MP quits as Falconer aide

Last updated at 15:22 20 June 2006


A Labour MP has resigned as the unpaid aide of Lord Falconer in order to be able to speak freely about House of Lords reform, it has emerged.

Chris Bryant stepped down as the Lord Chancellor's parliamentary private secretary last night ahead of a Westminster Hall debate.

Parliamentary private secretaries cannot speak on issues over which their department has any responsibility.

Mr Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, today urged the Government to reform the role and powers of the Upper House before tackling its composition.

The issue is back in the Westminster spotlight with Commons leader Jack Straw charged with delivering the next stage of reform.

A joint committee of both Houses is currently examining the powers and conventions, but not the composition, of the Lords.

Mr Straw has said there should be agreement about conventions first.

Mr Bryant dubbed the current make-up of the Lords "farcical" and insisted it should become as democratic and representative as possible.

The MP, who favours a mainly elected Lords, argued: "But the most important issue is actually the power and the function of the second chamber.

"After all, it is an important principle of architecture that form should serve function, not the other way round."

Mr Bryant said the precise nature of the power of the Lords was "nebulous", having been framed more by convention than statute.

It was vital to clarify and codify these conventions before any other reforms.

He said peers' ability to veto legislation was only mitigated by Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 and by convention.

But these were "problematic" and a new Parliament Act was required to codify existing conventions and govern the relationship between the two Houses.

Most watched News videos