Government ‘lacks the will to scrap biased peerage system’
THE GOVERNMENT has been accused of lacking the political will to scrap a “gender and racially biased” selection system for members of the House of Lords.
Conservative peer Baroness Berridge criticised the shortage of information showing the racial profile of candidates to become one of up to 92 hereditary peers, adding it is believed they are still “entirely white”.
She said the Government is responsible for retaining such a system due to its control of what legislation is debated in Parliament.
The Tory peer added: “Why a Government led by a Prime Minister who cares passionately about racial and gender injustice lacks the political will to sort out this situation is hard to explain.
“Sadly it took 50 years after women (were allowed) to become MPs for women to enter this House in 1958 as life peers, and until 1963 when hereditary female peers could be admitted.
“Legislative time by the Government was found for a voluntary retirement age, for expulsion of criminal peers, and for women bishops... to jump the queue.
“Next year we celebrate a century of women in Parliament as MPs – surely Her Majesty’s Government will have acted by then.”
Lady Berridge’s remarks came as Labour’s Lord Grocott moved his House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill.
This seeks to remove the election process used to fill vacancies caused by the death, resignation or expulsion of the hereditary peers.
Labour’s Lord Grocott said the hereditary peers by-election system is “absurd and indefensible”, adding there are 198 names on the list of candidates – of which 197 are men.
In her speech, Lady Berridge said it is “unjustifiable” for the UK Parliament to have “gender discriminatory elements” in its selection process.
She added: “As a member recently selected for the CPA (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association) UK executive, it is contradictory to the millions of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money spent through CPA, IPU, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Dfid and FCO on parliamentary capacity building when I have to hide sections of the selection criteria from visiting delegations as I’m so embarrassed and wouldn’t want them to follow this example.”
Why the Government lack the will to sort this is hard to explain. Conservative peer Baroness Berridge.