NORTHERN POWERHOUSE
Lords set for move to historic York
BORIS Johnson is considering plans to shift the House of Lords to the north of England, the Tory Party chairman confirmed yesterday.
James Cleverly said the proposal was among a range of measures being studied by the Government to reconnect the political system with voters living far beyond Westminster.
Reports yesterday suggested York was the most favoured destination for Parliament’s second chamber, with Birmingham also an option.
Disused land owned by the Government close to York railway station is understood to have been identified within Whitehall as a prime site for the new second chamber.
Mr Cleverly yesterday confirmed the proposal to uproot peers was being discussed by ministers.
He said: “What we are looking at is a whole range of options about making sure that every part of the UK feels properly connected to politics.
“When the Prime Minister stood up the day after the general election and said this is going to be the people’s government, he meant it and that meant connecting people with government and with politics because the referendum in 2016 wasn’t just about our relationship with the EU, it was about millions of people and their relationship with politics as a whole.
“So we are looking at a whole range of ways of connecting people in places where we won representation for the first time in decades.”
Asked about moving the Lords to the North, Mr Cleverly said: “We might, it is one of a range of things that we are looking into but fundamentally what this is about, it’s about demonstrating to people that we are going to do things differently.
“We are going to be radical, we are going to get stuff done.
The Prime Minister is absolutely clear and this is very much the focus of the Government.
“It is about delivering, it is about delivering for the people of this country, North, South, East, West, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are absolutely in delivery mode.”
Ministers will consider the future location of the Lords in a constitutional review to be launched in
the spring. The powers and role of the Supreme Court – which blocked the Prime Minister’s attempt to prorogue Parliament during the Brexit crisis – will also be considered in the review.
It could also consider a plan to have a partially elected upper house dedicated to representing all four parts of the UK and the regions.
They are planning a competition to find a design for the new building that will maximise value for taxpayers’ money.
Shifting the Lords is also seen in Whitehall as a potential way of saving taxpayers’ money since fewer Londonbased peers will be expected to turn up to collect their £313 daily attendance allowance.
MPs could also hold some Commons debates in cities outside London as part of the plans to connect Parliament with the rest of the country. Sunderland and Manchester have been suggested as possible venues for the away days.
The Lords move would mean more than 800 members of the upper house and their staff would be relocated. It would also raise questions about the future use of the current Lords chamber at Westminster.