House of Lords Reform and Size of the House of Commons Debate
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Albert Owen
Main Page: Albert Owen (Labour - Ynys Môn)Department Debates - View all Albert Owen's debates with the HM Treasury
House of Lords Reform and Size of the House of Commons
Albert Owen Excerpts(8 years ago)
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Pete Wishart
They should be thoroughly embarrassed about their membership there because it is the only thing that sustains them as a political force.
Albert Owen (Ynys Môn) (Lab)
I will vote with the hon. Gentleman tonight and I think it is a good motion, but I am not certain where this will lead. He talks about a reduction in numbers. Would not the best course be to abolish the other place? I had the privilege in a previous Parliament of proposing that, so that we start from zero. Will the hon. Gentleman outline a plan to replace the House of Lords?
Pete Wishart
I shall suggest certain things that we could consider to replace it. The House of Lords is unreformable and there is nothing we could do with it. It has got out of control. It is like a huge undemocratic leviathan cloaked in ermine that would continue to feed on patronage and cronyism. It has very few redeemable features.