Lib Dems get five new peers and drop opposition to government bill

Photo by Martina Jorden on Unsplash

I can't see behind its paywall, but the Telegraph is convinced that the Liberal Democrats dropped their opposition to the government's workers' rights bill in return for being granted five peerages.

Whether there's anything to this theory I can't say, but I'm pleased by both its elements.

We Lib Dems have been short of new peers since the debacle of 2015, so it's good to see three being appointed – working for the leader now seems to be the highway to ermine. 

In fact we were granted five peerages, but two of those went to hereditary peers who are party spokespeople – Dominic Addington and John Russell. It may a good sign that this has been done, because it suggests it's still possible that Labour will remove hereditaries from the House of Lords.

Reform of the Lord's is desperately needed – it's one of the largest legislative chambers in the world and, uniquely, larger that it's own lower house. But while it exists in its current Ruritarian state, we need good Lib Dems to be there.

And I am delighted to see the Lib Dems dropping their opposition to Labour's workers' rights bill in the Lords.

Since the last election we have come for landowners, for parents who send their children to private schools and for the owners of £2m homes. It's good to see us siding with the workers again.

So if there has been a deal, we've driven a good bargain. Because both sides of it are good for the Lib Dems.