So the leitmotif of most Brexopaths when explaining their loathing of the

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

'Doubtless' here meaning 'not', I assume? Because that bit of whataboutery simply doesn't work. The House of Lords is wholly unfit for purpose, being packed to the rafters by patronage appointees from the political mainstream.

Also, it may have escaped your attention, h, but there are few Brexiteers with a good word to say about the passionately Europhile House of Lords.

But despite being a bunch of appointees, it actually does a rather good job of tidying up rushed HoC legislation in the Cttee stage and also contains a far wider area of expertise than the average HoC.

Obviously no-one in their right mind wouldn't design a 2nd chamber like this, but to claim it's not fit for purpose is wrong. It hasn't delayed anything for decades but has made a huge number of positive ammendments to HoC legislation.

I doubt a neutral observer, looking at the last 3 months, would choose the HoL if the question was "Which house is the most dysfunctional?"

[Burney]

But despite being a bunch of appointees, it actually does a rather good job of tidying up rushed HoC legislation in the Cttee stage and also contains a far wider area of expertise than the average HoC.

Obviously no-one in their right mind wouldn't design a 2nd chamber like this, but to claim it's not fit for purpose is wrong. It hasn't delayed anything for decades but has made a huge number of positive ammendments to HoC legislation.

I doubt a neutral observer, looking at the last 3 months, would choose the HoL if the question was "Which house is the most dysfunctional?"

The HofC is only ‘dysfunctional’ as it has to answer to an electorate. That messiness is a feature of democracy, not a bug.

By contrast, it’s quite easy to function smoothly and coherently when you have a sinecure for life and don’t have to worry about accountability.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

The HofC is only ‘dysfunctional’ as it has to answer to an electorate. That messiness is a feature of democracy, not a bug.

By contrast, it’s quite easy to function smoothly and coherently when you have a sinecure for life and don’t have to worry about accountability.

So the HoC rushing and whipping legislation at the Ctte and Report stages between the 2nd and 3rd reading is all down to the fact that they have voters to answer to.

While the Lords actually bothering to consider things in detail and point out the errors and inconsistencies in the legislation sent to them is down to them not having electors to answer to.

Ok. Right. Sure. That makes sense.

[Burney]

So the HoC rushing and whipping legislation at the Ctte and Report stages between the 2nd and 3rd reading is all down to the fact that they have voters to answer to.

While the Lords actually bothering to consider things in detail and point out the errors and inconsistencies in the legislation sent to them is down to them not having electors to answer to.

Ok. Right. Sure. That makes sense.

Errr. Yes. What's hard to grasp about that? The panic derives directly from the democratic imperative placed on MPs and their need to balance the sometimes impossible demands of voters, party, necessity and conscience.
The calm consideration is what you see from the Lords is that of people who know they are not going to be held accountable for anything.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Errr. Yes. What's hard to grasp about that? The panic derives directly from the democratic imperative placed on MPs and their need to balance the sometimes impossible demands of voters, party, necessity and conscience.
The calm consideration is what you see from the Lords is that of people who know they are not going to be held accountable for anything.

You've never actually studied how our parliamentary democracy works, have you?

Had you argued that the HoC can play fast and loose in Ctte because they know the Lords will do the donkey work for them, then I'd have conceded you might have a point.*

But to suggest that the whipped Cttee members are rushing things because they are accountable to voters is pure drivel.

No-one can tell what Cttees their MPs are on and what they said and how they voted.

The public might, just might, pay attention to how their MPs voted at 2nd and 3rd reading.

But if you think the Cttee work is influenced by the MPs' voters you're wrong.

It's more to do with most MPs finding Cttee tedious and just wanting to do what their whips tell them. While the Lords will have experts in most fields who'll volunteer to do it.


*Though you wouldn't do that because it would back up my point about the HoL doing a useful job.