Political and Constitutional Reform

Caroline Flint Excerpts

Monday 5th July 2010 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

IPSA, as the hon. Gentleman knows, is entirely independent.

[Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab)]

We are the only Parliament in the world whose second Chamber is larger than the first, and Labour’s next phase of reform would have addressed that—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. The House must hear the right hon. Lady.

[Caroline Flint]

Is it true that the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition plans not only to allow existing peers to remain until they die, but to create nearly 200 more peers at a time when they are going to cut the number of MPs?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I am delighted to hear that the right hon. Lady is already talking about the next phase of Labour’s reforms. I wonder what that is. Is it the phase that was in the manifesto in 1997 that was never delivered; the phase about improving individual electoral registration; the phase in favour of a referendum; the phase to devolve power; or the phase to decentralise government in this country?

[Caroline Flint]

Answer the question!

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

At the rate the Opposition are going, there is never going to be another phase.