The Speaker of the House of Lords has urged the prime minister to cap the size of the upper house and bring an end to resignation honours. Peers in 2017 recommended the Lords be capped at 600 to make it smaller than the Houe of Commons. But it has continued to balloon, with the latest…
MPs Will Investigate House of Lords Membership, Size, Effectiveness
A cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry into the membership of the House of Lords, its size, and the role of peers. The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will look into how the appointments of peers are carried out and whether the system as a whole can be more effective. In…
Six African Nations Criticise Hunting Trophy Ban and Plan for ‘Beggar-Like Dependency’
Six African countries have written an open letter criticising the government’s plans to ban the import of hunting trophies and urging them to listen to scientists and experts on conservation. In March, the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill was given a third reading, without a vote, in the House of Commons and is likely to…
Police Get New Powers to Stop ‘Serious Disruption’ by Protesters
Police in England and Wales will have the power to stop protesters who cause “serious disruption to the life of the community,” as new regulations come into effect. The House of Lords approved amended sections of the Public Order Act 1986 on Tuesday, which provide greater clarity on when police can intervene to stop protesters….
Dorries Says Sunak Blocked Her Lords Seat
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has accused the prime minister and his political secretary of blocking her from receiving a seat in the House of Lords. During an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, Dorries called Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his aide James Forsyth “privileged posh boys” who “duplicitously and cruelly” took away her…
Government Accused of Bullying and Intimidation Over Small Boats Bill
Peers say they have been “abused, bullied and intimidated” by the government over legislation to stop the small boats crisis. In what was yet another marathon and rocky session through the House of Lords, the Illegal Migration Bill was torn apart line-by-line into the early hours of Tuesday with some members saying they were “shaking…
Sunak Says He Refused Johnson’s Request to Overrule House of Lords on Vetoed Honours Names
The House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) has confirmed it vetoed eight names former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had put forward for peerages in his resignation honours list. On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accused Johnson of asking him to “do something I wasn’t prepared to do,” by overruling Holac. Johnson’s resignation honours list was…
Small Boats Bill Faces Delay as Peers Demand Impact Report
The Home Office faces a serious delay in pushing forward its Illegal Migration Bill as peers demand to see an economic impact assessment on the controversial legislation. On Monday, Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth was heckled in the Lords as he repeatedly said the report would be “published in due course.” The Tory…
Government Accused of Tightening Protest Laws Despite Opposition From House of Lords
The government lowered the threshold for taking action against protesters despite opposition from the House of Lords, a Lords committee has said. The regulations in question allow the police to intervene in a wider range of circumstances, including by reducing the threshold for “serious” disruption. Other changes include allowing the police to consider the cumulative…
Over 70 Children Listed as Foreign Owners of UK Property: Lords
A register used to identify dirty Russian money in the UK has 70 children listed as foreign company owners. The House of Lords heard on Tuesday how the newly released Register of Overseas Entities (ROE) also includes one company owner born in 1897—making the person 126 years old. The anomalies were discussed as peers revealed…
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