Too many members in our Parliament (From Hereford Times)

Too many members in our Parliament

8:00am Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

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THERE are too many MPs and lords. More than 200 years ago British political philosophers helped to write the American Constitution and did not replicate what we had here.

The US House of Representatives has 425 members (the House of Commons has 646 MPs) and their Senate has 100 members (the House of Lords has 724 lords). Enormous savings could be made by reducing our Parliament to the US numbers.

The reorganisation of the constituencies could provide fairer representation for everyone. The Commons could be elected by 425 constituencies of equally sized electorates.

The House of Lords could follow the American pattern and be elected on county constituencies with two lords or senators being elected by each county.

It is fair because smaller rural areas are under-represented now and will get more say under the new system.

It is not unfair to larger counties because they get more say in the House of Commons: under the new system Hereford would elect two lords and say two MPs, whereas Yorkshire whilst only electing two lords would elect 20 or so MPs.

The government is presently working on parliamentary reform. I should guess that reducing the numbers of MPs and lords to the numbers suggested above does not come into their thinking.

If we, the electorate, do not do something we will get fobbed off with a minimal reduction in numbers of MPs and a partly appointed House of Lords. If you agree, please write to your MP to make it clear that he should work for this radical change and catch up with what was sensible 200 years ago.

A S BOLTON, Kimbolton, Leominster.