logo
Hereditary peers make last-ditch plea to be spared in ‘ruthless purge' of Lords

Hereditary peers make last-ditch plea to be spared in ‘ruthless purge' of Lords

Hereditary peers complained they were being treated like 'discarded rubbish' and questioned what they had done to be 'shown the door in such a way'.
They argued sparing existing bloodline members would be 'a statesman-like choice' and foster future goodwill.
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, which has already been through the Commons, will abolish the 92 seats reserved for members of the upper chamber who are there by right of birth.
There are currently 86 hereditary peers after the suspension of by-elections pending the legislation, the majority of whom – 44 – are Conservative.
The Bill delivers on a promise in Labour's election manifesto and has been promoted as the first step in a process of reform.
During its passage through the Lords, peers backed a change proposed by the Tories to block the expulsion of hereditary members already sitting at Westminster.
Instead, the abolition of the by-election system would see their number decline over time as individuals die or retire.
However, the Conservative amendment faces defeat when the Bill returns to the Commons, where the Government has a majority, during so-called 'ping-pong', when legislation is batted between the two Houses until agreement is reached.
Speaking at third reading, Tory shadow leader in the upper chamber Lord True warned: 'Without the fullest trust, respect and goodwill between the Government of the day and His Majesty's Opposition… this House cannot function.
'And the brutal reality is that the full exclusion of over 80 peers does not evidence full respect and cannot be the basis of full goodwill.'
He added: 'The Labour Party has won.
'No hereditary peer will ever again take their oath at this despatch box, but I submit it is not necessary on top of that, to wield the brutal axe on our colleagues who sit here now.
'That is what the amendment passed by the House for grandfather rights asked the Government to moderate.
'There is a chance and there is a choice, to temper historic victory with magnanimity in that victory.
'Such a statesman-like choice would benefit this House in keeping members we value, and at the same time, unleash a spirit of goodwill that I believe could carry us all together through the rest of this Parliament.'
Conservative hereditary peer Lord Strathclyde, who previously served as leader of the House, said: 'We all accept the mandate that the Government has to end the involvement of the hereditary principle as a route of entry to our House. But I join my colleagues of all benches still wondering why those of us already serving here are due to be flung out.
'What have these sitting parliamentarians done to deserve being shown the door in such a way?'
He added: 'It's never too late to appear gracious and magnanimous… Labour's victory in abolishing heredity here is real. Need we have such a ruthless and unnecessary purge as well?'
Tory hereditary peer Lord Mancroft argued he and his colleagues were being 'thrown out of this House like discarded rubbish'.
He said: 'We are now to be treated in a way that no one else in employment or in any workplace in Britain can be treated.
'It is rightly illegal to sack anyone on the basis of their birth except here in the upper House of this mother of parliaments.'
Lord Mancroft added: 'It is very personal to each and every one of us to be treated like this by those we considered our friends and colleagues. It is also deeply, deeply offensive, and I would simply like to know why? Is that really too much to ask?'
Responding, the Leader of the Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon again highlighted the removal of hereditary peers had been in the Labour Party manifesto.
She said: 'Of course this feels personal to those departing hereditary peers. It felt very personal to me when I lost my seat as a Member of Parliament, with far less notice.'
Lady Smith added: 'Nothing about the legislation says that we do not value the work of hereditary peers, or that of any other member of the House.
'That has always been the case, but we were quite clear that the hereditary route is not the route into the House that the country or the Labour Party expects.'
Other changes made by the Lords to the Bill, which will be considered by MPs after the summer recess, included a Conservative move to create life peers who do not have to sit at Westminster.
Peers also supported a Tory amendment to abolish unpaid ministers in the upper chamber, amid long-held concerns about Government frontbenchers in the unelected House not being remunerated for their official duties.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Labour urged to overhaul crucial pension-age benefit claimed by millions
Labour urged to overhaul crucial pension-age benefit claimed by millions

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Labour urged to overhaul crucial pension-age benefit claimed by millions

