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Post by batman on Aug 25, 2022 13:18:32 GMT
Nandy of Wigan, with her humble background of a grandfather who was an MP and peer. Has she ever claimed to be "humble", though? not that I'm aware of. She has talked about her local roots but that's not quite the same thing.
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Post by batman on Aug 25, 2022 13:19:18 GMT
Don’t give him ideas. Johnson could try to give himself an hereditary peerage. but then which of his progeny inherits? that's classified
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r34t
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Post by r34t on Aug 25, 2022 13:26:25 GMT
but then which of his progeny inherits? that's classified well, I guess he does need a database to keep tabs ...
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Post by devolutionist on Aug 25, 2022 15:12:31 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? Even if it were capping the maximum number of Lords at somewhere south of the current number; and a stringent limit on the number of peerages that a Prime Minister can dish out, and link it with years of service, he's a 3 year Prime Minister for goodness sake.
My idea would be a lot more drastic than the average person, to the extent that I'd crack open a decent bottle of red to celebrate if the whole thing was scrapped in is entirety.
Realistically, capping the number of Lords to match the number of Parliamentary Constituencies / number of MPs (650/600), and a one in one out policy (waiting for somebody to resign, be stripped of their peerage through wrongdoing, or pass away, before anointing somebody else?) is surely both achievable, in the public interest and would be ratified by the electorate if put to a referendum?
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Post by samdwebber on Aug 25, 2022 15:40:15 GMT
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Chris from Brum
Lib Dem
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group.
Posts: 9,240
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Post by Chris from Brum on Aug 25, 2022 15:50:59 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? Even if it were capping the maximum number of Lords at somewhere south of the current number; and a stringent limit on the number of peerages that a Prime Minister can dish out, and link it with years of service, he's a 3 year Prime Minister for goodness sake. My idea would be a lot more drastic than the average person, to the extent that I'd crack open a decent bottle of red to celebrate if the whole thing was scrapped in is entirety. Realistically, capping the number of Lords to match the number of Parliamentary Constituencies / number of MPs (650/600), and a one in one out policy (waiting for somebody to resign, be stripped of their peerage through wrongdoing, or pass away, before anointing somebody else?) is surely both achievable, in the public interest and would be ratified by the electorate if put to a referendum? No referendum. Parliament is competent to decide on its own arrangements. We saw what can happen with the AV referendum - people use it as a proxy for anything but the subject on the card. On that occasion it was "let's kick Nick Clegg". Who knows what it would be next time.
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Post by stb12 on Aug 25, 2022 16:17:40 GMT
Lib Dems would fancy a by-election in Gove’s seat, voted remain as well if I remember right
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Aug 25, 2022 16:18:03 GMT
We must give him credit the use of epigone, even if he gets credit for nothing else. Even before he became an FBPE 3.5% loon, Grayling was exactly the kind of person who will be up against the wall when the revolution comes.
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polupolu
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Liberal (Democrat). Socially Liberal, Economically Keynesian.
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Post by polupolu on Aug 25, 2022 16:41:20 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? Even if it were capping the maximum number of Lords at somewhere south of the current number; and a stringent limit on the number of peerages that a Prime Minister can dish out, and link it with years of service, he's a 3 year Prime Minister for goodness sake. My idea would be a lot more drastic than the average person, to the extent that I'd crack open a decent bottle of red to celebrate if the whole thing was scrapped in is entirety. Realistically, capping the number of Lords to match the number of Parliamentary Constituencies / number of MPs (650/600), and a one in one out policy (waiting for somebody to resign, be stripped of their peerage through wrongdoing, or pass away, before anointing somebody else?) is surely both achievable, in the public interest and would be ratified by the electorate if put to a referendum? On a University Liberals visit to the house of commons in the 80's someone asking one of the Liberal peers if he though the House of Lords should be abolished. He answered: Good God, Yes!
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Khunanup
Lib Dem
Portsmouth Liberal Democrats
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Post by Khunanup on Aug 25, 2022 16:45:04 GMT
It's not exactly difficult to find out that Clark's dad was a milkman and his mum worked at a supermarket while he went to a state comp. The 'Levelling Up' part of the department title that he heads up is performance art anyway. It's still effectively the local government/housing etc. department with the 'levelling up' decisions made by the treasury, decisions that appear to be based on how advantageous it is to the Conservatives in seats that appear to be at risk and generally ignoring areas of real investment need along the south coast and the south west in particular. This is my personal opinion. The lack of policy control (and, in reality, operational control) over 'levelling up' from the department allegedly charged with it is another reason to either break up HMT or clip its wings substantially. Again a personal opinion, but even without a Treasury wing clipping it might be time to consider the role of the Chief Secretary which is, perhaps, too broad. The list of responsibilities is here. Arguably things like 'women in the economy', 'Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) and welfare reform' and 'efficiency and value for money in public service', among others, don't need to be there (especially the latter as it has a specific minister). There is a lot of scope for Treasury involvement here. I haven't considered what a restructure might look like, or what the new functions of a Chief Secretary, if the post exists, might be. A restructure would make little difference, it's a cultural thing. It's solely at the behest of the PM as to how much power or not the chancellor has, and under Johnson it's been him having a lickspittle under him who can do all the hard work but use the treasury as a direct vehicle for his means. On your second point, and this links into breaking up the treasury (and there's no need for an extra department or SoS as a result, just disperse to the existing departments), there's no need for a Chief Secretary, especially in a breakup circumstance, apart from with a coalition where a number two of the treasury in cabinet is essential, being from another party in coalition.
