- Let's talk about your work in the House of Lords
but first, maybe we have to talk about
what is the House of Lords?
Because many of our audience
in America might not understand,
they probably have seen question time
in the House of Commons and they don't know
the difference between the House of Commons,
the House of Lords, but maybe you can give us a quick,
history brief on house--
- I'm not sure I can give you a quick history brief.
House of Lords goes back to almost the original parliaments,
that they were all made up of all the very well to do
and the aristocracy I mean,
that's what parliament was packed full of.
Today, it has obviously the whole process
of the spreading the vote out.
So the elected chamber, it now has prominence priority
over the role of the house of Lords
which has become more scrutinising, revising,
and amending legislation,
which gets passed up to it from the Commons.
However, I mean the House of Lords still does have power
to reject legislation.
Although there is a Salisbury convention,
which says that we can amend and send back
and if the Common sends it back again,
then we are in this process of ping pong it's called.
and in the end we have to give way.
But that's only on policies
on bills which are connected to the government's manifesto
at the time of the election.
So it's worked on the argument that they were elected
on these promises and the House of Lords shouldn't stand
in the way.
If the government brings a bill in which was not
in the manifesto, then actually the House of Lords still has
the power to reject it.
And the current state of affairs,
the House of Lords has a majority
in opposition to the government.
So I mean that'S just telling you the current position
but to get into the House of Lords,
you're actually appointed by the queen.
In reality, the prime minister gives the queen a list,
there has been vetting and all sorts
of other things going on.
But you, the members of the House of Lords
are obviously many political people who have been ministers
or members of the Commons or being in maybe
in the local council or even in trade unions,
whatever you have, medics, medical professors,
academics, lot of legal people,
a lot of lawyers, ex judges, et cetera.
So there is, the age profile is much older.
I think it's the average age is actually over 70, 75 almost
but there is the wisdom there
and it is a place where you can have a reasoned debate.
There is a requirement for courtesy.
There is, we're not allowed to say you,
we say the noble Lord has said this
or the noble Baroness has said this, you know,
we have these, if you like,
slightly old fashioned ways of talking to one another
but it maintains a courteous relationship
where debate can take place.
And I mean, I heard there was a saying whereby,
it's basically saying it's better to debate a subject
and not to have an agreement than not to have a conclusion
than to have a conclusion without a debate.
And I think the House of Lords is one
of the few places you can have that reasoned debate.
So if you read hands-off,
it's very different to the debate in the Commons.
- Yeah, and it shows, I mean, and again,
the House of commons are elected by the people based
on geographies throughout the United Kingdom,
650 constituents there.
And then House of Lords 797, I think appointed for life.
And because you have that life appointment, you can
and you have that wisdom, you can kind of go deeper
and really construct policies over time,
that mean a lot to you,
that you can then send to the House of Commons.
Whereas, and this is maybe a generalisation,
the House of Commons, the people there,
they really have to look out for their constituency.
They have to help administer that,
do what's in the best interest
and also worry about elections every four to five years.
And so it's almost like you have more time
to do more important long-term work.
- Absolutely right.
I think it's a huge advantage to join, when I,
you know, when I was advised, you know,
the queen was giving me a peerage, I thought,
well all this is very nice and it's very nice for my wife,
she'll be, you know, Lady Farmer and so,
but actually within a day, I suddenly thought I could speak,
I can stand up and speak.
I can talk about families.
I can talk about the things which matter to me.
And there is that, you're absolutely right,
that a sort of not relaxation
but that comfort that knowing that you're there
for as many days as the good Lord gives you on this earth.
And you can do your work there,
even if you're in opposition,
even if you're for Europe, you know, a lowly back bencher,
you can still stand up and speak
and you can still influence.
I had a little experience when I came
into the House of Lords,
you have to do all sorts of filling forms
and all sorts of other things.
And I was talking to one of the clerks of parliament there,
filling in forms but I was not interested
in things like that.
And I said, look, you don't really need to worry about me.
I'm one of the lowest
of the low 'cause I'm also a back bencher.
And he went, "Excuse me, my Lord,
you're one of the people who makes the laws
which I have to obey."
And I thought (sighs) right,
I should put me in my place(laughing)
(slow music)