Transcript Study the diagram of the Lords. How is it different... Commons? What would you reform about the Lords?

746 peers
92
hereditary
26 bishops
12 law
lords
Study the diagram of the Lords. How is it different from the
Commons? What would you reform about the Lords?
Membership of HoL






Lords Temporal (Peers that have been created by the
monarch on the advice of the PM)
Lords Spiritual (26 most senior bishops)
Hereditary peers (Peers who inherited their title)
Life peers (Appointed as members for life, i.e. nonhereditary)
Non-party or ‘people’s peers’ (Recommended on the
advice of the public by the Appointments Commission)
Crossbenchers (Independent peers)
 LOs
Do we still need an
Upper Chamber?
To identify its key functions and
compare them with the HoC
TBAT identify & explain key reforms
in the powers and functions of HoLo

Starter
Read through Watts, p.185-6 and in your notes record
the similarities & differences between the two
chambers.
 Do you think the Lords does any of these jobs better
than the Commons?
Differences from the HoC
Similarities with HoC
Comparisons
Differences from the HoC
Unelected
Lords (not MPs) – Life,
Hereditary & People’s
Second Chamber & has a
secondary role
Not paid
Judicial role – includes Law
Lords
Includes clerics – bishops &
archbishops
Similarities with HoC
Scrutinises
Debates
Select committees (though not
departmental)
Whips
Speaker (though called Lord
Chancellor in HoL)
Acts as a check on govt.
 Your task





Read Watts, p.185-6 and create a timeline of
reform of the HoL. Look for these dates in
particular:
1911 & 1949
1958
1998
Extension. Add these dates, too: 1999, 2000,
2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009
The history of reform



1911 Parliament Act: Lords lose power to veto
bills or delay bills more than two years
1945 Salisbury Doctrine estd. ensures Labour
govt’s manifesto commitments to nationalisation
& welfare state are not overturned in Lords
1949 Parliament Act Lords block Labour steel
nationalisation plans. Delaying power cut to one
year.



1958 First life peers created by Harold
Macmillan. Women peers arrive.
1998 House of Lords act, first stage of reform,
only 92 hereditary peers left
2000 Wakeham Report published with
recommendations for second stage of reform,
including largely appointed chamber



Nov 2001 New Labour unveils final stage House
of Lords reform. Stiff opposition from MPs
from all parties to call for only 20% of peers to
be elected by public
March 2003 Queen’s speech introduced bill to
end hereditary peers entirely
March 2004 Reform of House of Lords ‘kicked
into the long grass’


2006, Speaker of House
of Lords
2009 - Supreme Court -
Baroness
Hayman
 Extension task. Visit
the Supreme Court
website and produce a
factoid on its history and
current cases being heard
there.
Supreme Court
 Your task






Study Roberts, p.287-8 and Watts p.186-7 and create a
spider diagram summarising the key functions of the
HoL:
Consideration and revision of Bills
Initiation of legislation
Power of delay
Deliberation
Other roles, e.g. scrutiny, ministerial posts etc.
This house believes that the Lords are in need of further reform.
 Homework

Write up the notes from today’s lessons. Use p.187-9
and produce a scales chart, recording evidence the
Lords does need reform and evidence it doesn’t.
Underneath reach a judgement.

Conduct some online research into the current position
of the coalition government on reform of the Lords
 Plenary






Lords Temporal & Spiritual / People’s Peers
Key functions of the Lords
Key reforms, e.g. 1911 & 1949
Case for keeping Lords
Case for further reform
Extension. Why have people resisted reform
of the HoL?