THE House of Lords “must be abolished” and replaced with a regional senate instead, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has suggested.
In a speech to the Fabian Society in London, Sarwar set out some of his vision for a reformed UK, which will be accompanied by a series of papers, the first of which was released on Monday.
Speaking at a lecture hosted by the left-wing think tank, Sarwar said that the Lords holding significant power over legislation is “unnacceptable” and should be replaced with something “more reflective of modern Britain”.
It came as Sarwar launched a series of papers setting out Scottish Labour’s vision for the future of the UK - this isn’t the work being undertaken by former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown to re-evaluate the devolution settlement, announced in September last year, but instead will “complement” that work, he claimed.
The SNP’s Tommy Sheppard accused Sarwar of a “monstrous deceit” by claiming Scottish Labour has any authority as a “branch office” of the UK party to dictate that level of policy, and noted that the party has vowed to reform the Lords in numerous previous manifestos.
The SNP also slammed Sarwar's speech as an "embarassing Trump-like" attempt to deny democracy.
Labour currently has 168 peers in the House of Lords and 256 Tory peers out of a staggering 771 members. Many of Labour’s peers are Scottish or former politicians, such as George Foulkes, a former Ayrshire MP, and many others. Foulkes told The National that he supports the proposals as he has been advocating for a regional senate “for some time”.
We previously told how 40 Scottish peers claimed a “grotesque” £1m during the pandemic, when most of them were working from home.
And now, Labour have proposed a Senate of the Nations and Regions - where members would be directly elected with a mandate to represent that area.
Currently, to become a member of the Lords, you must be appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Speaking in London, Sarwar said: “The House of Lords, in its current form, as an institution has no place in 21st century politics.
“It is unacceptable, and has been for far too long, to have unelected representatives wielding such power.
“The House of Lords must be abolished and replaced with an institution which better reflects the make-up and the identity of the United Kingdom.”
Sarwar added that the “vital role” of Labour peers should be recognised, claiming they stopped “some of the worst excesses of this Tory government”.
But said it must be replaced with something “more reflective of modern Britain”.
He continued: “And which gives Scotland and other parts of the UK a greater say in UK-wide legislation.
“So in our paper today, we are proposing a new Senate of the Nations and Regions.
“Members should be directly elected, with a mandate to represent their nation or region. And we must learn from international best practice so that our smallest regions, including those within Scotland, have a strong voice in this new institution.
“This bold reform would not only deliver better governance, but ensure that those wielding power on behalf of the people are chosen by the people – and sit in an institution which better reflects the diversity of this country.”
SNP House of Lords spokesperson Sheppard told The National: “If Anas Sarwar is trying to pretend that the Scottish Labour Party can make policy to abolish the House of Lords then that's really quite a monstrous deceit.
“And people aren't going to fall for it, we are really not buttoned up the back, they will view that as a sort of desperate attempt to try and get a tinge of radicalism into what he's saying, whilst denying the democratic aspirations of people who live in Scotland.”
Sheppard added that he’d “lost count” of the number of Labour manifestos promising reform to the unelected House.
He said: “When push comes to shove you can rely on the Labour Party to defend the status quo and the British establishment.
“The only sure way to get rid of the medieval anachronism which is the House of Lords is for Scotland to have a fresh modern constitution as a new country, and that's what political independence offers us.”
Sarwar also proposed making it a legal “duty” for the Scottish and Westminster governments to work together in “areas of shared interest” and new as yet unnamed joint governance councils.
The Scottish Labour leader added: “Too often, the current UK Government keeps the Scottish Government in the dark.
“And too often the current Scottish Government deliberately seeks disagreement with the UK Government.
“This does not lead to good governance – it undermines the Union. And the Tories and the SNP do it day in, day out.”
Sheppard pointed out that it is already a legal requirement for the Scottish and Westminster governments to work together under the current consent procedures.
Kaukab Stewart MSP added: “It’s staggering that Labour are now trying to outdo the Tories on their support for Brexit, and their Trump-like attempt to deny the results of democratic elections in Scotland is embarrassing.
“The only way to protect Scotland from the damage of a disastrous Brexit we didn’t vote for is with the full powers of independence – and Anas Sarwar’s absurd suggestion that all Scotland needs is a reformed House of Lords shows just how out of touch he is and only strengthens the case for independence still further.
“Nobody can take Labour seriously when their leader rules out working with the SNP in a progressive alliance to kick the Tories out and signs up to grubby deals with the Tories in councils across Scotland this year.”
