Letter: Powers of the Lords

Sir: You are right to insist, with the Liberal Democrats, that the Upper House of Parliament must be mainly or wholly elected, and that the elections should be by proportional representation, on a quite different timetable from that for the Commons ("The Prime Minister must honour his promises and reform the House of Lords", 3 February).

But the wish of the Government to "curtail" the powers of the Lords or any future Upper House must be resisted. If we are to do a proper job of scrutinising and revising legislation, we have to have some clout. The power to delay new laws is only occasionally used as a backstop, but its existence is what makes the Government pay attention and agree to all manner of sensible improvements and compromises.

The Government already largely controls the House of Commons. Take away any more powers from the Lords, and the slippery slope towards "elective dictatorship" will be almost complete. The answer to the present "unsatisfactory half-way house" lies in democracy, not emasculation.

TONY GREAVES

(Lord Greaves, Liberal Democrat)

House of Lords