Lords role for bishops under attack

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For nearly 100 years, attempts to reform the upper house have ended in failure. Their lordships have been stripped of their veto over financial matters approved by the Commons, especially the Budget, and Harold Macmillan brought in life peers to give the Lords some semblance of modernity.

Now Tony Blair, in one of his last acts as Prime Minister, is determined to introduce democracy to the Lords, which means we the people will have a vote on who sits in the chamber.

Just how many members will be directly elected will be down to MPs, who will have a free vote before Easter on options ranging from a fully-appointed chamber to a 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80% or 100% elected element. An innovative alternative vote system will be used to ensure they reach a decision, avoiding the deadlock of 2003 when all options for reform were rejected.

But the archbishops and bishops of the Church of England will remain although the Government believes there is a strong case for a more flexible approach which would allow the church to determine which bishops entered the House of Lords on the grounds of their suitability rather than on their seniority. Read more