Lords Reform still a protracted and painful process
House of Lords reform is yet again back on the agenda but why? UK politics expert Dr Simon Usherwood says: "The proposals come with the strong suspicion by Tory backbenchers that this is being done just to meet the coalition's needs, and it is hard to see how they mark any great innovation on the numerous precursors."
Dr Usherwood added: "The new Lords Reform Bill is yet another small step in what has been a very protracted and painful process, for all involved. It's hard to see anyone prepared to make this a big priority, especially given the economic situation, which in turn means we're likely to be stuck with the current arrangements for a long time yet."