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..on your hair. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:03 | |
We hold the peers' robes and therefore we come along here | 0:00:04 | 0:00:07 | |
and make sure they're all dressed correctly before going into Chamber. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:11 | |
All done? Thank you. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:12 | |
There's a lot of history, a lot of pageantry. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:15 | |
It's great. | 0:00:15 | 0:00:16 | |
It's just an amazing environment to come into. It's a real privilege. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:20 | |
Everyone's wanting to look their best. | 0:00:20 | 0:00:23 | |
In Westminster, Lords prepare for the biggest show of the year. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:28 | |
If the House of Lords could ever get buzzy, this is the buzzy day. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:32 | |
Waiting for the Queen to get back onto the carriage again | 0:00:34 | 0:00:37 | |
and drop off at the palace. | 0:00:37 | 0:00:40 | |
With unprecedented access, we filmed behind-the-scenes, | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
where senior Lords are calling for change... | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
The reputation of the Lords has gone down and down and down. | 0:00:47 | 0:00:50 | |
This is not a daycare centre or a club. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:56 | |
It is actually a legislative house. | 0:00:56 | 0:00:58 | |
Running out of buckets! | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
We're running out of buckets. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:03 | |
..and the Brexit vote that could determine their future. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:07 | |
This is much bigger than anything I've encountered | 0:01:07 | 0:01:09 | |
during my political lifetime. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
They will open up a firestorm of resentment in the country. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:17 | |
-As many of that opinion will say content. -LORDS: Content. | 0:01:17 | 0:01:20 | |
GREENWICH TIME SIGNAL PIPS | 0:01:27 | 0:01:30 | |
'It's seven o'clock on Wednesday the 18th of May. The news headlines - | 0:01:31 | 0:01:35 | |
'the Queen will set out the government's programme this morning | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
'in the traditional speech to Parliament. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:39 | |
'Far-reaching changes are proposed to the running of prisons in | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
'England and Wales...' | 0:01:42 | 0:01:44 | |
For many staff in the House of Lords, | 0:01:44 | 0:01:45 | |
it's the busiest day of the year. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
Hopefully, there'll be no parking problems, | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
cos nobody should be coming in here to park. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:51 | |
I'm saying that now, we've got a police convoy coming in. | 0:01:51 | 0:01:54 | |
SIRENS WAIL | 0:01:54 | 0:01:55 | |
A bit hectic at the moment. | 0:01:55 | 0:01:57 | |
This is the point where everyone just starts to panic. | 0:01:57 | 0:02:01 | |
-MOBILE PHONE RINGS -And phone calls start to come in. | 0:02:01 | 0:02:03 | |
-More fried eggs, please! -OK. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
There's a massive queue. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
-More hash browns, please. -OK. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:13 | |
Security is through the roof, | 0:02:16 | 0:02:17 | |
you've probably seen all the roads shut off outside. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:20 | |
And everybody comes in early, | 0:02:20 | 0:02:21 | |
because basically if you don't get in, you don't get in. | 0:02:21 | 0:02:23 | |
The palace shuts down. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:25 | |
-Good morning. -Wow. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:29 | |
-Right. -Here we are again. -Hello, hello, hello. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:32 | |
Upstairs, the Lords library has been commandeered as a changing room. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:36 | |
-You'll have a lot waiting here soon, won't you? -Yeah, there'll be a rush. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:40 | |
You need to put them on correctly, because obviously you want | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
them to go through and present themselves in the best way possible. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
They're excited and they want the day to be a great success. | 0:02:49 | 0:02:52 | |
It's like a sort of prize-giving with knobs on! | 0:02:52 | 0:02:55 | |
Hello. Good morning to you. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:57 | |
An officer on the active list, | 0:02:57 | 0:02:58 | |
you have to wear your number one uniform - | 0:02:58 | 0:03:00 | |
a ceremonial day coat, which is all this stuff underneath here | 0:03:00 | 0:03:03 | |
