Sam Townend for Bristol North West

"What do Bristol's Lords do?"

In the week that Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces far-reaching reform proposals about the way we are governed one parliamentary candidate for Bristol re-states his call for the abolition and replacement of the House of Lords and asks “What exactly do Bristol’s Lords do?”

“Bristol’s interests are not served by the current House of Lords and it is time it was changed”  says Sam Townend, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West.

“There are four members of the House of Lords who claim by their titles to have some connection locally. 

Three of the four, Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, Lord Carey of Clifton, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and (of course) the former novelist and convict Lord Jeffrey Archer of Weston-super-Mare have not participated in a single debate or asked a single question in the last two years. 

Sam says, “Lord Waldegrave has voted in a risible 6% of votes in the House of Lords since 2005 and Lord Carey only 4%.  Both have, however, voted to keep the House of Lords unelected and by appointment only.  Lord Archer, though out of prison, has not been expelled, but nor has he voted at all.”

Baroness Corston of St. George, in contrast, is active.  The former Labour MP for Bristol East is very active in the House of Lords participating in a large number of debates, asking questions and with an average voting record.  In her speeches she frequently refers to her old constituency and is the one peer who genuinely represents Bristol’s interests in Parliament.  She also authored the influential Corston Report in relation to particularly vulnerable women in the criminal justice system in 2007.

Sam says, “Lady Corston is the exception to prove the rule.  But the truth is she is our sole effective representative in the House of Lords compared to four MPs.

“Bristol residents should have proper representation in the second law-making chamber in the country.  On the current system we have no voice.

Members of the Lords continue in their position until they die no matter how inactive or unwell they become, they are accountable to no-one, not the people through elections or even to their Party.  People criticise the House of Commons but at least we ultimately have a say who is in it.  The Lords is a classic Gentleman’s Club, but one that makes no demands of you and which pays you £300 a day to attend.

We need to throw the whole lot out and start again with a transparent and accountable system, which would involve election by the people so that residents in Bristol and the region can have representatives, like our MPs, that speak up for Bristol and our interests, and that can be ejected if they are not doing that job.“