Abolish the House of Lords - but not how Labour propose

Inside the Lords this week takes aim at Labour's new report

Perhaps it might surprise some, but I welcome Keir Starmer calling to abolish the House of Lords.

But, I disagree with him on whether we need a second chamber at all. As I explain in this week’s Inside the Lords, the idea of an elected second chamber would serve to dilute accountability. Watch now and read more below, but before you do: go and get your tickets to the Debating Matters Christmas Lecture - you won’t want to miss out this festive treat.

But more broadly, the dangerous tendencies of the House of Lords were made clear to me this week in relation to Higher Education (Free Speech) Bill, when the Government collapsed under pressure from the powerful lobby group of University Vice Chancellors. It has now watered down the key feature of the Bill which was a remedy for individuals through the civil courts. Inevitably, the rebel Lords (and it is hardly a coincidence that for almost all of them their expertise comes from running Oxbridge Colleges) smelt blood and changed the Bill to remove ANY ability for aggrieved or cancelled academics to sue.

What you can't hear in the recordings of my contributions in the chamber is that whenever I spoke there was widespread grumbling and heckling from the Labour Lords. They continued to insist that the free speech crisis in universities was simply a myth, a cynical ‘right wing culture war’ plot. As was perhaps inevitable, the Lib Dem front bench, led by Lord Wallace, went into full conspiracy-mongering mode, suggesting the whole thing was American money whipping up a free speech panic. Top level gaslighting of the highest order!

So, yes, “abolish the Lords” definitely has my vote after hours of that! If you’re interested in more on these themes, you can also listen to the Spectator podcast, featuring yours truly: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/war-of-the-windsors/

But really, if anyone is keen to fight for freedom of expression, you would do much better to look far beyond Westminster. Luckily, we have a new series of pamphlets from Letters on Liberty which should help you fight for freedom. Our latest three are available now, and make EXCELLENT stocking fillers! If you sign up as a paid sub stack subscriber, you’ll get all our Letters as they are released*

They will be officially launched at another event which you can join to fight for freedom. This is the Debating Matters Christmas Lecture on December 12 in London. I will see you there!