At a Fabian Society conference on Saturday House of Commons Leader Peter Hain suggested that legislators in Parliament’s second chamber be indirectly elected. Election would be by a “secondary mandate” system under which seats would be allocated according to the parties’ share of the vote in the general election to the House of Commons. Under this arrangement the parties, not by the people, would choose the legislators.
According to the Financial Times it is likely that Hain has the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair for his proposal.