The House of Lords 1911-2011 - A Century of Non-Reform

Zusatztext The books covers each attempt at reform in remarkable detail! demonstrating the author's deep familiarity with the subject. The footnotes are a trove of information...It is to be hoped that at some point a second edition will cover these (and no doubt other) developments with the same elegance and mastery as Dr Ballinger demonstrates in this splendid book. Surely he is unrivalled in academia in his depth of knowledge of this subject. Informationen zum Autor Chris Ballinger is Academic Dean and Official Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. Klappentext House of Lords reform is often characterised as unfinished business: a riddle that has been left unanswered since 1911. But rarely can an unanswered riddle have had so many answers offered, even though few have been accepted; indeed, when Viscount Cave was invited in the mid-1920s to lead a Cabinet committee on Lords reform, he complained of finding 'the ground covered by an embarrassing mass of proposals'.That embarrassing mass increased throughout the twentieth century. Much ink has been spilled on what should be done with the upper House of Parliament; much less ink has been expended on why reform has been so difficult to achieve.This book analyses in detail the principal attempts to reform the House of Lords. Starting with the Parliament Act of 1911 the book examines the century of non-reform that followed, drawing upon substantial archival sources, many of which have been under-utilised until now. These sources challenge many of the existing understandings of the history of House of Lords reform and the reasons for success or failure of reform attempts. The book begins by arguing against the popular idea that the 1911 Act was intended by its supporters to be a temporary measure.'No one - peers included - should be allowed to pronounce about the future of the House of Lords without reading Chris Ballinger's authoritative, shrewd and readable account about reform attempts over the past century. He punctures several widely-held myths and claims in the current debate.'Rt Hon Peter Riddell CBEDirector, Institute for Government and former Hansard Society chair'This is at once an impeccably researched academic study, and a thoroughly readable account loaded with lessons for today's would-be Lords reformers.'Lord (David) Lipsey Zusammenfassung This book analyses in detail the principal attempts to reform the House of Lords. Starting with the Parliament Act of 1911 the book examines the century of non-reform that followed, in the process drawing upon substantial archival sources, many of which have been under-utilised until now. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction: Reform and Non-reform Reform and Non-reform A Century of Non-reform The Evolution of the House of Lords Twelve Instances of Reform and Non-reform 1 Veto Limitation over Reform: The Parliament Act 1911 The Political Situation, 1906–07 Cabinet Discussions on Lords Reform, 1907 Budget Rejection, 1909 Between the 1910 Elections The Parliament Bill 1911 Reform following Veto Limitation? 1911–14 Conclusion 2 'The Battle is Over': House of Lords Reform, 1917–45 The Bryce Conference, 1917–18 Cabinet Committees, 1921–22 The Cabinet Committee, 1925–27 Lords reform in the 1920s Avoiding Reform, 1928–45 3 A Pre-emptive Strike: The Parliament Act 1949 Labour and the House of Lords Moves Towards reform, 1943–47 Nationalisation and House of Lords Reform The Parliament Bill 1947 The Party Leaders' Conference 1948 The Parliament Bill Resumed The Iron and Steel Bill Conclusion 4 Diluting the Hereditary Principle?: The Life Peerages Act 1958 Life Peers Inter-Party Discussions Discussions, 1953–55 Limiting the Hereditaries: Proposals Wider Reform: The Cabinet Committee, 1955–56 Short and Long Bills The Life Peerages Bill Limiting the Hereditary Peers Conclusion 5 'The Wedgwood Benn Enabling Bill': The Peerage Act 1963 A Hereditary Li...

Product details

• Authors: Chris Ballinger
• Publisher: Hart Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.10.2012
• EAN: 9781849462891
• ISBN: 978-1-84946-289-1
• No. of pages: 264
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 234 mm x 22 mm
• Series: Hart Studies in Constitutional Law
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Law > International law, foreign law