Clegg's curate's egg

Nick Clegg is going to announce reform today. No more conforming, but reforming the system. I have a gut sense at the moment that it will be deforming. Particularly with regard to the House of Lords.

This new august body will be elected by proportional representation. So presumably out go the bishops, in come the BNPeers. Out go the crossbenchers, in come the crossdressers. Out go the hereditary peers, in come the 21st century proletariat. A bunch of second division politicians who won't know whether they are to muse over government legislation or to stand their ground and confront the Commons.

Nick Clegg needs to know a bit more about unravelling the constitution and its consequences. Yesterday, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord High Chancellor were given pecking order mention on the first day back for MPs. We know what happened to the Lord Chancellor's position. It was gravely attacked by the closet republicans of New Labour. Is Rowan Williams going to turfed off the red benches with equal unceremonious ingratitude? Does Nick Clegg have any clue about the Established Church? I've not heard one word about it.

The House of Lords is a fine institution. It is the only second chamber in the entire world to examine legislation with such mental dexterity and service to the nation. The crossbenchers provide a whole host of independently minded peers. And each and every one of the noble lords is able to take up causes on behalf of the public. Being unelected does NOT mean they are divorced from the general political life.

What is to be the suggested replacement? Elected people! Well, I've got an MP for that. Do I want the second placed person in the constituency poll to go for the "Senate"? A slate of rejects hoping for some political crumbs. If the new chamber is to have limited powers who wants to be elected to such a chamber? So many questions. The answers aren't so good.