bolha.us

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Juggling With EggsProtestors from <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Assemble" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Assemble</a> have today stopped proceedings in the <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>. They are an organisation that:‘campaigns for the House of Lords to be abolished and replaced by a citizens’ assembly.Citizens’ assemblies are selected by sortition, which means members of the public are picked at random via a lottery.Supporters of this mechanism argue it means a more representative sample of the population are able to come together and debate important issues.’PA Media

Donald Roy<a href="https://mstdn.social/@GottaLaff" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@GottaLaff</a> He - <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/jdvance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#jdvance</a> - appears to have acquired a <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/uk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#uk</a> fellow traveller in the <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/HouseofLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseofLords</a> in the form of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/lordglasman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#lordglasman</a> ! <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/mauriceglasman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#mauriceglasman</a> - who is a <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/La%C9%93our" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Laɓour</a> peer - has demanded the sacking of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/lordhermer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#lordhermer</a>, the current <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/attorneygeneral" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attorneygeneral</a> , apparently for taking the rule of law too seriously! Last month <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/mauriceglasman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#mauriceglasman</a> attended the inauguration of 47 as an invited guest.

Emeritus Prof Christopher MayAs Labour's plans for the House of Lords start to become firmer (lowered age limit, from the manifesto, plus other measures to reduce the size of the House, including a one in/two out policy for party nominations), here's my thoughts from last year on what a real reform of the second chamber could look like....<a href="https://zirk.us/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#politics</a> <a href="https://northwestbylines.co.uk/politics/all-change-for-the-house-of-lords/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://northwestbylines.co.uk/politics/all-change-for-the-house-of-lords/</a>

Richard Quinn<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ElectoralReform" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ElectoralReform</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/ElectoralReformSociety" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ElectoralReformSociety</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/HouseOfLordsReform" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLordsReform</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/UKpolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKpolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#politics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Congress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Congress</a>Don't throw the baby out with the bath waterRemove <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/hereditary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#hereditary</a> peers YES Remove former <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/PrimeMinister" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PrimeMinister</a>'s cronies YES Remove religious leaders MAYBEBut, a <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/bicameral" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#bicameral</a> <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/parliament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#parliament</a> needs a TRUE <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/Senate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Senate</a>; a house of wise elders:Two <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/elected" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#elected</a> chambers fight each other along <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/partyPolitical" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#partyPolitical</a> lines — <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/logicalReasoning" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#logicalReasoning</a> / <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/criticalThinking" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#criticalThinking</a> is the casualty — everyone pays the priceArgue with me 🙂

Peter BrettThese are counterbalanced by the requirement to win re-election within the next 5 years. MPs *must* focus on things that will retain or gain votes. This promotes voters over constituents, local desires over national needs, and short term wins at the cost of long term losses.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettSimilarly, MPs have a perverse incentive in their assessment of legislation. They are supposed to represent *all* of their constituents (even those who voted for other candidates, or who cannot vote). They are supposed to make decisions that will benefit the whole UK, not just their constituency. They are supposed to take a long-term view of the needs of the UK.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettFocussing on doing case work, while making sure that their speeches in the chamber (which must always mention their constituency) are as pithy and clippable as possible, is much more likely to help an MP win re-election than figuring out that subsection 72(a)(ii) of the Widget Refrobnication Bill will unintentionally enable tax avoidance.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettThis is a misconception. The most important job for any MP is to win re-election. Even those who are elected with the most honourable of intentions will acknowledge that you need power to accomplish things, and that having power means winning elections.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettWhy? Surely MPs *principal job*, as members of the primary legislating chamber of parliament, is to make sure that bills are as polished and well-formed as possible, and to fully understand the details of every bill and amendment upon which they vote?<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettMPs opinions on bills are, in the modern era, outsourced to ideologically-aligned think tanks. Watch a bill debate, and note how every contribution is a paraphrase of something a think tank's spokesperson will have said on a podcast or news debate show in the preceding days.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettIn theory, MPs in the Commons are supposed to scrutinize legislation! But they generally don't. MPs generally do not come into their jobs with the educational background or expertise in British legislative wording to be able to scrutinize legislation in minute detail.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Peter BrettA thread on Lords reform, since it's topical.What is the function of a revising chamber? Should we have one?The function is clear: have a parliamentary body that scrutinizes legislation in detail to ensure it makes sense and won't have any bad, unintended consequences (along with a double-check that the intended consequences are good ones).So, plot twist! This thread is mostly about the House of Commons.<a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/UKPolitics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPolitics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.me.uk/tags/HouseOfLords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HouseOfLords</a>

Oliver Geer<a href="https://change.org/BishopsOut" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://change.org/BishopsOut</a><a href="https://mastodon.scot/@kim_harding" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@kim_harding</a> Thank you for bringing this & the video to my attention! I think this petition is very important for our democracy, and have signed it.I think we should also try to stop the religion exemption for equality laws.For those who follow hashtags: <a href="https://floss.social/tags/petition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#petition</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/democracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#democracy</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/equality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#equality</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/religion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#religion</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/christians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#christians</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/Christianity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Christianity</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/churchofengland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#churchofengland</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/anglicanchurch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#anglicanchurch</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/anglicanism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#anglicanism</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/houseoflords" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#houseoflords</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/parliament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#parliament</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/ukparliament" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ukparliament</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/UKPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#UKPol</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/LGBT" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LGBT</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/LGBTQ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LGBTQ</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/secular" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#secular</a> <a href="https://floss.social/tags/humanRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#humanRights</a>

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