Hereditary Peers' By-election

[Devonian]

Finally the Conservative candidates.

The Conservatives were the ones defending the seat so in line with convention they got most of the first round votes, 300 out of 334. 261 of these 300 went to just four candidates in the first round Lord Borwick (104), Viscount Hailsham (104), the Earl of Stockton (34) and the Earl of Harrowby (23).

The Earl of Harrowby was eliminated in the 16th round.

By the 15th round -

The Earl of Harrowby had received 8 transfers (6 from Conservative, 2 from Lib Dem)

The Earl of Stockton had 22 transfers (8 Conservative, 2 Crossbench, 12 Lib Dem)

Viscount Hailsham had 9 transfers (7 Conservative, 1 Crossbench, 1 Lib Dems)

Lord Borwick had 16 transfers (7 Conservative, 2 UKIP, 2 Crossbench, 4 Lib Dem)

Harrowby's votes then transferred 5 to Stockton, 4 to Hailsham, 15 to Borwick, 7 not transferred.

Stockton's votes then transferred 12 to Hailsham, 15 to Borwick, 34 not transferred

[boogieeck]

Utterly discredited system.

squalid little compromise

[The Bishop]

It was always intended to be only temporary - about 15 years is "temporary" enough for some of us.

[Deleted]

Jul 18, 2013 10:03:04 GMT boogieeck said:

Utterly discredited system.

squalid little compromise

There's no place in Parliament for squalid little compromises.


*innocent face*

[David Boothroyd]

Jul 18, 2013 10:38:43 GMT doktorb said:

Jul 18, 2013 10:03:04 GMT boogieeck said:

Utterly discredited system.

squalid little compromise

There's no place in Parliament for squalid little compromises.

That one that was agreed on 11 May 2010 is among the worst.

[Deleted]

Jul 18, 2013 10:51:22 GMT David Boothroyd said:

Jul 18, 2013 10:38:43 GMT doktorb said:

There's no place in Parliament for squalid little compromises.

That one that was agreed on 11 May 2010 is among the worst.

Aww, David Boothroyd doesn't like parties working together in the national interest. Bless.

[Tangent]

Jul 18, 2013 10:03:04 GMT boogieeck said:

Utterly discredited system.

squalid little compromise

Our entire constitution is built on "squalid little compromises". They generally serve us well.

[David Boothroyd]

"Parties working together" is surely more a hope than an analysis.

But that they are doing so "in the national interest" is a right corker.

[boogieeck]

Fair point David, We should have let Gordon Brown carry on with his skilful management of the nation.

[David Boothroyd]

I sometimes feel the Conservatives don't make enough of the massive coincidence that just when the world economy had its biggest postwar crisis, the British economy suffered as well.

The success of the Labour government in 2008 was to ensure that there was an economy for the present government to inherit. The Conservative opposition was happy to endorse its spending plans up to 2008 and had the Conservatives had their way the banks would have been even less regulated than they in fact were.

[boogieeck]

That is part of a fair point. Then some other stuff.

The world did not have a crisis. Australia, Brasil, China, India, sailed on serenely, until at least they found that the stupid nations could no longer buy their exports which did cause a slowdown. We had no Sovereign wealth fund. We had debts. National Debt, farcical PFI commitments, private unsecured debt and private debt secured on assets worth their value only if the state underpins them with an artificial housing shortage.

A previous Conservative leader warned that the economy was built on sand, (Howard, IDS to an extent, Hague to a lesser extent) but being truthful did not go down well with the electorate so the Conservatives moved to telling the electorate what they could abide hearing. I understand why we did it, but always preferred my own approach of telling everyone they were doomed.

We are still doomed.

[johnloony]

Jul 18, 2013 10:03:04 GMT boogieeck said:

Utterly discredited system.

squalid little compromise

What would you prefer? First-Past-The-Post? You would have to toss a coin.

[boogieeck]

3/4 elected, maybe 450 Peers. STV from 12 regional lists. 15 year non renewable term, up by thirds. Initiated in three tranches, five years apart, with existing peers staying on in thirds (chosen by STV from within party lists by themselves) until replaced. Eligibility to stand limited to persons over 40 who are either former Parliamentarians or Members of the Order of the British Empire or higher honour.

1/4 nominated, maybe 150 peers, one third Lords Spiritual from all faiths and philosophy, one third Hereditary peers one third ex cabinet ministers and minor party leaders. 15 year non renewable term.

Since you ask.

[Crimson King]

very sensible, I'd agree with the age limit, but not on the restriction to ex politicians/obe, especially as plenty of ex politicians will get in in the unelected 1/4
I'd probably have a few fewer 'lords spiritual' and have some appointed from science, academia, the arts, industry with the proviso that they had never stood for public office or made a donation bigger than a certain size to a political party

[Devonian]

Peter Oborne giving his view of the by-election

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10191978/These-hereditary-peers-put-our-MPs-to-shame.html

[boogieeck]

Not sure I would go as far as Oborne but it is undeniable that the 800+ hereditary peers can always be relied upon to offer a few capable looking candidates.

[David Boothroyd]

Lord Cromwell wins the latest byelection, replacing the late Lord Moran in the Crossbench Peers' section.

Here's the result and it was a close run thing.

[Deleted]

I know the present Lord Cromwell, Godfrey John Bewicke-Copley, is not closely related to Oliver and Thomas, but the news of the election sent my little Irish Catholic heart into a rapid beat.

[neilm]

Apr 9, 2014 10:39:55 GMT David Boothroyd said:

Lord Cromwell wins the latest byelection, replacing the late Lord Moran in the Crossbench Peers' section.

Here's the result and it was a close run thing.

This was a whole house by election? The 'excepted' in the first paragraph has confused me.

[David Boothroyd]

Apr 11, 2014 9:56:47 GMT neilm said:

Apr 9, 2014 10:39:55 GMT David Boothroyd said:

Lord Cromwell wins the latest byelection, replacing the late Lord Moran in the Crossbench Peers' section.

Here's the result and it was a close run thing.

This was a whole house by election? The 'excepted' in the first paragraph has confused me.

No - Lord Moran held one of the places for Crossbench hereditary peers, so the electorate were the remaining 27 in that section and those among the 15 hereditary peers elected by the whole House who sat on the crossbench (2).