According to a report in the Sunday Times prime minister Sunak has been plotting with members of the House of Lords to frustrate Labour Party plans to replace that chamber of parliament with a democratic alternative.
The newspaper said that Sunak has had two meetings about this with legislators-for-life. More are planned.
Sunak’s plan is to create a veneer of reform by reducing the number of legislators. At preset there are more than 800.
This the plotters seem to hope would undercut any attempt to create a chamber of democratically chosen legislators.
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The Sunday Times reported that one idea being discussed called for all parties to reduce the number of their legislators-for-life by an equal proportion, maybe 25 or 30 per cent.
Another option that has been considered shows very clearly the contempt for democratic principles of those opposing an elected chamber. It would allow the current hereditary legislators to stay in the House of Lords until they die and merely stop them handing on their seats to another family member on death.
Sunak admitted to one group of non-aligned legislators-for-life that he was opposed to an elected second chamber.