LONDON, United Kingdom. Scotland whose alliance with Britain is hanging by a thread, has made its most audacious demand from England yet – abolish the House of Lords.
Britain’s third largest party – the Scottish National Party (SNP) which caused a tsunami in the recent general election in UK by recording a landslide victory, wiping out Labour Party from Scotland and winning 55 of the 58 seats – 50 seats more than the previous election, wants to scrap the “unelected, undemocratic House of Lords”.
A new poll shows 67% of Scots support abolishing it, compared to just 16% who would oppose scrapping it.
This follows the news that the House of Lords is now the second largest parliamentary assembly in the world following the latest round of appointments made by the UK parties.
Members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Early August, 45 new peers were appointed by PM David Cameron. This means there are now 826 in the House of Lords making it second only to China’s National People’s Congress.
Interestingly, the number of peers who can fit in the House of Lords comfortably is 200.
The peers are entitled to between £150 and £300 a day just for attending the House which is tax-free.
SNP spokesperson on the House of Lords MP Kirsty Blackman MP said “The SNP will refuse to send SNP peers to the House of Lords. The unelected, undemocratic chamber is now the second largest in the world with no public accountability. Scottish Lords alone cost the taxpayer over £2million a year at a time when Scottish families are increasingly reliant on food banks in austerity ridden Tory UK”.
“The House of Lords is perhaps the single most ridiculous and absurd legislature in the world, a repository for cronies and donors of the UK parties. An unelected chamber has no place in a modern society and it’s unsurprising that this latest poll reveals that the overwhelming majority of people want to see it abolished.
SNP has called on Labour – Britain’s second largest party to join into the demand to scrap the House of Lords SNP has called on Labour to stop sending new peers to the House of Lords.
The tradition of the House of Lords goes back to the 14th century when two distinct Houses of Parliament emerged in UK. Representatives from the towns and counties began to meet separately as the House of Commons. Archbishops, bishops and certain abbots and priors and noblemen formed the House of Lords.
Credit: The Times of India
