Gordon Brown speech on transforming politics

Gordon Brown speech on transforming politics; Gordon Brown speech continues SOT - So let me begin with our agenda for change in the House of Lords. There is simply no space for a hereditary principle in a modern legislature and so in the last few days we have voted to remove the procedures by which new hereditary peers can join the House of Lords. It is for others to explain their opposition to this immediate change, but our proposals for the Lords are based on very simple principles: that the new politics cannot be real without fundamental change of the functioning of our ancient institutions, and we must do away with the unacceptable practices of an earlier age that are redolent of deference and privilege. Let me put on record my huge admiration for the individual peers of the House of Lords for the professional and dedicated way they have conducted their role. But I also say today: a modern democracy cannot tolerate power to initiate and revise legislation being held for ever by those without a mandate from the people. So in the next few weeks we will be publishing the key parts of a draft bill for a democratically accountable House of Lords. And my pledge today is that we will take forward these reforms in the next term of a Labour government, completing the work started before the First World War and to which we have been committed ever since. And alongside our moves to bring democracy to the second chamber, we will also bring new politics to the primary seat of power in the land, the House of Commons. And it was in search for a new and fairer way of arranging our affairs that we set up the Wright committee and in thanking them for their work I am happy to confirm that we will give parliament itself more control over its business and the elections of its committees. So parties should elect their own members of select committees in a secret ballot; select committee chairs should be elected by a ballot of the whole house; non-government busines...
Gordon Brown speech on transforming politics; Gordon Brown speech continues SOT - So let me begin with our agenda for change in the House of Lords. There is simply no space for a hereditary principle in a modern legislature and so in the last few days we have voted to remove the procedures by which new hereditary peers can join the House of Lords. It is for others to explain their opposition to this immediate change, but our proposals for the Lords are based on very simple principles: that the new politics cannot be real without fundamental change of the functioning of our ancient institutions, and we must do away with the unacceptable practices of an earlier age that are redolent of deference and privilege. Let me put on record my huge admiration for the individual peers of the House of Lords for the professional and dedicated way they have conducted their role. But I also say today: a modern democracy cannot tolerate power to initiate and revise legislation being held for ever by those without a mandate from the people. So in the next few weeks we will be publishing the key parts of a draft bill for a democratically accountable House of Lords. And my pledge today is that we will take forward these reforms in the next term of a Labour government, completing the work started before the First World War and to which we have been committed ever since. And alongside our moves to bring democracy to the second chamber, we will also bring new politics to the primary seat of power in the land, the House of Commons. And it was in search for a new and fairer way of arranging our affairs that we set up the Wright committee and in thanking them for their work I am happy to confirm that we will give parliament itself more control over its business and the elections of its committees. So parties should elect their own members of select committees in a secret ballot; select committee chairs should be elected by a ballot of the whole house; non-government busines...
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700981012
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ITN
Date created:
February 02, 2010
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r02021003_13233.mov