The next challenge is how to make it actually representative instead of being a reward for party cronies like Peter Mandelson. Maybe it could be something like jury duty and members of the public cycle in for a year (with training).
I’ve long held the opinion that the upper chamber should be 1/3 appointed apolitical experts (scientists, doctors businesspeople etc) and 2/3 sortition, so drawn from the pool of registered voters like jury duty is. That way your retain the best bit of the lords, the expertise, and make it a far more democratic body without it having a direct electoral mandate to challange the commons.
The next challenge is how to make it actually representative instead of being a reward for party cronies like Peter Mandelson. Maybe it could be something like jury duty and members of the public cycle in for a year (with training).
I’ve long held the opinion that the upper chamber should be 1/3 appointed apolitical experts (scientists, doctors businesspeople etc) and 2/3 sortition, so drawn from the pool of registered voters like jury duty is. That way your retain the best bit of the lords, the expertise, and make it a far more democratic body without it having a direct electoral mandate to challange the commons.