Over a third of peers (37 percent) are former politicians, political staff or activists, according to research by ERS. Responding to the support the petition has had, Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the ERS added: "It's time for the PM to make good on his call to 'address' the size of the chamber and to replace it with a fairly-elected upper house that voters deserve. At Labour’s 2019 Party Conference he drove along the seafront with a large mobile billboard saying Jeremy Corbyn was unfit for office. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? He has been duly rewarded. by Liberty Rules on 26 February 2017 16:16 His peerage also looks like a pay-off from Johnson. Jeremy Corbyn has announced plans to abolish the House of Lords as part of plans for a “radical overhaul” of the British constitution which will “address the growing democratic deficit” across Britain. Express. Stuffing the second chamber with these deeply flawed individuals degrades Britain’s democracy. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Contact Josiah on 07717211630 / mediaoffice@electoral-reform.org.uk for more comment or to arrange an interview A petition to scrap and replace the unelected House of Lords with a PR-elected chamber has reached 350,000 signatures following the Prime Minister’s widely-criticised move to pack the chamber with 36 new peers. In theory, this makes it easier to change the structure of Parliament. JUST IN: Jeremy Corbyn launches official complaint after House of Lords snub. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Days before the general election, he called for a Tory vote and actively campaigned to that end. The ERS wants to see a far smaller, PR-elected Senate of the Nations and Regions to replace the Lords. A petition to scrap the House of Lords has reached over 340,000 signatures, The House of Lords is home to almost 800 peers, Boris Johnson's brother Jo has been nominated for a seat in the House of Lords, House of Lords row: Peer claims it's 'MORE democratic' than Commons, '£300-a-day undemocratic Brexit-blockers' – but Boris wants MORE Lords, Boris Johnson nominated 36 people to the House of Lords last week, House of Lords slammed as 'private members club' as Boris names peers, Sir Ian Botham and Boris Johnson's brother to join House of Lords, Jeremy Corbyn launches official complaint after House of Lords snub, Brexiteer Claire Fox outlines her plan to abolish House of Lords [INSIGHT], Unelected peers demand Boris Johnson change on ONE Brexit red line [DETAILS], 'Ridiculous' Furious Lord Speaker rages at Boris Johnson over peerages [ANALYSIS], John Bercow SNUBBED: Humiliation for former Speaker as peerage slips, Nigel Farage's radical calls for NEW electoral system exposed, Remainers head to the Lords: Clarke and Hammond lead pro-EU peers. The Prime Minister’s brother Jo Johnson has also been nominated. Mr Sullivan calls for peers to be held accountable, as they have the power to change and create laws. Boris Johnson’s decision to give peerages to two former Labour MPs, John Woodcock and Ian Austin, whose only claim to fame was unremitting hostility to Jeremy Corbyn, looks like a continuation of the establishment drive to delegitimize the Party’s leader. He has been duly rewarded. Now more than ever it's vital that there is an independent voice to champion the rights of voters and lead the campaign for a better democracy. John Woodcock’s peerage is more shocking. Another reason to scrap the House of Lords. He wrote: “For too long the House of Lords has been used as an absurd insurance policy for ex-politicians. He has been a keen supporter of Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen, which has been marked by appalling civilian casualties resulting from Saudi air strikes, and praised the repressive regime of Turkey’s President Erdogan as tolerant and progressive. After the UK leaves the European Union it should abolish the House of Lords, a Conservative think tank has argued. “Lose your seat? Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. No more unelected peers: Scrap and replace the House of Lords now! Comment Mike Phipps February 15, 2020. All content © 2017 Electoral Reform Society. You can't sign this petition because it was rejected. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. It’s time Labour were honest and simply admit that they have no intention of scrapping the House of Lords. Mr Corbyn’s move comes as he enters the final few weeks of the bitter fight against a leadership challenge by Owen Smith. newspaper archive. Corbyn vows to scrap House of Lords amid 'radical overhaul' of UK democracy. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. 130K Sign ‘Scrap House Of Lords Discount Dinners’ Petition September 22, 2015 Niamh Harris News, UK 0 Over 130,000 people have signed a petition calling for the House of Lords gravy train of subsidized food to be taken away. Scrap the House of Lords. Other proposals include strengthening collective bargaining rights for employees, a requirement that employee representatives be included on pay and remuneration committees at top firms, a commitment to women’s equality in the workplace and regional investment banks to be set up in every region. In January 2019, Woodcock abstained in a parliamentary vote of no confidence against May’s government and in November called for a Conservative vote. Don’t worry, here’s another one.“It’s a lifetime pass to vote on our laws, and you get a fancy title to go with it.”Mr Sullivan added: “The Government has given these people the power to decide on our laws for life – even though they’ve lost the confidence of their electorate.”Over a third of peers (37 percent) are former politicians, political staff or activists, according to research by ERS.Commenting on this, the political campaigner states: “This is no chamber of experts – it’s a retirement home for political cronies. Britain currently has an unwritten constitution. A stalwart of the Labour Friends of Israel, he was forced to apologise to a Palestinian rights group in 2012 after falsely accusing them of holocaust denial.