The good thing about Boris being re-elected as Mayor of London is that he is able to be more honest and less calculating in his writing (I think).  Rather than seeking to sidestep the gaffs that once characterised his political life and making sure he mentions as many groups of potential voters as possible, he can now say just about whatever he likes.  This brings a clarity of thought to his outpouringss.

His article in The Daily Telegraph today is one that I agree with completely.  Why are we wasting time trying to fix a political institution that works well, costs little and commands considerable respect.  The argument that hereditary peers should not play a part in our legislative process is a strong one and I am not about to put up resistance on this point now that we appear to have a wider cross section of the population being appointed as life peers.  What we absolutely must resist is the creation of a second chamber as another job opportunity for career politicians.

Members of The House of Lords should be free from short term electoral concerns, but they should be free also from the party whips and immediate public pressure.  There job is to get it right when revising legislation brought forward by our elected representatives.  Democracy does not mean creating legislation in the pages of the tabloids and it is disappointing to see how readily politicians in The House of Commons change their opinion as a result of a public outcry whipped up by a media campaign.

The House of Lords is the only practical check we have on party political dogma.  Quite rightly, it cannot prevent the government of the day from passing legislation but it can ensure that the legislation that is passed has been properly considered.  In seeking to reform the Lords in this way, the Lib-Dems are showing that they would rather play political games than do the difficult work that is required to get the country back to economic prosperity.