with medals and goodness knows what. | 0:03:03 | 0:03:04 | |
So, lots of bling. More bling than my wife. | 0:03:04 | 0:03:07 | |
I think the public like to keep some traditions. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:09 | |
I think we have to watch them that we don't have too many | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
and they're not those which are so out of date that the young say, | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
"For goodness' sake," or something, probably...slightly less polite. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:19 | |
I am going to get out of my trainers, actually. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:24 | |
Just for the day. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:26 | |
It's my concession for Her Majesty, you know. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:30 | |
Millions across the country will watch the Queen | 0:03:34 | 0:03:36 | |
give her speech from the throne. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
But beneath the glittering exterior, there is trouble. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
All is not well in the House of Lords. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
The reputation has gone down and down and down. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:50 | |
In fact, it probably has never been lower. | 0:03:50 | 0:03:52 | |
As Lord Speaker, | 0:03:59 | 0:04:00 | |
it's Baroness D'Souza's job to defend the reputation of the House. | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
The public perception is of, you know, | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
a House full of aged males, sitting around | 0:04:08 | 0:04:11 | |
perhaps sleeping on the benches. | 0:04:11 | 0:04:14 | |
And the public only gets to know of the work of the House of Lords | 0:04:17 | 0:04:20 | |
when the House of Lords really thwarts the government, | 0:04:20 | 0:04:23 | |
or because there's been a scandal. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:25 | |
My job, in part, is to promote and protect the reputation | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
of the House and that has been no easy task. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
Her five years in the job has seen a drug and prostitution scandal | 0:04:35 | 0:04:39 | |
and a peer prosecuted for expenses fraud. | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
But on Queen's Speech Day, the ceremonial Head of the Lords, | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
she must play her part. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:49 | |
-Right... -Here comes the heavy bit. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:51 | |
Ooh! | 0:04:51 | 0:04:52 | |
If we try to present ourselves as a modern and up-to-date House, | 0:04:52 | 0:04:56 | |
the fact that we are in robes is something that confuses the public. | 0:04:56 | 0:05:01 | |
Those are the pictures which all the journalists want to take | 0:05:01 | 0:05:05 | |
and, quite frankly, I think that we would make | 0:05:05 | 0:05:07 | |
a big step forward if we abolished the robes. | 0:05:07 | 0:05:09 | |
Very nice to see you. | 0:05:09 | 0:05:10 | |
-Yes, you too. Thank you. -Thanks very much. -Excuse me. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:13 | |
Scandals may excite the newspapers, | 0:05:15 | 0:05:18 | |
but a more fundamental problem lies behind the headlines. | 0:05:18 | 0:05:21 | |
We have just had nearly 50 | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
new peers introduced to the House in a very short period. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:30 | |
Things are getting tight for seats in the Chamber. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
So the House now is, it's getting to near bursting point. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:39 | |
The more Lords a Prime Minister appoints, | 0:05:39 | 0:05:41 | |
the more control they can have. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:43 | |
There are now over 800 members. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:46 | |
The government have been very lethargic about the size of | 0:05:46 | 0:05:50 | |
the House and reducing it. | 0:05:50 | 0:05:52 | |
It's far too large and we've said, we've had many debates, | 0:05:52 | 0:05:54 | |
we've had lots of Parliamentary questions about it, | 0:05:54 | 0:05:56 | |
and they've simply sat on their hands. | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
When the Queen comes to Parliament, it's a scrum. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:03 | |
If you tried to organise chaos, | 0:06:03 | 0:06:04 | |
you couldn't do it any better than what will actually happen. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
I was in Prince's Chamber and a peer came up to me with his wife, | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
who had a lovely gown on, a lovely tiara and said, | 0:06:10 | 0:06:14 | |
"Mr Phipps, you'll find my wife a seat, won't you?" | 0:06:14 | 0:06:17 | |
And just walked away and left Her Ladyship with me. | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
