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A century of Lords reform - for the Inverness Courier
For more than one hundred years liberals have campaigned to bring democracy to one of the most significant but arcane institutions in our country – the House of Lords. If ever there was a time for a strong democratically based second chamber to reinforce our democracy, it is now.
The bill set out by the coalition government, which found overwhelming support in a historic vote in Parliament this week, is an important opportunity for new and healthy debate in our upper house - bringing more balance to our country’s democratic decision making process.
Without a doubt, there has been some political point scoring from the opposition, but what is important, as we move forward, is that all parties take responsibility and grasp this opportunity to do the right thing.
The reforms put forward in the Government’s bill will ensure that 80% of the members of the House of Lords are elected, providing them with an essential electoral mandate - while also building an upper house more representative of our society. Furthermore, an elected second chamber will also act as a greater check on executive power, strengthening Parliament as a whole and resulting in improved law-making.
When we return in the autumn to vote on this again, we fully expect support from our colleagues on both sides of the House – and, until then, the Liberal Democrats and the Government will continue to make our case for reform.
A Summer of Sport
2012 truly is going to be a year of sport that we will all remember for years to come.
A week past Sunday, along with millions of others, I tuned in to watch the first Wimbledon Men’s Singles final to feature a British man in over 74 years. I was immensely proud to watch Andy Murray play so well and, along with the rest of the nation, felt his anguish at his defeat to Federer.
On Friday I was privileged enough to be invited to attend The Scottish Open Golf at Castle Stuart, here in our constituency where the weather managed not to cause too much inconvenience. And in less than two weeks, we will see what I expect to be a spectacular opening ceremony to mark the beginning of the London 2012 Olympics.
Since the Olympic torch relay passed through Inverness on 9th and 11th June, I have been looking ahead with excitement to the first Olympics in Great Britain since 1948. Not only will this occasion instill a sense of pride for Great Britain, but it will also benefit the country.
The Olympics is a worldwide event that gives the UK an opportunity to sell itself to the world. Indeed some have estimated that the games will boost the UK’s economy by £13 billion over the next four years. I hope that many of those who travel to the UK for the Olympics will take the opportunity to travel to the Highlands to see what we have to offer.
Though the games are a long way from the Highlands, they provide us with a great opportunity to encourage young people to take up sport up and down the country. Inspired by watching the athletes perform to the highest standard, I hope that children are encouraged to take part in progammes such as ‘Sportivate’, a National Lottery funded legacy programme that aims to help young people who are not currently involved in a sport to find an activity that they enjoy. This is the Olympic legacy in action and I hope it will continue to inspire young athletes to stay active and healthy, possibly even nurturing the athletes of our future.
This is an extremely exciting year for sport in Britain, I’m looking forward to watching and supporting our Olympic and Paralympic athletes bring home an array of medals and wish them all the best of luck.
Posted on: 16/07/2012
