brexit makes Lords reform both urgent and inevitable. The government could try to push through all kinds of bad ideas on the back of the Brexit negotiations, the Great Repeal Act and hasty trade deals.
“We need an effective and democratic chamber to help scrutinise the secondary legislation and the international deals.
“The Government may well give itself so-called Henry 8th powers to just unilaterally repeal or amend European laws after the Repeal Act passes, opening the door to a bonfire of environmental and social protections. We need a second chamber that has the legitimacy and popular backing to challenge the use of such anti-democratic powers.”
Notes:
1 https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldordpap.htm
Jenny’s bill is the third on a list to be taken at 10am on Friday 3rd June. Nine peers in addition to Jenny have put their names down to speak so far.
House of Lords Reform Bill [HL] Second Reading [Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb]
If the bill is read a second time, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to move that the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House
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