Sam Townend for Bristol North West

What 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.

“The recent allegations about members of the House of Lords taking paid consultancies has brought into focus what Bristol and Weston residents get from the House of Lords.”

There are four members of the House of Lords who according to their titles 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 year. 

Sam says, “Lord Waldegrave has voted in a risible 7% of votes in the House of Lords since 2005 and Lord Carey only 4%.  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 above 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 shining exception to prove the rule.  But the truth is she is our sole effective representative in the House of Lords compared to four MPs.

“Tightening the disciplinary rules is obviously essential, but better would be to change the whole structure of Parliament and the people who after all have a very great say in our laws. 

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.  It is a Club, that makes no demands of you, but one 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.“ 

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