Peter Reynolds

Parties with our money, our goodwill, our trust and our faith in the promises they make.

That’s the way the political oligarchs want to turn our House of Lords. I recommend the Telegraph View.

In the disguise of reform, the coalition proposals, with the connivance of Tory, LibDem and Labour politicians, seek to convert the second chamber into a party-driven sham which they can quickly abolish as an anachronism and unnecessary.  They will call it a cost saving measure.  Then the oligarchs will have triumphed completely.

I agree that the House of Lords makes no sense on paper but on the evidence, on its record, thank God we have it.  The intelligence, disrespect of convention, boldness and inspiration that it demonstrates puts the Commons to shame.

Look at the intelligence, zeal and wisdom demonstrated in the Lords about cannabis and drugs issues as compared to the Commons.  Independent conscience and opinion gets much closer to the truth.

The House Of Lords proposals are a put up job which will give more power to the main political parties.  They are profoundly undemocratic and should be resisted at all costs.