House of Lords is an insult to democracy and dumping ground for political failures
Lords a money
WE didn’t think the Lords could do any more harm to their shattered reputation — but the grasping duffers have found a way.
The unelected chamber was already on thin ice before peers spent three years shamefully trying to overturn Brexit while pocketing £313 a day tax-free.
And you might think that, with their public standing now shredded, they would have the decency to freeze that rate. Especially with inflation at only 1.4 per cent. But no.
They’ve voted themselves an inflation-busting 3.1 per cent instead — so they’ll now get £323 just for showing up.
A few Lords and Ladies have experience and ability, we admit. The rest shuffle in for the warmth and the cash.
The truth is the House of Lords is an antiquated insult to our democracy, a dumping ground for political failures and discredited cronies, where almost no one is too odious . . . though it still draws the line at Bercow, obviously.
A courageous Government with a big majority would take it on and reinvent it as a mainly elected second chamber — with a small handful of unelected peers chosen for specific expertise.
How about it, Boris?
HS2 gamble
THE decision on whether to proceed with the HS2 high-speed rail project was bound to upset plenty of people whichever way it went.
So perhaps it is no surprise that Boris Johnson has tried to appease both its supporters and opponents by pressing ahead with the bulk of the £106billion project, while putting two of its northern spurs on pause.
But the PM is shrewd enough to realise that the places losing out — Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds — are the very areas that he must keep on side if his 80-seat majority is not to be a one-off.
Boris’s alternative transport plans for them, with improved bus and cycle links just a start, must not let them down.
Otherwise the snub could see Labour rebuild its “red wall” of voters as quickly as he demolished it.
Back talent, PM
THE Cabinet reshuffle this week must be bold. It will define Boris’s premiership.
There are obviously talented contenders for bigger jobs: among them Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak and Victoria Atkins.
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But this is not the moment for the PM to reward other time-servers whose turn has come. Boris must not overlook fresh faces from the 2015 and 2017 intakes and, while it is probably too early for December’s newcomers, why not, if they have the talent?
This Government already has a place in history simply by forcing Brexit through on January 31.
With dynamic, imaginative, bright and brave ministers it can be truly radical too.