lords at random

I’m reminded that I promised to write about the House of Lords today (see here), something which, truth be told, lies more on the wonkish side of politics than I’m generally comfortable with.

As Mr Yoghurt points out, the Lords has been one of the best guardians of our remaining civil liberties but with Labour currently gaining an ascendancy in the House, those days are likely to end shortly.

However, I don’t think the solution lies in an elected House of Lords. After all, the root of the problem lies in majoritarian grandstanding by a duly elected government. It seems to me that we need to enhance the Lords’ credibility as a deliberative body. Instead of making it into an analogue of the House of Commons, turn it into a jury. And like a jury, select its members at random from the population at large, by means of a lottery.

Lords so selected would be invited rather than compelled to take the ermine, and given a fixed term: say, the life of a parliament. They would receive a salary and expenses to cover things like housing and amusing traditional lord style clothing. Their sole job would be to drag out the effusions of the lower house into the light, and, where necessary, beat them to death like seal pups on a Canadian ice floe.

After all, comparatively few people value the Lords because they are Lords, but rather because they are independently minded, draw on a wide range of areas of knowledge and less likely to be tied to party factions. Random selection would tend to support all these virtues. Additionally, it would be a robust addition to Our Democracy. Britain: the country where everyone can have an equal crack at being a Lord.

Comments

[Justin]

It's a tasty idea - I seem to remember something like it being used in an Arthur C Clarke book I read yonks ago. But...

I take it there would be safeguards in place in case say, Jonathan King's or Jeffrey Archer's numbers came up?

Could we rely on an average Big Brother contestant to scutinise legislation should they strike it lucky?

What happens to my dad's job if he gets chosen? Is his employer expected to keep it open for the length of a parliament?

Are we to be legally compelled to attend? Do we have to go every day or can we doss off like they do now?

[jamie]

I take it there would be safeguards in place in case say, Jonathan King's or Jeffrey Archer's numbers came up?

Could we rely on an average Big Brother contestant to scutinise legislation should they strike it lucky?

Ah, but these people can still serve on juries. So if a big brother contestant can decide whether I go to jail or not, he/she can also pronounce on legislation designed to affect me. I say: bring it on.

[chris]

A way around being stuck on the red benches until your business went bust - only as far around as jury service currently gets you, mind - would be to pick relatively small groups, say 24, and have each one sit on just one bill.

Powers similar to the existing Parliament Act would allow the Commons to overrule any spectacularly silly amendments, whether by Big Brother contestants or Nick Griffin.

You'd need a qualified lawyer (judge?) to advise on matters of fact in existing common and statute law.

[Chris Williams]

Pay people their wages or the median London wage (whichever is higher). Have a fund to hire administrators to run peoples' businesses, with a generous subsidy and full compensation if they go under during the period of service or in the next two years.

Fund a _big_ advisory Civil Service secretariat, with a legal adviser for each Lord, and prohibit Lords from hiring close family members as 'researchers'.

Also (the difficult bit) work out ways to keep the mass media off their backs, like juries.

Let Archer in - after all, at least 1/600 of the population of the UK are liars, and they need representing too...

[Alex]

Strange how many bloggers seem attracted to the goddess of chance as a means of electing the second chamber...even Worstall's neo-aristocratic proposal is founded on the lot.

Presumably this is because every blogger, au fond du coeur, thinks they would do much better in Parliament. Enter yer Mickiewicz bit about unacknowledged legislators here..