We managed to find her a seat, you know. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:22 | |
So things like that happen, yep. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
But it's fantastic. It's tradition. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:27 | |
And, er, long may it continue. | 0:06:27 | 0:06:30 | |
I find the Queen's Speech a complete distraction and | 0:06:32 | 0:06:35 | |
a complete irrelevance. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:37 | |
One person won't be getting dressed up for Her Majesty - | 0:06:37 | 0:06:40 | |
Labour peer Lord Foulkes. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:42 | |
It's a waste of time, a waste of money. | 0:06:42 | 0:06:45 | |
Good morning. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
I take people round and they say, "What a wonderful place." | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
And I say, "It's not a good place to work in." It's a royal palace. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:54 | |
It's not a real parliament | 0:06:54 | 0:06:56 | |
and the worst time of all is when we get to the Queen's Speech. | 0:06:56 | 0:07:00 | |
Everything takes over for the State Opening. | 0:07:00 | 0:07:03 | |
We have canopies outside, the lampposts get taken away, | 0:07:03 | 0:07:07 | |
the crossing that I came across disappears, | 0:07:07 | 0:07:11 | |
so that the Queen's carriage can arrive | 0:07:11 | 0:07:13 | |
and everything is under control of the, of Black Rod and his men. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:20 | |
Got to clean these shoes up. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:30 | |
The Queen would notice immediately if they were grubby. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:33 | |
Just a bit of ordinary household polish | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
and it works marvellously on these shoes, brings them up. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
Not all men are keen on wearing diamante buckles on their slippers. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:50 | |
You'd... | 0:07:52 | 0:07:54 | |
I've spoken to some chaps who, who think it's a bit feminine. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:59 | |
But it's just a uniform, so you don't notice. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:01 | |
There we are. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:05 | |
Wonderful. | 0:08:10 | 0:08:11 | |
It's not the normal uniform day, no. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:15 | |
It's one of those days where it's full uniform, | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
so medals and decorations, if you've got any. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:26 | |
And the Black Rod chain of office, which is there. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
A ceremonial sword today, so one up from the ordinary sword. | 0:08:33 | 0:08:38 | |
And, obviously, you have to carry the Black Rod. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:40 | |
If I turn up at the House of Commons without the Black Rod, | 0:08:40 | 0:08:42 | |
I don't go with the sovereign's authority and they'll send me away. | 0:08:42 | 0:08:47 | |
It's happened before. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:48 | |
1624, I think it was. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
In a couple of hours, the Queen will be here. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:56 | |
Right, we need to get on. | 0:08:56 | 0:08:58 | |
Black Rod and his sidekick, the Yeoman Usher, | 0:08:59 | 0:09:02 | |
make a last-minute tour of the building. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
The key thing about this walk round this morning, | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
of course it's looking to make sure that everything's in order, | 0:09:08 | 0:09:10 | |
but it's more to thank people for the efforts that they've made. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:15 | |
Are you responsible for this? | 0:09:18 | 0:09:20 | |
I'm not responsible for the gantry. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:22 | |
-I can get in touch with somebody. -And say they can't have it there. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:26 | |
-It's in the way of the troops. -Right. | 0:09:26 | 0:09:29 | |
It's got to be on the pavement, | 0:09:29 | 0:09:30 | |
on the corner of the pavement. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:32 | |
And if so, we need to move the barriers back, | 0:09:32 | 0:09:34 | |
-but it's got to be, it's got to be on the pavement. -OK. -Thanks. | 0:09:34 | 0:09:39 | |
He's known as "His Darkness" | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
-and the Yeoman Usher is known as the "Semi Darkness". -Does he know that? | 0:09:46 | 0:09:51 | |
Probably not, but he probably will do now. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:53 | |
Morning! | 0:09:56 | 0:09:58 | |
The historic palace may draw all the crowds, | 0:09:59 | 0:10:02 | |
but for Lord Blencathra, who works here most days | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
