News

Iain McLean comments on the troubles of the House of Lords

Professor Iain McLean has provided expert comment to Canada's CBC News (29 July), on the current difficulties of the British House of Lords, in light of the recent Lord Sewel scandal.


Iain commented that whilst "It's always said that it's effective as a revising chamber," the trouble with the Lords is that "there's many other functions — notably being a place where you can put rich donors to your party." He also addressed the lack of an effective mechanism for expelling disgraced peers who are not willing to resign. "These things keep happening... From time to time, a lord gets caught doing various things … a lord would get jailed for fraud, then after they finish their jail term, they pop back,".

The full article can be read here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/britain-s-lord-coke-vs-canada-s-senate-expenses-pick-your-house-of-sober-second-thought-1.3171601