British Labor vows to abolish 'indefensible' House of Lords

MADRID, 5 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The leader of the British Labor Party, Keir Starmer, has promised this Monday "the greatest transfer of power" from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of Parliament, to the citizens of the United Kingdom in case of being elected, with measures, such as, for example, the abolition of the "indefensible" House of Lords.

Starmer presented on Monday Labor's plans for the next legislature, with which, according to his estimates, the country would save 200 million pounds a year. The report, produced by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, makes 40 recommendations, including granting new economic powers to local governments and authorities.

"I am very interested that all the recommendations of the report are carried out as quickly as possible," said Starmer, who is confident that they could be put into operation in the first five years of a future Labor administration.

Among these proposals is the elimination of the House of Lords, not elected by popular vote. "I think the fact that we have too much power in Whitehall - the street where some of the main British government headquarters are located - is holding us back."

"Among the reasons why we have failed to grow our economy in the last 12 years is that we have not allowed every part of the UK to play its part economically," the Labor leader said on the BBC.

In addition to getting rid of the Houses of Lords -on Labor's agenda for many years-, among the proposals in this report also stands out, for example, the transfer of up to 50,000 posts from Whitehall to the outskirts of London, prohibiting the great majority of second jobs for MPs and eliminate foreign funding in UK politics.

Likewise, it also contemplates the creation of a new anti-corruption office, giving greater economic and fiscal powers to local authorities and governments, and including the Scottish Parliament in international agreements that are related to their areas and economic spaces.

The size and role of the House of Lords has come under particular public scrutiny in recent years, as perceptions grow, according to former Prime Minister Brown, that they are there "because they are friends with the Conservative Party and not because of their contribution to public policies".

Labour's proposal is very ambitious as it would require its members to accept their departure, or at least be reformed in some way. The size of this chamber, with 830 seats, contrasts with those of other second chambers of other parliaments, such as the United States Senate, with one hundred.