and suffers from multiple sclerosis, it is an obstacle course. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:09 | |
This is a marvellous building. I am absolutely devoted to it. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
But it was built in 1854 and we didn't have to worry | 0:10:15 | 0:10:18 | |
about people in wheelchairs then. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:20 | |
Scares me we're at the top of these stairs. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:22 | |
Now then, how about this lift? | 0:10:25 | 0:10:29 | |
So... There we go. Half in. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:31 | |
Just making the point there's no way through for us harmless cripples. | 0:10:39 | 0:10:42 | |
If I eat in the cafeteria here, | 0:10:42 | 0:10:44 | |
I can't get out onto the terrace that way. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:46 | |
It says "No entry," but I'll ignore that. | 0:10:49 | 0:10:52 | |
If you see a good party, you gate-crash it. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:54 | |
Not that I ever do that. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:55 | |
That little ramp is just too steep, that's a deathtrap for me. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:02 | |
There we go. It's easier to open from the other side. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:09 | |
Oh! | 0:11:11 | 0:11:13 | |
There we go. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:14 | |
I have to do that every time. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:17 | |
And then get the policeman to shut it. | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
A traditionalist at heart, Lord Blencathra doesn't want to | 0:11:21 | 0:11:25 | |
abandon the palace, he wants to change it. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:28 | |
These days, I suppose, if we were to build a new Parliament, | 0:11:28 | 0:11:31 | |
it would be as ghastly and plain as the one in Brussels | 0:11:31 | 0:11:33 | |
and we wouldn't dare show any of our great historical past. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:37 | |
I may be complaining about it, but there's not much you can do | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
unless you do some major work. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
Right, it's done. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:46 | |
Lord Blencathra is in with a chance of seeing the changes he wants. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:51 | |
An enquiry is being held | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
about how to renovate and modernise the palace. | 0:11:54 | 0:11:57 | |
It could be the most significant overhaul the building | 0:11:57 | 0:12:00 | |
has seen in its long history, | 0:12:00 | 0:12:02 | |
ripping its very guts out. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:04 | |
Engineer Andy Piper works on its hidden bowels. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
STEADY BEEPING | 0:12:14 | 0:12:15 | |
I'm just using this device to make sure there's no gases or | 0:12:15 | 0:12:18 | |
anything leaking out of the ejectors, just as a safety measure. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
It's a reasonably confined space down there. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
It's for the lowest parts of the palace. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:26 | |
At the bottom of these stairs is where the palace | 0:12:39 | 0:12:42 | |
is really showing its age. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:44 | |
These Victorian sewage ejectors could create a very messy problem. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:56 | |
If these pack up, fundamentally, we've got a big problem | 0:12:56 | 0:12:58 | |
about trying to keep the palace running. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
These are approaching 130 years old now. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:03 | |
They were originally installed to deal with a major problem | 0:13:03 | 0:13:06 | |
of London sewage coming back into the palace. | 0:13:06 | 0:13:09 | |
These take all the waste from the palace - | 0:13:09 | 0:13:12 | |
rainwater, foul water, toilets... | 0:13:12 | 0:13:14 | |
CLUNK | 0:13:14 | 0:13:15 | |
everything comes down here. | 0:13:15 | 0:13:17 | |
That was it just discharging, actually. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:19 | |
When the clunk sounds, | 0:13:21 | 0:13:22 | |
waste is fired through this pipe and into the sewers | 0:13:22 | 0:13:26 | |
on the other side of the wall. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:27 | |
The amount of people that come through the palace, | 0:13:29 | 0:13:31 | |
it was never envisaged when these were first put in. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
They're really not going to cope much longer. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
The number of members that we have here, | 0:13:36 | 0:13:39 | |
members use the building differently, | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
they're here for a lot longer times, | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
a lot longer periods, and all that means a lot more waste. | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
