Labour’s plans for Lords will create “arm wrestle” for power, Hoyle says

Lindsay Hoyle has criticised Labour’s plans to replace the House of Lords with an elected body and warned that they would result in an “arm wrestle” for supremacy between the Commons and the second chamber.

In an LBC Radio interview, Hoyle – who normally remains neutral given his position as Speaker of the House of Commons – told listeners: “I don’t think we should have a second house that’s elected. I don’t want competition.”

He added: “Who’s got supremacy? At the moment, it’s very clear the House of Commons, the elected House, has supremacy, once you have a second house that’s elected, then you’re into an arm wrestle about who has the power.”

Hoyle suggested Labour reconsider its plans, saying that “if people want to reform it, please do – but do not have a second elected house”. “We don’t need the competition. Supremacy is going to remain with the Commons. That is what people recognise as the senior house,” Hoyle said.

“We don’t want any arm struggles. We want to very clear, distinct powers separated very, very easily straightforward, but not via an election.”

Keir Starmer announced earlier this month that a Labour government would abolish the House of Lords “as quickly as possible”, ideally within the first term, and replace it with a “new, smaller, democratically elected second chamber”. He argued the proposal would be less expensive and better represent people across the UK.

The plan to remove the House of Lords is one of the proposals made in Gordon Brown’s report on the constitution, commissioned by Starmer in 2020. The report called for a new constitutional law setting out how political power should be shared, with decisions to be taken “as close as meaningfully possible” to the people affected.

The former Labour Prime Minister argued that the House of Lords is “indefensible” and warned that the issue of its existence could “come to a head” when Boris Johnson publishes his resignation honours list, which is expected to include a number of controversial figures.

Dan Rosenfield, for example, is expected to be on the list. The former chief of staff to Johnson is currently facing allegations that he bullied junior members of staff during his time at Downing Street. Other No 10 employees have warned that Rosenfield receiving a peerage would be “entirely inappropriate”.