Should the House of Lords move to York?

WHY rip the heart out of the Parliamentary process by making a condescending gesture and moving the House of Lords to York? Don’t patronise Northerners and destroy a time-honoured bond between the two Houses of Parliament under one historic roof. It’s part of our national pride. You could argue that the House of Lords needs to be reformed, with the introduction of younger, elected peers, which would be more democratic. Moving the venue will not solve its problems. If the Government wants to show Northerners it cares, it should provide homeless people with shelters, teenagers with youth clubs, the elderly with care, and

hospitals and schools with the resources they need.

I. CHARLTON, Ffynnongroew, Flintshire. INSTEAD of York, I would rather the Lords were sent to a remote island in the North Sea. A move to York will no doubt cost taxpayers a fortune. As well as their £300-plus-aday attendance allowance, will they claim first-class travel expenses, have second homes or stay in expensive hotels? I suggest they are put up in a Premier Inn and have to use their bus passes.

A. McGRATH, Wallingford, Oxon.

INSTEAD of moving the House of Lords, Boris Johnson should abolish this undemocratic institution and replace it with an elected upper chamber. If he really wants to relocate institutions to the North, he should set up an English Parliament in York. After all, England is a nation like Scotland and Wales.

IAN HOLT, Hucclecote, Glos. MOVING the House of Lords would be a monumental waste of time and taxpayers’ money. How many of the Lords who can’t be bothered to turn up to Parliament for £300-plus per day would be inclined to travel up North? It would be better to abolish the Lords or at the very least retire all those aged over 60.

DAVID MELLOR, Sunderland.

THE best way to make the House of Lords more relevant is to move it to Edinburgh. If Scotland gets its independence, then we can just leave the Lords there.

P. C. COOK, Huddersfield, W. Yorks.