The government has been told it needs to make major changes to a pension-age benefit claimed by millions if it is to effectively tackle pensioner poverty in the UK. Claimed by 1.3 million individuals, Pension Credit is designed to bring low-income pensioners' funds up to a liveable level. Under current entitlement, claimants will see their incomes topped up to at least £227.10 a week. But more must be done to improve take-up of the benefit, the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee has warned, as well as changes to make it fairer. Despite being worth up to £4,000 a year, the take-up of pension credit has hovered between 61 and 66 per cent for a decade, with an estimated 700,000 households being eligible but not claiming, the committee found in its report on pensioner poverty. A taper to pension credit should also be considered to 'mitigate the cliff-edge effect' for those who currently miss out, it added. Under current rules, some pensioners just above income thresholds could end up worse off than those with slightly lower incomes. This is because Pension Credit can 'passport' recipients to other benefits such as housing benefit, council tax support, the warm home discount, a free TV licence, and help with dental treatment. In winter last year, it was also linked to the winter fuel payment, resulting in around around 60,000 extra awards of the benefit. But there is 'still a long way to go,' the committee report says. It also urged the Government to commit to a UK-wide, cross-government strategy for an ageing society to better target support and tackle pensioner poverty. The number of pensioners in relative low income began rising again in the 2010s, the cross-party group notes, reversing a decline from the 2000s. This was exacerbated by the recent cost of living crisis, with 1.9 million pensioners (16 per cent) now living in relative poverty. Committee chairwoman Debbie Abrahams said: 'To boost incomes, the Government needs to come up with a strategy to increase pension credit take-up. It's a scandal that so many have missed out for so many years, often through an aversion to claiming benefits altogether, or lack of support. 'The fairness of the pensions credit eligibility criteria where if you are a penny above the threshold, you miss out on thousands of pounds, also needs to be looked at. 'Ultimately, the Government should decide what it thinks is enough for a dignified retirement, and then work to ensure that all pensioners are on at least that level. A government spokesperson said: 'Supporting pensioners is a top priority, and thanks to our commitment to the Triple Lock, millions will see their yearly State Pension rise by £1,900 this parliament. We have also run the biggest-ever campaign to boost Pension Credit take-up, with nearly 60,000 extra pensioner households being awarded the benefit, worth on average around £4,300 a year. 'But we know there is a real risk that tomorrow's pensioners will be poorer than today's, which is why we are reviving the Pension Commission, to tackle the barriers that stop too many people from saving.'

Keir Starmer resists pressure to recognise Palestine now as 220 MPs back call
Keir Starmer resists pressure to recognise Palestine now as 220 MPs back call

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

Keir Starmer resists pressure to recognise Palestine now as 220 MPs back call

Keir Starmer said recognition of a Palestinian state must come as a part of a pathway to a lasting peace as 220 MPs pile pressure on PM amid horror over Gaza scenes Keir Starmer has resisted calls to immediately move to recognise a Palestinian state and said it must come as part of a "pathway to peace" ‌ French President Emmanuel Macron said France would take the step at the UN General Assembly in September, piling pressure on the UK to follow suit. But the declaration sparked anger in Israel and Washington, with Donald Trump telling reporters that 'what he (Macron) says doesn't matter". ‌ Mr Starmer is facing pressure from his Cabinet and MPs to act amid mass starvation in Gaza. Some 221 MPs - a third of the House of Commons - signed a letter tonight urging the PM to formally acknowledge Palestine statehood at a UN conference next week. ‌ Writing in the Mirror, Mr Starmer said starvation and desperation in Gaza is "utterly horrifying" and the UK was scaling up its efforts to evacuate children who need medical help and to get aid in. ‌ "It is a humanitarian catastrophe. And it must end now," he said. "We will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinian people immediately." The PM said recognition of a Palestinian state must come as a part of a pathway to a lasting peace in the region. "It must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis," he said. "This is the way to ensure that recognition is a tool of maximum impact to improve the lives of those who are suffering – which must always be our ultimate goal." ‌ The UK and its allies must work together to end the suffering, he said, pointing to efforts to form a "Coalition of the Willing" to support a potential peace deal in Ukraine. The PM is expected to raise the situation in Gaza with Donald Trump next week while the US President visits his golf courses in Scotland. The talks come at a pivotal moment, and may allow Mr Starmer to use the relationship he has built with Mr Trump to press for the US to take a tougher stance. ‌ But Mr Starmer is facing pressure himself to go further. 221 MPs from different political parties have joined forces to call on the Government to recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in New York next week. In a letter, coordinated by Labour MP Sarah Champion, they said: "We are expectant that the outcome of the conference will be the UK Government outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution; as well as how it will work with international partners to make this a reality." Ms Champion acknowledged "recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza or the rapid expansion of settlements and settler violence in the West Bank". But she said it would be an important step on the path towards a two-state solution to end the war. ‌ She added: "Recognition would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people, that they are not alone and they need to maintain hope that there is a route that leads to lasting peace and security for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people." Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Britain's most senior Muslim politician, has said the move would send a strong message to Israel and was the 'best mechanism to get us through a peace process'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting also called for recognition "while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise". In a statement tonight alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the Prime Minister urged "all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire". Mr Starmer, Mr Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also called for Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza.

