David Starkey has blamed the “chaos” in the House of Lords on Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer announced that Labour would aim to abolish the “indefensible” House of Lords “as quickly as possible”, ideally within its first term.
But the party’s leader did not commit to a timeframe for the move, stressing discussions are pending on when “exactly” it would come to pass.
The proposal forms part of Labour’s blueprint for a “New Britain”, outlined in the report of its commission on the UK’s future – headed by ex-premier Gordon Brown.
Sir Keir hailed the proposals for political and economic devolution as “the biggest ever transfer of power from Westminster to the British people”.
He had hinted that some of the measures – including a new democratic assembly of nations and regions to replace the Lords – may have to wait for a second term Labour government.
But quizzed repeatedly on when his party would enact the proposal to abolish the upper chamber during a broadcast round on Monday, he said he hoped to deliver the change within the first five years of governing.
Sir Keir suggested the move, along with all other proposals in the report, could be achieved within Labour’s first term.
Historian David Starkey joined GB News’ Calvin Robinson to discuss the importance of the House of Lords in the UK’s constitution.
He said: “The real question is to ask why the Lords is such a mess?
“The reason why the Lords is such a mess is Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
“It is the chaos of constitutional reforms, of new Labour which were brought in off the hoof with no serious consideration as to their consequences and the disasters of which we are reaping now.
“A House of Lords, of a House of Cronies, that's what they actually created. They claimed to be reforming, they were corrupting.”
Davdi Starkey said: “A House of Lords, of a House of Cronies, that's what they actually created. They claimed to be reforming, they were corrupting.”
Richard Pohle/The Times
He continued: “The House of Lords can be seen simply as a dignified part, in other words, a performance, as opposed to the efficient part which is the House of Commons.
“But actually, of course, the House of Lords is Parliament.
“This is why the state opening of Parliament takes place in the House of Lords, presided over by the King and who never takes part in their deliberations, but is the animating force.
“All statutes are actually issued in the name of the King with the advice and consent of the Lord's spiritual and temple.
“They are the bishops, the Lord's temple are the peers and Commons in this present Parliament assembled.
“That now that has been going on, in exactly that same form since the 14th century. We have modified it a little bit, we have introduced different notions of franchise.
“But the fundamental idea of Parliament is this notion of self government, because the great formula, and it's announced again as early as the 1300s by the judges, is everybody is bound by what is decided in Parliament because everybody is there represented, either in person they are the Lords, or by their representatives, they are the Commons.”
Sir Keir Starmer announced that Labour would aim to abolish the 'indefensible' House of Lords 'as quickly as possible'
Kirsty O'Connor
