On the 27th of November, Sortition Foundation, Bright Blue, and the Electoral Reform Society hosted an event in Westminster titled "The Lords Work in Mysterious Ways? A bipartisan case for House of Lords reform". The event featured a varied panel including politicians from three political parties.
The panel included:
- Simon Hoare MP, Conservative Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee.
- Fabian Hamilton MP, Labour former Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
- Baroness Smith of Llanfaes, Plaid Cymru peer & the youngest member of the House of Lords.
- Mike Wright, Head of Communications at the Electoral Reform Society.
- James Robertson, Director of Campaigns at the Sortition Foundation.
- Bartek Staniszewski, Senior Research Fellow at Bright Blue, event chair.
Challenging the Status Quo
The event focused on the future of the House of Lords and explored potential reforms to address its inherent and widely acknowledged flaws. Panellists highlighted its lack of representativeness, accountability, and transparency.
Fabian Hamilton MP argued that retaining hereditary peers in the House of Lords is "both outdated and indefensible". He further emphasised that reforming the system should be prioritised not for political gain, but for "reforming a system to make it much more efficient on behalf of the electors".
Simon Hoare MP highlighted that the House of Lords is often left with the job of fixing "crappy" legislation that comes from the commons. However, as Byline Times pointed out in their coverage of the event, in the example he cited the Lords were not able to make meaningful changes to the legislation around the Rwanda deportation scheme, as their changes were rejected by the commons.
Baroness Smith of Llanfaes supported this view, stating that removing hereditary peers “shouldn't be seen as a radical change” as there are “so many other elements of the second chamber that don’t currently work or make sense”.
Mike Wright, Head of Communications at the Electoral Reform Society, drew attention to the disconnect between the House of Lords' reputation and its reality: "despite Westminster's reputation as the “mother of all parliaments,” when it comes to the Lords, there remains “a serious gulf between the branding and the product… we have a responsibility when we hand our institutions on to the next generation that we leave them enhanced, not diminished.”
Wright further criticised the appointment process, stating that "while there are some real experts in the Lords, there are also plenty of people in there simply because they were friends with the Prime Minister, or donated to a party."
The Case for a House of Citizens
A key theme throughout the event was the need for a more representative and accountable second chamber. The panellists were presented with a compelling alternative to the current House of Lords: a House of Citizens, structured as a permanent citizens’ assembly selected by sortition, a process where citizens are selected by democratic lottery, like a jury, to serve for a fixed term.
James Robertson, Sortition Foundation’s Director of Campaigns, argued against an elected second chamber: "The public aren’t going to stand for another set of elected politicians to hold the first set to account."
Robertson also pointed to the disparity between public trust in general and trust in politicians: "the UK isn’t a country of really un-trusting people - if anything we have some of the highest levels of civic trust in the world - we just don’t trust our politicians."
UK base: 3,056 people in the UK aged 18+, surveyed 1 Mar–9 Sept 2022. Other countries all surveyed in wave 7 of WVS at various points between 2017 and 2022. See WVSA website for sample information
A House of Citizens has the potential to bridge the trust gap. Composed of everyday people from all walks of life and backgrounds, it could offer a fresh perspective and a more legitimate form of accountability.
A Future-Proof Second Chamber
A House of Citizens could address many of the criticisms levelled at the current House of Lords. Its structure would ensure:
- Representativeness: A diverse range of voices and lived experiences, reflecting the makeup of the UK population.
- Transparency: Members chosen by lottery would be less susceptible to party politics or donor influence, prioritising the public interest.
- Legitimacy: A system rooted in civic participation could restore trust in the political process and empower citizens to shape their future.
The 858 Project is a campaign to replace the House of Lords with a House of Citizens is the most effective and most wanted solution to create a truly representative and accountable second chamber. It's been over 858 years since juries were first trusted with weighty decisions in our legal system. It's time to finish the job and put people at the helm of politics too.
Visit: www.858.org.uk for more details about the campaign.