Abolishing the House of Lords???

I don't think a better argument for abolishing the House of Lords can be found than this:

New peer thanks his probation officer in hilarious maiden speech

Lord Bird, the founder of the Big Issue said he got into the Lords by "lying, cheating and stealing"

A new peer used his first speech in the House of Lords to thank his probation officer.

And he said he tells people who ask how he got into the House of Lords that it was by "lying, cheating and stealing".

Big Issue founder Lord Bird spoke about his rise from the "slums" of post-war London to running the magazine which helps the homeless.

In a hilarious and poignant maiden speech, the independent crossbench peer stressed the need to give poor people a "hand-up not a hand-out".

Departing from many of the usual conventions for a first speech in the House, Lord Bird thanked the probation officer who when he was 10 encouraged him, rather than chastising him, to learn to read and write.

He said: "I was born in the slums of post-war London brought up a Catholic racist - I'm not having a go at the Catholics - but brought up to hate black people, Jewish people and even English people because we were London Irish.

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

Sometimes the House Of Lords helps to keep the Government under control, not sure how things would be without it.
If more guys like him enter it, I'd say keep it!

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

Please tell me exactly what does the house of Lords do for Britain , is it or are they of any use to us and are they worth paying out for . I would like to know , this isn't a caustic remark I'm ignorant of why we have them . Thankyou

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

Tessa darlin' - yes we still need a second chamber, just not the House of Lords who are unelected, and unrepresentative of the people. They are appointed by Cameron et al. What we need is a 'Directly elected' second chamber that the people get an opportunity to choose and who need to be re-elected from time to time.

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

Susan darlin' - an answer to your question, but see also my response to Tessa (above) too.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/lo...ouse-of-lords/

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

They can abolish it when I go to my final resting place,until then I live in hope. Lord Older Git has a certain appeal.

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte,
As every child can tell,
The House of Peers throughout the war
Did nothing in particular.
And did it very well.

Gilbert & Sullivan in Iolanthe

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

We don't seem to be very good at electing the right people do we? Perhaps we'd do better if people were chosen randomly from all walks of life, a bit like jury service.

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

I do love a bit of wit

Re: Abolishing the House of Lords???

I absolutely agree
Take this disgraceful Labour peer Lord Ahmed
Who killed and innocent person while texting
And driving his jaguar .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...tal-crash.html

Worst instead of admitting his guilt he blamed it on a Jewish conspiracy .

Such is the endemic anti semitism in the Lanour party