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House of Lords Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Statement yesterday rejected the Bill because it did not offer comprehensive reform. Other speakers have argued today that the Bill is compatible with comprehensive reform and that it is a step on the way. I shall argue against the whole concept of big-bang comprehensive reform, with its huge opportunity costs and its unanticipated consequences. I favour incrementalism, not as a step towards comprehensive reform but as an alternative to it. Fifteen years down the line, we may or may not have strong regional bodies that, together with the devolved Administrations, might allow an approximation of the federal structure that underpins almost all elected second Chambers around the world. By then we may have a different relationship with Europe and we may or may not still have an established church—we do not know. Any such change, however, would require significant constitutional adjustment. In the absence of a written constitution, such adjustments cannot and will not happen in the other place. Only a flexible, adaptive second Chamber has the headspace for such incremental change, and we should value that flexibility highly. We should expect to return to questions of the composition, function and powers of this House over time as new constitutional pressures emerge. We owe that to the citizens of this country. I state my opposition—in a very conservative way—to big-bang comprehensive reform. I value the process of incremental change for its learning loops and its adaptive quality, and as a way of ensuring that the constitution between the two Houses of Parliament best fits the emerging needs of this country and all its citizens.