Stephen Tall

The London Evening Standard reported this week a new poll under the headline Even Lib-Dems say Lords reform is not a priority. Buried two-thirds of the way down, however, was this interesting data:

Today’s poll found the idea of reforming the Lords, which still has 92 hereditary peers, is widely supported. Eight in 10 people back the idea of reform at some point in time. It is highest among Lib-Dems, at 87 per cent, and lowest among Conservatives at 75 per cent. Only 16 per cent of the public thought the chamber should be left as it is.

Here’s what Lib Dem MP Tom Brake had to say about the finding:

“Clearly people’s priority now is employment and growth, but … if you ask people whether it’s right that people should make laws just because their grandfathers and fathers did, they are gobsmacked by the notion.”

* Stephen Tall is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, a Research Associate for the liberal think-tank CentreForum, and also writes at his own site, The Collected Stephen Tall.