From The Church Times in England
THE Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, has opposed proposals for a completely elected Houses of Parliament, during a debate on constitutional reform in the House of Lords.
The Bishop, speaking in the Lords on Thursday of last week, said that elections would deliver too narrow a political class.
“The truth is that, in today’s world, election, especially in this media-dominated culture in which we live, does not always deliver what is needed,” he told peers.
What was needed were “two Houses but one Parliament: a Commons that is elected and with the authority of having the last word, and a revising Chamber to advise, revise, and refine legislation”.
Defending the need for an ap pointed House, he said: “A revising Chamber should be made up of what is, in effect, and what could be called, the ‘elders’ of our society: men and women experienced in different walks of life, who, from their expertise and wisdom, can shape the laws that govern our common life. Such people cannot be limited to the political class, but must be recruited and appointed with transparency and accountability, and for fixed terms.”
The Bishop of Durham, Dr Tom Wright, also spoke in the debate on constitutional renewal, which was introduced by Lord Tyler. He said there was danger in rushing through a programme of change that the public would see as “sheer displace ment activity” from the issue of parl ia mentary expenses.
Reform was needed, but not in a rush. “It is like somebody who,under the guise of so-called visionary leadership, decides to cut down all the old oak trees in the great park, only then to discover a few months later that the topsoil has all blown away.
“There is currently a real danger of us losing some of the political top soil,” he said. “Legitimacy does not arise just from having people vote for you. Legitimacy is also sustained by doing the job and being trusted.”
The Government proposed on Wednesday last week to replace the House of Lords with either a totally or a partly elected senate. An estimated 300 senators would replace the 740 Lords. Nothing has been said yet about the Lords spiritual: the 24 bishops and two archbishops who serve ex officio.
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http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=76855
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