House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]

Debate between Lord Reid of Cardowan and Viscount Trenchard

Friday 23rd March 2018 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Trenchard]

My noble friend has already interrupted me once. I would like to continue.

[Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)]

I am very grateful. If I could be generous in my advice, I would invite my noble colleague to remember the old Denis Healey phrase, “When in a hole, stop digging”, because the longer he goes on, the more the tenor of this House is going to move forward from a small but reasonable amendment to some radical thoughts across these Benches. I know he would not want to contribute to that, so will he answer the question that has just been asked of him: how do his comments relate to the amendment that he has just read out? We now know he can read. Can he just explain to us how what he is saying relates to that amendment?

[Viscount Trenchard]

As the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, pointed out, the amendments have the effect of damaging the Bill, ensuring that it would not be effective. As I have sympathy with that purpose, I think that my remarks are very closely related to the amendments tabled.