Thursday 20 March 2008

A Noble House

Yes, Jack Straw. A new and powerful second chamber, the Senate, should take over the existing powers of the House of Lords, and also exercise the same revising powers in relation to devolved bodies.

The Senate should have an absolute veto over any Bill passed by the House of Commons (or any devolved body) without a vote, including any EU legislation passed by negative resolution of the House of Commons. And the Senate should have the power to require a referendum on any Bill already designated as constitutional for the purposes of the procedures of the House of Commons.

Each of the ninety-nine areas having a Lord Lieutenant should elect six Senators (who would have to have been registered voters there throughout the previous five years), with each voter voting for one candidate by means of an X, and with the six highest-scoring candidates declared elected at the end. The whole country should elect a further six Crossbenchers by the same means. The Senate should have a fixed term of six years.

And Senators should have the same remuneration and expenses as MPs. But that's a whole other story...

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