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IDEAS
REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

At a recent meeting of the PLP, George Foulkes spoke out for the first time as a Peer on Lords Reform. Here is a summary of what he said:

“There are three logical ways in which the Lords can be reformed.

The first is abolition. I voted for that – when I was in the Commons.

The second is a fully elected Second Chamber. But this will inevitably challenge the privacy of the Commons. For example, if I was elected as a Senator from Scotland my mandate would be even more powerful than a constituency MP. Some would argue that if the second chamber were elected by STV, it would have even more legitimacy.

The third logical composition is to retain a fully appointed second chamber, prescribe its powers carefully to entrench the primacy of the Commons, and improve the transparency and accountability of the appointments process with a statutory appointments system.

What is currently being proposed – a hybrid house – is the worst of all worlds.

This plan would have two classes of members. As we see from Scotland and Wales, that idea is a recipe for competition and confusion.

If the elected members were chosen separately from the Commons, how could we get a turnout?

It would also still challenge the supremacy of the Commons if a percentage were elected.

So let’s get rid of the remaining Hereditaries and the Bishops, improve the appointments system, and leave the Commons supreme.”

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ENERGY FOR SCOTLAND

On May 3rd 2007 I will be seeking the votes of Lothian electors for the Scottish Parliament. One of the key issues is energy – all forms of generation, not just nuclear.

I used to be a nuclear sceptic and against all forms of new nuclear generation. But as a Minister, I sat on the energy review, and it was clear that there was a growing danger of an energy gap. This could then only be filled by gas imported from increasingly unstable countries or new clean nuclear power.

With nuclear generators now producing minimal waste with much higher safety levels, I became convinced that this option should be kept open.

Meanwhile, renewable sources of energy, which were ignored by the Tories, have been given a major boost by Labour with the climate change levy and other measures. As a result, we have seen wind power generation increase dramatically. Other renewables, such as wave, tidal, biomass, and methane, need further work.

A new clean coal power station was recently announced. There is still a great place for coal in an energy policy that needs security of supply and a variety of sources.

So we need not get too excited about an early decision on a new Scottish nuclear power station. With coal, hydro, gas, oil, and a life-extension to the Torness, we should be OK as we develop renewables and completely new energy resources.

Let’s not be press-ganged into thinking we have to make any early decision on this.

We can work with the Greens, the Lib Dems, or both, if necessary, as this needs not be a sticking point.

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LAW AND ORDER

I have recently been chairing seminars organised by Westminster Briefing which brings together Home Office officials, law enforcement officers, civil service, and civilian activists to discuss Law and Order matters. I find these events to be very useful in uniting policy makers and activists.

Through these seminars, my beliefs that we should not get into an artificial divide on Law and Order have been solidified. Everyone must agree that anyone who poses a danger to the public needs to be locked up.

Equally, it is counterproductive, ineffective, and costly to put away fine defaulters, confused shoplifters, and inadequate drifters.

So let’s get a crackdown on drug dealers, rapists, knife wielders, and murderers.

But also, let’s not keep building more of the prisons that become training academies for criminals.

Likewise, more work needs to be done on the issue of infants and families. The Wave Trust has shown that we can know whether a child is in danger of going into a life of crime by the age of three.

We need more early intervention. We must break the taboo that restricts us from putting right these “problem families.” The vicious cycle of crime is clear when you look at the family background of young criminals.

Why do we let mistaken ideas of privacy, human rights, and/or family responsibility stop us from breaking down these vicious cycles that return to haunt us a few years later?