The sewage ejectors and many parts of the palace | 0:13:47 | 0:13:50 | |
are on their last legs. | 0:13:50 | 0:13:52 | |
To fix all the many problems, the enquiry is considering | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
whether Lords and MPs should move out | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
for the five or so years the work will take. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
Some of the biggest problems we face | 0:14:03 | 0:14:05 | |
is that you can't actually access lots of the pipe work, | 0:14:05 | 0:14:07 | |
because it runs between the gaps between floors, walls | 0:14:07 | 0:14:10 | |
and ceilings around the entire palace. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:13 | |
These are areas that are really hard to get into. | 0:14:13 | 0:14:15 | |
It's really problematic for us to get in there | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
and do any major replacement works while the House is sitting. | 0:14:19 | 0:14:22 | |
Baroness D'Souza wants a radical overhaul of her own. | 0:14:30 | 0:14:34 | |
She's worried about numbers, | 0:14:34 | 0:14:36 | |
particularly those peers who turn up to claim their £300 | 0:14:36 | 0:14:40 | |
daily expenses without contributing. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:42 | |
For the past few months she's been carrying out her own research. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:47 | |
What I wanted to find out in the research that I did | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
a few months ago was who was attending, um, | 0:14:51 | 0:14:55 | |
and what they were claiming | 0:14:55 | 0:14:57 | |
and, you know, it is very difficult to quantify. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:01 | |
There are some who make no contribution whatsoever and | 0:15:02 | 0:15:06 | |
who nevertheless claim the full amount. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:08 | |
This is not a day care centre or a club, | 0:15:08 | 0:15:12 | |
it is actually a house, | 0:15:12 | 0:15:14 | |
a legislative house | 0:15:14 | 0:15:15 | |
and I do firmly believe that the people who | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
attend ought to be in a position to be able to contribute. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:23 | |
But she's found herself in a difficult position. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:27 | |
As ambassador for the House, she's reluctant to speak out. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:30 | |
I abandoned this research because it would have involved | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
a degree of naming and shaming, which I certainly didn't want to do, | 0:15:35 | 0:15:39 | |
but also that would in turn have provoked some kind of | 0:15:39 | 0:15:44 | |
a press storm, which clearly I didn't wish to do. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
I mean, the reputation of the House is not that great anyhow. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:52 | |
On Queen's Speech Day, it's just an hour before she arrives. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:02 | |
The Queen's bodyguard will turn to the left | 0:16:02 | 0:16:05 | |
in five. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:07 | |
Left turn! | 0:16:07 | 0:16:09 | |
Slow...march! | 0:16:12 | 0:16:15 | |
The Yeoman of the Guard are about to check the palace cellars | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
for gunpowder. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:20 | |
It's a tradition that dates back to 1605, when Guy Fawkes tried to | 0:16:22 | 0:16:27 | |
blow up the House of Lords. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:29 | |
They have made their report to Black Rod that the basements | 0:16:54 | 0:16:56 | |
and now clear for Her Majesty to attend. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
Um, then it is on with part two of the State Opening of Parliament. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:02 | |
BAND PLAYS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM | 0:17:02 | 0:17:05 | |
It's just an ordinary day | 0:17:13 | 0:17:15 | |
unfortunately interrupted by this procession | 0:17:15 | 0:17:19 | |
and panoply and ceremony, | 0:17:19 | 0:17:22 | |
which makes it a little bit more difficult, | 0:17:22 | 0:17:24 | |
but it doesn't stop us getting on with the normal business. | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
A proud Scot, Lord Foulkes is upset | 0:17:28 | 0:17:32 | |
that the Lords doesn't fairly represent the country as a whole. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
I'm tabling a question about the imbalance of membership of the | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
House of Lords with nearly half of them coming from London. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:43 | |
So I've got a question to ask Her Majesty's Government | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
what plans they have to make the composition of the House of Lords | 0:17:46 | 0:17:49 | |
more representative of the nations and regions of the United Kingdom? | 0:17:49 | 0:17:54 | |
