How might the House of Lords be reformed to make it more effective?

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How might the House of Lords be reformed to make it more effective? (25)

Lords sat by reason of inheriting their titles and archbishops and bishops by reason of their rank in the church.  Calls for reform of this distinctive chamber have previously been made, especially since the expansion of the franchise in the 19th century, producing a first chamber able to claim legitimacy through popular election.  In 1884, after the Lords refused to pass the Franchise Bill, John Morley declared that the Lords should be ‘mended or ended’. Lord Bryce declared that ‘the House cannot go on as it is’.  In the event, reform came in the twentieth century but demands for further change have continued.

Before looking at we could reform the House of Lords, to make it more effective, we must first understand some of their weaknesses. Firstly, the lords lack democratic legitimacy and their powers are limited by law. They have no power over financial matters, cannot veto legislation and their proposed amendments can be overturned by the House of Commons.

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A reform would effectively make the House of Lords become more legitimate via the removal of certain peers. The House of Lords should have a complete overhaul and like the House of Commons, should be elected. This would make the peers in the House of Lords more powerful which would mean that they would be more effective within their role, particularly when it comes to scrutinising government policy. Only through election can members truly representative all areas of the UK, and avoid the jibes from ministers who say that they have no legitimacy to challenge the executive.

However, only ...

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