Mark Drakeford would refuse seat in House of Lords
First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he would not accept a seat in the House of Lords if asked.
Mr Drakeford, who confirmed he would stap down as the leader of Welsh Labour and First Minister early next year, was responding to a question put to him by the Press Association. It asked if he would accept a peerage in the Lords to swell Labour’s numbers in the Upper House of Parliament.
He responded: “I will not be looking to, if I were ever to be asked, I would not be looking to become a member of an unelected House of Lords.”
“I simply don’t believe that that is the right way to run things in a democracy.”
Support
Mr Drakeford also pointed to his support for Labour’s plans to reform the Lords, telling PA: “I think they are very important reforms. I don’t say for a minute that they all have to be done on the first day, but there is a journey of House of Lords reform that we need to embark upon.
“The fact that there are hereditary peers still making laws in this country is surely, well if I was to call it a democratic anachronism that would be giving you the kindest description I can think of.”
He also has said he is “optimistic” about the next general election for Labour, amid proposed budget cuts by the Labour-run Welsh Government.
Optimistic
Asked about how cuts in the devolved government’s draft budget might impact Labour’s popularity in Wales, the Welsh First Minister told the PA news agency: “We are, first of all, very optimistic about the general election and will continue as we always do to work as hard as we can to deliver as many Labour seats for a next Labour government as we can from Wales.
“I think people in Wales will be understanding of the context within which the budget is set.
“We have had to find £1.3 billion in our budget compared to the budget that was set for us by the Tories. That is the point I think we keep trying to explain to people.
“When Rishi Sunak was chancellor of the Exchequer, he set a budget for us in the Comprehensive Spending Review. The budget that he said we needed is worth £1.3 billion less than when he set it.
“The struggle that we face is a direct result in the way in which the Tories have managed the economy and the impact of inflation and so on, so I think in Wales there is a broad understanding of where the responsibility for all this lies.”
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ARTD has his arm up wildly shouting “please sir, me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me, I’ll take his spot!”
In my opinion the House of Lords is an archaic throwback that should be scrapped entirely. At present there are over 784 peers sitting in the Lord’s claiming £300+ per day just for turning up. What a waste of money. Also, I don’t hear the likes of hypocritical Brit Nat Neil Kinnock who on his soapbox wanted in the 1970s to abolishing this democratic dinosaur. Oh, no. This traitor to Walesnow wallows like a pig in the proverbial as a life peer. It’s , “I’m alright Jack and screw you Champaign Socialism!. ” And where’s Andrew RT Davies & Welsh… Read more »
With over 800 unelected Life Members, the House of Lords is grossly archaic, entirely undemocratic and is the second largest legislative chamber on earth (second only to China’s) and the only one, except for Iran’s, that has clerics as members in their own right (Bishops and Archbishops – but only English ones!). It is also the only Upper House in world Parliaments/Congresses/Assemblies that has more members than its Lower House. I raise my hat to Mark Drakeford for refusing to join such an objectionable, aristocratic institution many of whose privileged members are cronies of Prime Ministers.
I change my mind, he should accept it, it will wind up the Cons and anti 20mph a treat.
The level of respect I have for Prof. Mark Drakeford has greatly increased as a result of his statement that he would refuse a seat in house of lords!
I agree with all those that say the house of lords should be abolished, because it is anti-democratic, in addition the hereditary head of state (monarchy) must also be abolished! Britain/Wales is no better than north korea while we retain a monarch!