Turkeys Voting For Christmas?

[ToraToraTora]

If I was Dave I'd sweep the whole sorry shower down the kasi and have a 100 member elected house. This latest insolence gives him the excuse he needs to do just that.

[murraymints]

House of Lords quite unnecessary tradition..get rid..end !

[Old_Geezer]

The second chamber is merely doing its vital job, even if that upsets those supporting the government. It is saying to think again as this is not right.

[Marshwarble]

Another legal triumph, thanks to the House of Lords.

Those who object, well the Government is perfectly happy to take any donation from you.

[ToraToraTora]

"The second chamber is merely doing its vital job," - what obstructing the elected government? I didn't vote in the general election to have these old buffers running the show. Disgraceful, get rid ASAP.

[Old_Geezer]

Protecting the public from legislation not thought through properly. Giving total power to one block is a recipe for disaster.

[TheChair]

According to Sky News, a survey found that even 80% of Tory voters were against the Tax Credit changes. So democracy would seem to have triumphed over dictatorship in this case.

[mikey4444]

TTT...The Tories have had many years to reform the HOL and they showed no willingness to do so whatsoever ! Why would they, when they an in-built advantage in keeping the status quo ?

I am with you if you are putting a case for an elected 2nd chamber.

But, as you say Turkeys rarely vote for Xmas. There are many presently in the HOC that know they they are likely to transfer into the HOL at some point in the future.

So, I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Ken4155]

The unelected obstructing those elected on a lie. Poetic justice.

[mikey4444]

Ken...lol !

[ichkeria]

Well said old geezer.
The House is doing its job. It isn't as if there was a referendum on tax credits the result of which the Lords is trying to stop.
The legislation will still go through but hopefully with modifications caused because the Lords said 'thing again'
I believe there were three motions, one of which was much more aggressive, which was easily defeated
Making the upper house electable would actually probably undermine the authority of the lower house After all we all seem to want less of these terrible legislators :-)
What is needed is a proper constitution, not a series of 'conventions'

[Bobsy]

Funny -when the Lords were anti Labour we got no moans from Tora !!

[youngmafbog]

Ignoring the Tax credits it is a disgrace that a body of unelected people can block and elected Government.

The second chamber should be smaller - and elected.

[steg]

I thought he had just put a pile more Tory peers in the lords because the hol wouldn't vote his way on evel etc. Sounds like he's now throwing his toys oot

[jomifl]

We need a second chamber but not chosen by birth or the government. I would suggest that any MP that has been elected for 20 years or so automatically goes to the 2nd chamber . This way you would get an average of public political opinion over a long time.

[steg]

I like that idea^^^ better than any I've heard so far

[jim360]

If only the government had thought to propose a reform of the House of Lords, turning it into an elected chamber...

Oh, wait.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lords_Reform_Bill_2012

[mikey4444]

LOL Jim...I had forgotten that !

Makes dave and Osborne look even more silly now !

[jim360]

To be fair to Cameron, he supported that bill at the time and was defeated by a large-scale Tory rebellion. All the same, the Tories as a whole have themselves to blame for the continuing existence of an unelected Upper Chamber, continually rejecting or quashing attempts to reform it.

I can't say I have much sympathy for Osborne over this defeat. Still, if it does expose some of the problems in the system it will have been worth it.

[viv41]

Well done Lords !

[maggiebee]

For once in my life I was happy to have the House of Lords to block the Tax Credit changes. As a Scot, I am sick to the back teeth with this government. They don't seem to live in the real world and would happily spend as much on a single meal out as some families have to live on for a week. The sooner we get total independence the better. Meantime, thank you House of Lords.