Once we've finished here, I'm going to go upstairs | 0:17:54 | 0:17:56 | |
and use a bit of the library that isn't being used as | 0:17:56 | 0:17:59 | |
a changing room today | 0:17:59 | 0:18:00 | |
and catch up with my e-mail. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:02 | |
But he will have to bide his time. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:11 | |
The Queen has now entered the building | 0:18:11 | 0:18:13 | |
and the whole palace is in lockdown. | 0:18:13 | 0:18:15 | |
FANFARE FROM STATE TRUMPETERS | 0:18:29 | 0:18:31 | |
Some people come out of the woodwork wearing these great outfits, | 0:18:50 | 0:18:54 | |
looking like playing cards, carrying swords. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:57 | |
I feel sorry for the Queen | 0:18:57 | 0:19:00 | |
with that crown which must be heavy on her head. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
My Lords, pray be seated. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:06 | |
That one day a year, where we put on the red robes, | 0:19:07 | 0:19:10 | |
we are part of that 800-year tradition | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
and it gives us that perspective back in history. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:17 | |
We're here in the Central Lobby. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:25 | |
Yes. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:26 | |
Quick march. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:28 | |
Make way for Black Rod. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:30 | |
Some people don't like the robe. | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
I think that's pathetic and silly. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:40 | |
Lock the doors! | 0:19:40 | 0:19:42 | |
The most important bit of the ceremony, | 0:19:42 | 0:19:44 | |
the bit that would take 10,000 words to write | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
is Black Rod hammering on the door of the Commons. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
Black Rod, open the door! | 0:19:51 | 0:19:52 | |
The symbolism of him tapping on the door | 0:19:52 | 0:19:55 | |
and them slamming it in his face | 0:19:55 | 0:19:57 | |
is what our Constitution is all about. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:00 | |
The supremacy of the Commons, | 0:20:00 | 0:20:02 | |
not having to obey the sovereign, or the Lords. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:04 | |
But at the end of the day, out of courtesy, | 0:20:04 | 0:20:06 | |
coming along to hear what is said. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
Black Rod, open the doors. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:12 | |
Black Rod! | 0:20:14 | 0:20:15 | |
The Queen commands this Honourable House... | 0:20:18 | 0:20:21 | |
..to attend Her Majesty immediately in the House of Peers. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:28 | |
MPs are summoned to the Lords to hear the Government's plans | 0:20:29 | 0:20:33 | |
for the coming year. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:34 | |
A standout moment will be the promised Brexit referendum. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:39 | |
My Lords and members of the House of Commons, | 0:20:41 | 0:20:45 | |
my government will hold a referendum | 0:20:45 | 0:20:47 | |
on membership of the European Union. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:49 | |
Proposals will be brought forward for a British bill of rights. | 0:20:51 | 0:20:55 | |
My ministers will uphold the sovereignty of Parliament and | 0:20:57 | 0:21:01 | |
the primacy of the House of Commons. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
We'll wait for the Queen to get back onto the carriage again | 0:21:14 | 0:21:17 | |
and drop-off at the palace. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
This is the best job, we get tea and biscuits. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:23 | |
SHE CHUCKLES | 0:21:23 | 0:21:25 | |
He's quite young. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:29 | |
He's seven. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:30 | |
And she's very old, so she's looking after him. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:33 | |
She's very, very good, she is. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:35 | |
We just keep him occupied with lots of mints. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:39 | |
I haven't been anywhere else, | 0:21:45 | 0:21:47 | |
I've stayed here and watched the whole thing. | 0:21:47 | 0:21:49 | |
It's very impressive to watch the coaches | 0:21:49 | 0:21:52 | |
and the horses and the people. | 0:21:52 | 0:21:54 | |
The Queen's coming out in a moment. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:56 | |
They think she's coming out now. | 0:21:56 | 0:21:58 | |
She was in very good spirits, she was chuckling, I would say. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:08 | |
I'm going to go and have some refreshments. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:11 | |
And then lunch. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:13 | |
