Lib Dems plan to force vote on replacing Lords with elected upper chamber

3 days ago

The Liberal Democrats will attempt to hijack the government’s bill to ban Lords from inheriting their seats in parliament this week in an attempt to force a vote on an entirely elected upper chamber,The government’s hereditary peers bill, which is heading for its committee stage on Tuesday and is likely to clear the House of Commons the same day, will put an end to the tradition and ban the the current 92 lords who inherited their titles from sitting in the second chamber,MPs are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of the legislation but the Lib Dems want to amend the bill in favour of bringing in a totally elected second chamber,It would remove the power of patronage that the prime minister has to recommend new peers, call on the secretary of state to consult on an elected second chamber and commit to bringing forward a draft bill,The practice of appointing peers has led to associates, advisers and friends of prime ministers being sent to the House of Lords, in addition to crossbench peers chosen on merit by the House of Lords appointments commission.

Labour said in 2022 it wanted to replaced the House of Lords with an elected second chamber, but by the time of its manifesto this year, its plan was first to abolish hereditary peers and bring in an age limit.The Lib Dems said they wanted to push their amendment to a vote in the Commons on Tuesday, subject to the Speaker deeming it in scope of the bill.Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “It is way past time for a proper democratic reform of the House of Lords.Politicians must do all we can to restore public trust in politics after the chaos of the last Conservative government, which had no interest in reforming the Lords and instead left it as the largest second chamber anywhere in the world.“Liberal Democrats have been at the forefront of making this case for decades and we’ll continue to press the government on this.

“The government should accept our amendment which will finally get the ball rolling on delivering a proper democratic mandate for the House of Lords.”When the hereditary peers bill was brought forward, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the paymaster general, said: “It is indefensible that, in the 21st century, there are seats in our legislature allocated by an accident of birth.This is a long-overdue reform and a progressive first step on the road of change.“To maintain trust in our democratic institutions it is important our second chamber reflects modern Britain.”

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Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for chipotle mushroom tacos with celeriac slaw and peanut sauce | Quick and easy

A mixture of chestnut and oyster mushrooms works so well in this easy, weeknight taco feast. I love the spicy mushrooms piled on to warm tortillas with the peanutty celeriac slaw and soured cream (although my husband declines the latter because it detracts from the heat). Don’t hate me for suggesting that you grate celeriac on a weeknight – if you have a food processor with a coarse grater attachment, it is the work of seconds, and one small celeriac will give you enough slaw to go with tomorrow’s lunch, too.Prep 15 min Cook 25 min Serves 2-32 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, peeled and thickly sliced2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated1 tsp hot smoked paprika 1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes 1 tsp ground cumin2 tsp flaky sea salt 250g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced200g oyster mushrooms, halved45g peanut butter, smooth or chunky80g greek yoghurt1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 50g pumpkin seeds1 small celeriac, peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated1 tbsp tomato paste Juice of ½ limeWarm tortillas, to serveSoured cream, to servePut the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat, add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry for seven minutes, until just turning golden brown at the edges. Add the spices and a teaspoon of salt, then lower the temperature and fry, stirring, for a minute more

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