A Veiled Job Application
Jack Straw seems to be setting the policy agenda. First, the veil. Now Lords reform. Up until now, people have assumed it’s because Jack wants to be Deputy Leader. The new thinking is he wants to be Lord Chancellor. The thinking goes like this. Jack has always looked after his muslim constituents. See how he reacted during the muslim cartoon row. There is no way he would have risked the controversy of the veil debate, unless he was planning to stand down. But stand down to do what? Step forward, Lords reform, which Jack could push through in the next two years in time for the next election.
Of course, this is just tea room gossip. What is more certain is that Straw’s proposals are not that popular. Most people now have a settled view that an elected Lords is the only way forward. Any room for crony appointments just won’t wash any more. Further, people are saying that Jack is starting from the wrong end. We should start with a debate about what the Lords is for, and how (if at all) its functions can be improved. And this leads one to conclude that Lords reform is part of a much wider debate about reforming our entire constitution.
So Jack’s proposals are half-baked. But they are serious enough to fill out a job application.
Antony said on October 24th, 2006 at 4:23 pm:
I agree with Jack Straw and the veil argument. I used to live in Birmingham .I did not like being around people with veil made me who the hell in under that. I am hoping some will press to get out of EU on the next elections aswell.
Ralph Lucas said on October 25th, 2006 at 8:56 pm:
Well, it’s up to you lot - but for God’s sake make it a real election and not appointment-by-proxy (closed list or partial closed lists systems), and make it a system that voters will turn out for and half decent people will want to stand for.
And if you can’t devise such a system - or at least not one that the Commons can stomach - then leave us be: we do an effective job.