The Constitution Unit, Department of Political Science, UCL
Abstract
The votes in the House of Commons in March 2007 in favour of a democratically elected second
chamber represented a vital step forward in this long debate. Subsequent to the vote, a crossparty
group has discussed the key steps needed for reform to be implemented; the results of
these discussions informed the White Paper published in July 2008 (An Elected Second Chamber:
Further reform of the House of Lords). The discussions revealed important areas of agreement,
but also key issues that have yet to be resolved.
The White Paper invited comment on these issues, and in the wake of the Commons expenses
scandal the Prime Minister has pledged to “come forward with published proposals for the final
stage of House of Lords reform before the summer Adjournment.” This paper represents the
views of two Conservative MPs who served on the party’s Democracy Task Force, both of
whom have contributed to debate on parliamentary and constitutional issues over many years. In
writing it, we hope to influence both our own party, as it draws up its manifesto for the next
election, and the wider debate heralded by the White Paper and by the Prime Minister’s statement
