Labor leader Starmer proposes to abolish the ‘indefensible’ British House of Lords

by time news

Keir Starmer addresses MPs during a session in Parliament. / AFP

The head of the opposition, favorite to be the next ‘premier’, presents a historic reform that seeks to decentralize power in favor of the autonomies and regions

The British Labor leader, Keir Starmer, presented this Monday an extensive program of constitutional and institutional reforms, which contemplates eliminating the House of Lords -unelected and “indefensible” in his opinion-, ceding more powers to the autonomous governments and decentralizing the power to the regions and municipal authorities of England. It represents the “greatest transfer of power from Westminster to the British population,” according to the leader of the opposition and most advantaged candidate to take the helm of the United Kingdom in the next legislative elections, according to polls of voting intention.

The polls give Labor a clear rise while the Conservatives, the party now in government led by Rishi Sunak, fall to unprecedented levels of unpopularity. All this gives more value to the project that Starmer made public on Monday, who supported the proposals and conclusions of the report ‘A new Britain’ (A new United Kingdom), which he entrusted to a commission headed by former Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Keir Starmer, the boring Blair wannabe

The also head of the British Treasury during the 2008 financial crisis is committed to a revolutionary transformation of the government system, supported by the principle of subsidiarity, whereby decisions will be made at the level closest to the “population and communities.” Their report lists 40 recommendations for fundamental changes to “clean up politics,” restore electorate confidence, and rebalance the economy so that “the people of our four nations feel represented and empowered to shape their own futures and our collective aspirations.” as a country.”

The roadmap for “New Britain” (British politicians tend to refer to the United Kingdom when they speak of “Britain” simply), goes through the abolition of the historic House of Lords, currently made up of 92 hereditary seats of former and present large landowners and about 800 other life members, frequently appointed by outgoing prime ministers. Brown proposes replacing it with an Assembly of Nations and Regions, with “electoral legitimacy” and with “complementary” functions to those of the House of Commons, which will preserve its fundamental legislative role and its ability to overthrow the Executive in power. This second chamber will be “safeguard of the Constitution of the United Kingdom” and the new “distribution of power” within the country. As its name indicates, it will be made up of representatives of the central and regional governments and of the respective regional and municipal authorities.

In turn, it proposes “Councils of Nations and Regions”, structured at three different levels, which will ensure the strengthening and preservation of cooperation between the different poles of power, with a focus on coordinating economic development. Among them, the Council of England would be the connecting link between the Government of the United Kingdom and the “local government” and the mayors of the great English conurbations. In addition, the so-called ‘Great Chamber’ will be founded in the Westminster Parliament to debate and legislate purely English laws.

A report for discussion

Starmer endorsed the report without directly committing to implementing each of the 40 recommendations should he win an election scheduled for winter 2024. For now, he will open a period of consultations within and outside Labor – the report suggests promoting a national debate – In order to determine the matters and changes that will form part of the electoral manifesto. The objective, as he explained during the presentation of the project in the English city of Leed, is to decide and refine the “change” program, so that the implementation process would begin as soon as Labor’s victory in the elections was confirmed, as as the opinion polls predict.

“Rebuilding the economy destroyed by twelve years of failure by the Conservatives is the engine of this report and the next Labor government,” said Starmer, before noting that his team is “not short of ideas or ambitions.” According to his calculations, the reforms would be fully implemented in five years and would save the country 200 million pounds a year, largely by simplifying political structures. Even being aware of the historical weight that abolishing the House of Lords would entail, Starmer stressed that it is a body not elected by popular vote and is “indefensible.” “The fact that we have too much power in Whitehall (the street that houses some of the main headquarters of the Government) is holding us back,” he said.

Brown has delivered a 155-page document, the result of two years of work and analysis of the circumstances in each British district. Scotland is offered to expand its sphere of competence, including establishing international relations in matters transferred from Westminster and greater borrowing power and economic flexibility. “We offer changes within the UK that benefit Scotland, rather than changes for leaving ‘Britain,'” she said.

The former partner of Tony Blair compared the proposal with the Labor victory of 1997, when both introduced “rapid and radical political changes”, from the independence of the Bank of England to the autonomous system or the European legislation on Human Rights still in force, applied in the early phase of neo-labourism. Starmer asked for time to agree on the program in the pressing climate of economic crisis and international instability.

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