The House of Lords 1911–2011: A Century of Non-Reform

House Of Lords Reform Is Often Characterised As Unfinished Business: A Riddle That Has Been Left Unanswered Since 1911. But Rarely Can An Unanswered Riddle Have Had So Many Answers Offered, Even Though Few Have Been Accepted; Indeed, When Viscount Cave Was Invited In The Mid-1920s To Lead A Cabinet Committee On Lords Reform, He Complained Of Finding 'the Ground Covered By An Embarrassing Mass Of Proposals'.that Embarrassing Mass Increased Throughout The Twentieth Century. Much Ink Has Been Spilled On What Should Be Done With The Upper House Of Parliament; Much Less Ink Has Been Expended On Why Reform Has Been So Difficult To Achieve. This Book Analyses In Detail The Principal Attempts To Reform The House Of Lords. Starting With The Parliament Act Of 1911 The Book Examines The Century Of Non-reform That Followed, Drawing Upon Substantial Archival Sources, Many Of Which Have Been Under-utilised Until Now. These Sources Challenge Many Of The Existing Understandings Of The History Of House Of Lords Reform And The Reasons For Success Or Failure Of Reform Attempts. The Book Begins By Arguing Against The Popular Idea That The 1911 Act Was Intended By Its Supporters To Be A Temporary Measure. 'no One - Peers Included - Should Be Allowed To Pronounce About The Future Of The House Of Lords Without Reading Chris Ballinger's Authoritative, Shrewd And Readable Account About Reform Attempts Over The Past Century. He Punctures Several Widely-held Myths And Claims In The Current Debate.' Rt Hon Peter Riddell Cbe Director, Institute For Government And Former Hansard Society Chair 'this Is At Once An Impeccably Researched Academic Study, And A Thoroughly Readable Account Loaded With Lessons For Today's Would-be Lords Reformers.' Lord (david) Lipsey.--bloomsbury Publishing House Of Lords Reform Is Often Characterised As Unfinished Business: A Riddle That Has Been Left Unanswered Since 1911. But Rarely Can An Unanswered Riddle Have Had So Many Answers Offered, Even Though Few Have Been Accepted; Indeed, When Viscount Cave Was Invited In The Mid-1920s To Lead A Cabinet Committee On Lords Reform, He Complained Of Finding 'the Ground Covered By An Embarrassing Mass Of Proposals'.that Embarrassing Mass Increased Throughout The Twentieth Century. Much Ink Has Been Spilled On What Should Be Done With The Upper House Of Parliament; Much Less Ink Has Been Expended On Why Reform Has Been So Difficult To Achieve. This Book Analyses In Detail The Principal Attempts To Reform The House Of Lords. Starting With The Parliament Act Of 1911 The Book Examines The Century Of Non-reform That Followed, Drawing Upon Substantial Archival Sources, Many Of Which Have Been Under-utilised Until Now. These Sources Challenge Many Of The Existing Understandings Of The History Of House Of Lords Reform And The Reasons For Success Or Failure Of Reform Attempts. The Book Begins By Arguing Against The Popular Idea That The 1911 Act Was Intended By Its Supporters To Be A Temporary Measure. 'no One - Peers Included - Should Be Allowed To Pronounce About The Future Of The House Of Lords Without Reading Chris Ballinger's Authoritative, Shrewd And Readable Account About Reform Attempts Over The Past Century. He Punctures Several Widely-held Myths And Claims In The Current Debate.' Rt Hon Peter Riddell Cbe Director, Institute For Government And Former Hansard Society Chair 'this Is At Once An Impeccably Researched Academic Study, And A Thoroughly Readable Account Loaded With Lessons For Today's Would-be Lords Reformers.' Lord (david) Lipsey Introduction: Reform And Non-reform -- Reform And Non-reform -- A Century Of Non-reform -- The Evolution Of The House Of Lords -- Twelve Instances Of Reform And Non-reform -- 1 Veto Limitation Over Reform: The Parliament Act 1911 -- The Political Situation, 1906-07 -- Cabinet Discussions On Lords Reform, 1907 -- Budget Rejection, 1909 -- Between The 1910 Elections -- The Parliament Bill 1911 -- Reform Following Veto Limitation? 1911-14 -- Conclusion -- 2 'the Battle Is Over': House Of Lords Reform, 1917-45 -- The Bryce Conference, 1917-18 -- Cabinet Committees, 1921-22 -- The Cabinet Committee, 1925-27 -- Lords Reform In The 1920s -- Avoiding Reform, 1928-45 -- 3 A Pre-emptive Strike: The Parliament Act 1949 -- Labour And The House Of Lords -- Moves Towards Reform, 1943-47 -- Nationalisation And House Of Lords Reform -- The Parliament Bill 1947 -- The Party Leaders' Conference 1948 -- The Parliament Bill Resumed -- The Iron And Steel Bill -- Conclusion -- 4 Diluting The Hereditary Principle?: The Life Peerages Act 1958 -- Life Peers -- Inter-party Discussions -- Discussions, 1953-55 -- Limiting The Hereditaries: Proposals -- Wider Reform: The Cabinet Committee, 1955-56 -- Short And Long Bills -- The Life Peerages Bill -- Limiting The Hereditary Peers -- Conclusion -- 5 'the Wedgwood Benn Enabling Bill': The Peerage Act 1963 -- A Hereditary Life Peerage -- Earlier Attempts At Renouncing Peerages -- The Persistent Commoner -- Fears Over Loss Of The Hereditary System -- Party Support For Benn -- The Committee Of Privileges -- 're-election' -- Seating The 'defeated' Candidate -- The Joint Select Committee -- The Peerage Bill -- Conclusion -- 6 Adding To Wilson's Strife: The Inter-party Conference And The Parliament (no 2) Bill [1968-69] -- Abandoning The Unilateral, Two-stage Approach -- The Inter-party Conference -- The Southern Rhodesia (united Nations Sanctions) Order 1968 -- The White Paper And The Decision To Proceed With The Bill -- The Parliament (no 2) Bill -- Abandoning The Bill -- 1970 -- Conclusion -- Epilogue: House Of Lords Reform, 1970-74 -- After 1974 -- 7 Stage One Of Two?: The House Of Lords Act 1999 -- Turning The Tide Of Constitutional Reform -- John Smith's Leadership -- Tony Blair And House Of Lords Reform -- Post-election 1997 -- Priorities For The First Session -- The Cabinet Committee -- The Queen's Speech 1998 -- The Weatherill Amendment: Origins -- The House Of Lords Bill -- By-elections For Hereditary Peers -- Conclusion -- 8 The Long Stage Two: The Wakeham Commission And Beyond -- The Royal Commission On The Reform Of The House Of Lords -- Follow-up To The Royals Commissions's Report -- 2001-05: Indecision, Then A Surprising Move On Reform -- Lords Reform In Labour's Third Term -- 2010: General Election And Coalition Government -- Conclusion -- 9 Reasons For Reform And Non-reform -- How And Why Does House Of Lords Reform Reach The Cabinet's Agenda? -- How Do Proposals Change When Under Consideration? -- How And Why Do Proposals Succeed Or Fail? -- Conclusion Chris Ballinger. Description Based Upon Print Version Of Record. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [225]-239) And Index Also Issued In Print English