Councils to buy empty homes to house migrants under government plans
Councils to buy empty homes to house migrants under government plans

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Councils to buy empty homes to house migrants under government plans

Migrants could be housed in empty homes and properties bought by councils under government plans to slash the number of asylum hotels. Ministers are seeking to partner with councils to buy or lease houses and vacant properties around the UK in which to place asylum seekers, amid rising anger at the use of hotels for migrants. They are proposing pilot schemes where the Government could pay councils to buy or renovate property, which they would lease back to the Home Office to house asylum seekers. Another model would see empty homes brought back into use for both local homeless people and asylum seekers. Government data show there are some 700,000 empty homes across England, including some 93,600 in London and 35,000 in Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool. Officials are also targeting former tower blocks, student accommodation and old teacher training colleges for use as 'medium-sized' sites where dozens of asylum seekers could be housed. The moves come as police are braced for fresh protests against asylum hotels this weekend, following the 16 arrests for violence at the Bell hotel in Epping, Essex, amid anger at an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl by a 38-year-old migrant from Ethiopia. Some 32,000 asylum seekers are being housed in around 210 hotels, according to the latest Home Office data from March. This compares with just under 30,000 in June last year, days before Labour won the election, but down from the peak of 56,000 at 400 hotels in September 2023 at a cost of £9m a day. On Friday, the Home Office announced that asylum seekers face being made homeless if they refuse orders by officials to move out of hotels into alternative accommodation. Hundreds of migrants refuse to be transferred every week, according to the Home Office, which is frustrating attempts to reduce the number of asylum hotels. Some hotels have been forced to remain in use for as few as three migrants due to refusals to move out. Now, asylum seekers will be threatened with losing their taxpayer-funded accommodation and weekly £49.18 allowance if they reject a transfer request for a second time under a new 'firm-but-fair' policy to reduce the number of asylum hotels. The search for alternative accommodation has become a priority as a record 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, up 50 per cent. On top of 80,000 outstanding initial asylum claims in March, there is a growing backlog of 41,000 failed asylum seekers who have appealed against the decision, with many requiring housing. Sir Keir Starmer set out the Government's approach this week, when he told the liaison committee: 'A central focus of what we are doing is what can be built, arranged or taken by councils and repurposed. I am impatient for this change to be driven through. 'We have to take over other accommodation, and we have to drive down the asylum lists. There is no alternative... There is lots of housing in many local authorities that can be used, and we are identifying where it can be used.' Dame Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, told MPs the aim was to 'evolve' away from a 'commercial' approach using private accommodation contractors to a 'more democratically accountable' system in partnership with local councils. It comes ahead of 'break' clauses next year where the Home Office could end its reliance on three contractors – Clearsprings, Mears and Serco – to find accommodation for asylum seekers. Around 200 councils have 'expressed interest' in running pilot schemes partnering with the Government. 'The pilots are looking at various ways to provide accommodation, for example, putting a grant to local authorities and leasing back the property. There are elements of: could we give grants to remediate void properties?' said Joanna Rowland, the Home Office's director general for customer services. 'Is there a support-only option, so we are not providing accommodation? There are a lot of ideas, but we will need those pilots to give us an evidence base for how we might want to move forward.' Dame Angela said: 'Maybe some of the things that we develop will go to supporting local temporarily homeless people from the area in exchange for having some of the things we develop available for our own asylum seekers as well. 'It is a kind of co-operative approach, I hope, that will be more sustainable than the situation that we find ourselves in now.' The Home Office has already faced local opposition and delays where it has attempted to set up 'medium-sized' sites. Plans to buy a 27-flat block in Fareham, Hampshire, to house 70 migrants was abandoned after a local outcry. A 9,000-strong petition has also been raised to proposals to put 35 asylum seekers in high-street flats above a vacant shop in Waterlooville in Hampshire, while plans to house almost 700 asylum seekers in former student blocks in Huddersfield have still not gone ahead more than a year after they were first mooted. Powers to seize properties Islington council in north London is, however, going ahead with plans to buy back up to 900 former council houses to house both homeless people and refugees. Angela Rayner, Communities Secretary, is also pushing for councils to get powers to seize properties that have stood empty for more than six months. The current rules only allow councils to take control of a building if it has been empty for two years and plagued by anti-social behaviour. Her department said it was 'pure speculation' to suggest the powers would be used to repossess vacant properties for asylum accommodation. The Home Office said it aimed 'to develop a more sustainable, long-term model of accommodation supply, which may be more locally led, should reduce competition for affordable housing, and help deliver new supply'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store