Constitutional long-grass and unintended consequences: the 'reformed' House of Lords in the Westminster political system

A number of different proposals to reform the House of Lords have been outlined since the Labour government pledged to reform the second chamber in 1997. This paper seeks to explore the various characteristics of the reformed second chamber that different actors involved in the reform process have said they wished to achieve. These characteristics are contexualised with reference to some of the literature on the role and purpose of second chambers within the political system, and the types of issues that need attention in terms of a reformed House of Lords. This analysis draws particular attention to the question of the legitimacy of the reformed second chamber, which helps illuminate how the current cycle of Lords’ reform has resulted in various unintended consequences. Finally, the paper looks at the extent to which the issue of House of Lords reform has been kicked into the constitutional long-grass