How Can The Government Create More Peers If It Doesnt Get Its Way?

[barney15c]

The government was humiliated last night when the Lords voted down tax credit measures the Tories wanted to introduce. So what do they do but threaten to bring in a 100 or more new tory peers to give them a majority when they want to bring in new legislation. This would make the house of lords about 800 far bigger than the commons. Surely if every party wanted to get laws passed all hey would have to do is create more peers, on the grounds of political bias alone surely this is untenable? Can someone explain to me how this could even be possible in the first place?

[ToraToraTora]

untenable, yes, but if a government is being obstructed that is one thing they can do. It was once threatened in the past, not a new thing. There is nothing legally stopping Dave filling the lords with a 1000 cronies if he wants to. Personally I favour abolition but they'll never do that because they'd have nowhere to get kicked upstairs to.

[youngmafbog]

Why do they need 100? They only lost by 30 votes in one and 17 in the other if what I read is correct.

It was not the whitewash the left would like everyone to believe. It does however play into Daves hands and allow him to 'legitimately' change things.

[Gromit]

There are 816 Lords so 409 would be a majority.

The Conservatives are the biggest Party with 249 members. Crossbenchers (Independents) and non affiliated have 200. Those combined would be 449 which would easily beat Labour and Lib Dems with 325 Peers.

So the Government's problem was not that Labour brought about their defeat, it was that the couldn't convince their own peers nevermind any other fliating voters.

[mikey4444]

Wells said Gromit...they couldn't even rely of the Clergy to vote for them !

[naomi24]

I've not heard about this. Have you got a link, barney?

[barney15c]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3291369/Osborne-s-tax-credit-revenge-Ministers-refuse-rule-flooding-Lords-100-new-peers-force-benefit-cuts-blocked-night.html

[bookbinder]

Didn't the EU do something like this, when the Irish people voted No in a referendum? Didn't those buffoons in Brussels say something like, 'You will vote and vote until we hear a fair and unequivocal Yes'?

[naomi24]

Thanks barney. The Mail says //But when pressed over claims the Prime Minister could create up to 150 new Conservative peers,//, but I can't see who claimed it - so who claimed it?

[SirOracle]

The Daily Mail possibly,Naomi !!! ;-)

[jno]

Cameron himself "indicated" that he could create 150 new Tory peers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3283745/I-create-new-peers-tax-credit-cuts-law-warns-PM.html

He's just created 26 of them this year.

[naomi24]

The Daily Mail did some sums and then says the prime minister 'indicated'. Right.

[jno]

one should be wary of Mail stories. But it appears they gave Cameron the chance to deny it and he didn't. I think that's an indication (but it certainly isn't "says").

[naomi24]

No - it isn't. Sensationalist nonsense sells newspapers - unfortunately.

[mikey4444]

There are already far too many Peers as it is ...we don't need any more. There isn't enough physical room in the chamber for them all to sit down now, let alone create more over-crowding !

If dave is unhappy about what happened on Monday night, he would be better employed looking at the reasons, rather than continue to faff about.

Some of his own colleagues expressed disquiet about Osborne's timetable to reduce help for the working poor....David Davies was one, and the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives was another.

He should stop all this attacking of the messengers and start listening to the message !