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Aug 25, 2022 17:00:11 GMT
Lib Dems would fancy a by-election in Gove’s seat, voted remain as well if I remember right Surrey Heath district narrowly voted Leave (51/49). There may be some suggestion by modellers that the Guildford wards would have tipped it into the Remain column but I don't think that can be asserted with any confidence. Guidlford district overall wasn't that ovewhelmingly for Remain and the Ash area I should think would be less strong for Remain than the district as a whole
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Post by greatkingrat on Aug 25, 2022 17:01:49 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? I'm pretty confident the vast majority of the population couldn't care less about the House of Lords one way or the other.
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Post by devolutionist on Aug 25, 2022 18:46:29 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? I'm pretty confident the vast majority of the population couldn't care less about the House of Lords one way or the other. What if only count those who bother to vote?
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Post by No Offence Alan on Aug 25, 2022 19:46:36 GMT
Surely the appetite for some sort of Lords reform is almost universal amongst the population? I'm pretty confident the vast majority of the population couldn't care less about the House of Lords one way or the other. The vast majority of the population didn't care about the EU one way or the other, until the question was forced on them.
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peterl
Green
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Post by peterl on Aug 25, 2022 19:47:01 GMT
Probably fair to say more people cared about the EU than House of Lords reform.
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cj
Socialist
These fragments I have shored against my ruins
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Post by cj on Aug 25, 2022 20:01:23 GMT
Probably fair to say more people cared about the EU than House of Lords reform. Well set the Govt up to blame the Lords as the source of all ills, add in a goodly pinch of newspapers doing the same as well as making up stories and garnish with over-representation of pro-Lords reform characters on television and I'm sure just as many people would care
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graham
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Post by graham on Aug 25, 2022 20:22:41 GMT
JRM would make a lousy ‘Levelling Up’ secretary. Most of the core decisions are around contentious and nationally significant planning applications and dealing with the muck that comes with local Government. Not much opportunity for grand-standing there and plenty of detail needed where he can’t avoid making enemies whatever he chooses. Unless he thinks he can rewrite the National Planning Policy Framework i can’t imagine a role he’d be less well suited-for. Interesting to see the confidence from respected members of the red team on NE Somerset - My best guess is for them to come third if it came to it. Fundamentals for LDs better than any of their pickups so far and that’s before you factor in the Bath local party next door. It's probably an academic question, but I can't imagine that being next door to Bath matters that much - it's also right next to Bristol, which has a lot more Labour members than both does LD ones, and in any case LD activists are usually fairly willing to travel. Recent results in Bath itself are likely to have been distorted by massive Labour tactical voting to beat the Tories. Labour was within 1,000 votes of winning there in 1966 and the seat remained a three-cornered contest at both 1974 elections. The success of Don Foster in defeating Chris Patten in 1992 is likely to have changed the psychology locally of non-Tory voters by persuading many Labour voters to vote tactically thereafter - though I suspect that Labour polled quite well in the seat at the West of England Mayoral election last year.
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graham
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Post by graham on Aug 25, 2022 20:25:20 GMT
I don't think there is likely to be a by-election. However this is one of the few seats where it isn't fairly obvious who is the main challenger to the Tory so it may not be as susceptible to acceptance of a paper candidature. Were the LDs to campaign hard in NE Somerset I would be happy to see Labour retaliate by sending significant resources into Bath to resuscitate its former substantial vote there!
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Chris from Brum
Lib Dem
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group.
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Post by Chris from Brum on Aug 25, 2022 20:29:12 GMT
I don't think there is likely to be a by-election. However this is one of the few seats where it isn't fairly obvious who is the main challenger to the Tory so it may not be as susceptible to acceptance of a paper candidature. Were the LDs to campaign hard in NE Somerset I would be happy to see Labour retaliate by sending significant resources into Bath to resuscitate its former substantial vote there! This is the Labour party that has not a single councillor in Bath? Ha ha ha. Whereas there are LD councillors in NE Somerset, including the one for JRM's home ward. It's not a symmetric situation by any means.
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graham
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Post by graham on Aug 25, 2022 20:33:40 GMT
Were the LDs to campaign hard in NE Somerset I would be happy to see Labour retaliate by sending significant resources into Bath to resuscitate its former substantial vote there! This is the Labour party that has not a single councillor in Bath? Ha ha ha. Whereas there are LD councillors in NE Somerset, including the one for JRM's home ward. It's not a symmetric situation by any means. Councillor numbers are often of limited relevance anyway re-Parliamentary elections , but past election results do indicate that Labour could expect a pretty substantial vote there - were it to work the seat.
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