果冻影院

Released today, the timely research is revealed on the same day that No 10听has announced 26 new peerages, nominated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The findings come from a survey carried out for the Democracy in the UK after Brexit project, in which over 2000 members of the public were asked a trio of questions about their views on the House of Lords.

The survey asked respondents to choose between three options on how members are appointed. Only 6% supported the current system, whereby the Prime Minister appoints new members to the House of Lords. In contrast, 58% supported an independent body appointing new members (including 54% of those who voted Conservative in 2019). An additional 17% indicated that they agreed equally with both statements, while 19% selected 鈥榙on鈥檛 know鈥�. Excluding those who answered 鈥榙on鈥檛 know鈥�, just 7% supported the current system, while 72% supported change (21% supported both equally).

The 果冻影院 survey revealed that only 3% of respondents supported the current lack of size limits of the House of Lords, which is the largest second chamber in the world, at around 800 members. Instead, 65% believed that the number of members in the Lords should be no greater than the 650 MPs in the House of Commons (rising to 77% among 2019 Conservative voters). A further 9% of the overall sample agreed with both statements equally, while 23% responded 鈥榙on鈥檛 know鈥�. Excluding 鈥榙on鈥檛 knows鈥�, just 4% supported the status quo, against 84% who wanted change (11% agreed with both equally).

However, the results did not show strong support for moving towards a system of elected members in the Lords 鈥� with a roughly equal number of respondents supporting elected members as appointed. According to the survey, 29% of respondents agreed that the chamber 鈥榮hould include elected members to ensure that it is democratically accountable to the people鈥�, while 28% agreed that the Lords 鈥榮hould include appointed members to ensure that it contains experts and people independent of political parties鈥�. Meanwhile 26% agreed or disagreed with both statements equally, and 18% responded 鈥榙on鈥檛 know鈥�. There was relatively little difference between the views of 2019 voters for different political parties.

Professor Meg Russell (Director of 果冻影院 Constitution Unit) said: 鈥淭oday鈥檚听batch of new peers nominated by Boris Johnson have, as usual, faced minimal oversight, and they will further swell the size of the roughly 800-member chamber.

鈥淥ur new survey results clearly demonstrate public rejection of the system of prime ministerial patronage to the Lords, and the chamber鈥檚 growing size.

鈥淭he public want a more clearly regulated system, involving an independent appointments commission and a clear cap on the size of the Lords. But this does not necessarily mean rejecting appointments altogether. In the short term, politicians should urgently focus on cleaning up the present system.鈥�

The Democracy in the UK after Brexit project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and led by Professor Alan Renwick.

Links

• 果冻影院 Constitution Unit
• 果冻影院 Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences听
• Democracy in the UK after Brexit听project

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