I am in favour of very radical reform of the Lords, its arcane and inefficient procedures, a statutory appointments commission, the end of hereditaries, the eviction of criminals and tax evaders and much more taking of evidence and less speechifying. The only reform to which I am wholly opposed is election.
To the outside world the Lords may look quiet at the moment. We had one exciting vote this week as involved sex, something we Lords enjoy talking about the alternative at our time of life being rare: namely whether gay couples should be discriminated against for IVF. But generally votes have been sparse and controversy…
