Using the source, evaluate the view that the roles and membership of the House of Lords require reform.

Question 1

Agree: The HoL is extremely socially unrepresentative:

Answer 1

• “Pale, stale and male.”
• A 2019 report, external suggested that about 6% of members in the House of Lords came from a minority ethnic background.
• This compared with 13% of the UK population, based on the 2011 census, external.
• Ninety-eight percent of the remaining hereditary Lords were privately-educated, compared to 56% of appointed peers.
• Average age being 69.

Question 2

Disagree: The Lords is representative through the peerage of experts in their respective fields - appointed through the HoL Appointment Commisson

Answer 2

• The House of Lords contains peers who represent people in society that are less well represented in public life.
• The House of Lords represents expertise from across society and a range of different professional backgrounds.
• The House of Lords also represents different political views.
• The Conservatives have the most peers, with 273, while Labour has 187 and the Liberal Democrats have 78.
  There are also 184 “crossbench” peers who are not aligned to any party.
• EVAL: 92 hereditary peers - not appointed for their expertise but rather to place the aristocracy to a place of power.

Question 3

Agree: Unprofessional with many lords not doing what they’re supposed to “Silent Minority”

Answer 3

• Fifteen members of the House of Lords did not say a word in the chamber, sit on a committee or hold any government post during the last parliament, while claiming more than £500,000 in allowances between them.
• Just 10% of lords made more than half of all debate contributions. Removing the quietest half of peers would have had little impact on the numbers contributing to debates but would have reduced the allowances and expenses bill by 28%, the analysis suggests.

Question 4

Agree: Significant relationship between party donors and Lords nominations

Answer 4

• Almost a quarter of House of Lords appointees over the last decade were party donors, and almost half have a political connection to party appointees
• PoliticsHome analysed every one of the 276 appointments made to the House of Lords since 2013. Nearly half (128) were former politicians, former election candidates, or former staffers for senior politicians.
• Most of the donations were in the tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds, but 10 Tory appointees donated over £1m to the party that put them forward for the Lords.

Question 5

Disagree: Cross-benchers having ‘independence of thought is good

Answer 5

• Crossbenchers do not support any political party. Many are appointed principally because of their experience outside the House. Their participation allows voices that might not otherwise be heard in the political process to contribute to discussion of draft laws and in-depth consideration of government policy.
• 181 crossbenchers so far - such as Lord Sugar: has spoken out about things such as Brexit.