The House of Lords is “indefensible", former UK prime minister Gordon Brown says, as the Labour Party looks to abolish the upper chamber in reforms to the parliamentary system.
Labour will instead create a new democratic second chamber, to be called the Assembly of Nations and Regions, Mr Brown said.
He has written a Commission on the UK’s Future report for Labour, which also sets out proposals for tackling corruption in politics and banning MPs from having second jobs.
While Conservative peer Lord Philip Norton has warned politicians to be “wary of some Big Bang reform” to the House of Lords, Mr Brown was adamant change was needed.
“Every second chamber in the world, with very few exceptions, is relatively small and usually smaller than the first chamber," he said. "And we’ve now got a House of Lords that has got 830 members.
“That is compared with the American Senate, which has 100 members to cover 300 million people. We have got a House of Lords which is 800-plus to cover only 60 million people.
“Therefore, the current system is indefensible.”
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The new second chamber Labour proposes would have a “role in protecting the devolution settlement”, seeking to prevent the Sewell Convention – which states Westminster should not normally legislate in areas reserved to the devolved governments without their consent – being “overridden”, Mr Brown said.
He said the issue of Lords reform will “come to a head again when Boris Johnson has a resignation honours list” – with the former Labour leader noting neither he nor his predecessor Tony Blair had put forward nominations to the Lords when they left Number 10.
As well as abolishing the House of Lords, Mr Brown said a “new anti-corruption agency will be set up under Labour”, with the Integrity and Ethics Commission replacing existing “ad hoc bodies”.
Mr Brown’s report also propose the creation of a citizens’ jury to oversee the system and whether “enforcement of it is to the public’s satisfaction”.
He said there would be a ban on second jobs for MPs if Labour won the next election — although there could be an exemption for those MPs who need to work to maintain professional qualifications, such as doctors and lawyers.
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Changes in these areas are needed because “you’ve got a prime minister who has been called before the House of Commons for misleading them, and you’ve got ethics advisers who have resigned because they do not believe ethics are being pursued properly at the centre”.
“The criticisms people have of Westminster, Whitehall are very strong, and change has got to be important to sorting that out,” Mr Brown said.
He said the House of Lords was “emblematic of that”, claiming there was a feeling that many peers were given roles there “simply because they have been friends with the Conservative Party and not because of their contribution to public policy”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said some of the reforms contained in the report he commissioned may take some time to deliver.
“Whether it’s the reforms in this report or more generally, it is realistically going to take more than one term for Labour to turn our country around,” he told the Sunday Times.
Mr Starmer said consideration about “when and how this is implemented” would come after Monday, when the report was published.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Jawab Iteiqal
Director: Mohamed Sammy
Starring: Mohamed Ramadan, Ayad Nasaar, Mohamed Adel and Sabry Fawaz
2 stars
Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Super Saturday results
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
