Kim Leadbeater’s Bill passed through the House of Commons last June. The vote in favour was 314 to 291. It has now reached the House of Lords.
The initial debate (called “Second Reading”) will be spread over two days – starting on Friday 12th September. It is possible, technically, that the whole Bill could be killed off at this stage. That is highly unlikely. A majority of their Lordships may well be opposed to the Bill in principle but they are even more strongly opposed to the abolition of the Chamber in which they sit. A straightforward rejection of a Bill representing the clear wishes of the House of Commons could well accelerate such a move.
Members of the Lords have received an unaccustomed volume of mail about it. “Hundreds”, one Lord told us, before retreating slightly and saying “well, over a hundred anyway.” Only a third of the letters and e-mails wanted him to support the Bill. Two thirds were against it – a position that chimed with his own inclination. There are certain to be a lot of speeches. There were 133 (seriously) last time it was debated. Dozens of amendments, too.
It is to be hoped, however, that the House of Lords will not want to exercise its undisputed powers of delay or to pass any amendment that would wreck the entire purpose of the Bill. Several Peers are known to believe that the proposed legislation is already too unwieldy and expensive to implement. It is possible therefore that some of the amendments will actually pass and be distinct improvements – something that frequently happens when the Lords gets its teeth into any proposed change to the statute book.