I'm going to go and take my thing off. | 0:22:30 | 0:22:33 | |
-Where's that? -Just come with me. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:35 | |
-Just step out of that. -Thank you. -Super. | 0:22:44 | 0:22:47 | |
If you can undo that, that'll be great. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:49 | |
Thank you very much, nice to meet you. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:52 | |
There we are, thank you very much. Thank you. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:56 | |
Back to normal. The pantomime is over. | 0:22:56 | 0:22:58 | |
It's almost the end, isn't it? | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
Um, yes. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:03 | |
You've got a huge pile there. | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
There is, yes. We'll work our way through. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:07 | |
The leader of the House has a little gathering. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:09 | |
A little gathering, a big gathering, a bit squashed, | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
but then there's lunch downstairs, which I hope | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
you've been invited to, as well. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:15 | |
-No. -That's bad luck. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:17 | |
The House of Lords catering people, | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
they let their imagination run wild. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:27 | |
A lot of the Lords haven't even been down to the kitchen. | 0:23:27 | 0:23:31 | |
When I ask someone now, when I asked them, | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
"Do you feel like coming down to the kitchen?" | 0:23:34 | 0:23:37 | |
They say, "Oh, really? Oh, yes." | 0:23:37 | 0:23:39 | |
They come down and they're amazed. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:41 | |
It's like the engine room. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:42 | |
Once the ceremony is over, | 0:23:50 | 0:23:52 | |
peers get the chance to table questions to the Government. | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
Lord Foulkes wants to be first in the queue, | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
but the Queen's Speech has got in the way again. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:02 | |
-I imagine this has been used as a cloakroom. -It was. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:06 | |
When do you start the queuing? | 0:24:06 | 0:24:09 | |
It's not open for another hour. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:11 | |
About 1.30, is it? | 0:24:11 | 0:24:13 | |
I want to be early in the queue later today to make sure I get | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
my question in early, but I'd better let all these robes get out first. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
There's so many people working, moving everything around. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
This place is totally chaotic, isn't it? | 0:24:29 | 0:24:31 | |
Spin it. Spin it. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:36 | |
It's a fantastic team. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:38 | |
It's amazing how quickly they can turn this around from | 0:24:38 | 0:24:40 | |
a state occasion, which is what it is, | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
to setting the chamber back up ready for a chamber sitting. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:47 | |
Breathe in, guys. | 0:24:47 | 0:24:49 | |
Calm down. Slowly. | 0:24:49 | 0:24:52 | |
Don't hold the top. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:54 | |
It'll all be done in an hour and a half, a couple of hours. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:57 | |
We're doing it as quick as possible, | 0:24:58 | 0:25:00 | |
which is why everyone's sweating when everyone runs about in here. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
There are nine men easily, | 0:25:03 | 0:25:05 | |
six, eight, seven, nine men needs to lift them. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
They're very, very heavy, solid oak. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:10 | |
He wouldn't know because he hasn't been lifting. | 0:25:10 | 0:25:12 | |
-He's standing and looking. -I have been lifting. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
The Queen has barely left the building and already a queue | 0:25:18 | 0:25:21 | |
has formed of peers who want to ask a question of the Government. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:25 | |
We can challenge the executive sometimes in a way that | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
maybe the members of Parliament can't. | 0:25:34 | 0:25:36 | |
Five, six, seven. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
Peers can interrogate ministers on any aspect of policy, | 0:25:39 | 0:25:43 | |
provided they get a slot. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:45 | |
There's 36 oral question slots today, which is a huge number. | 0:25:46 | 0:25:50 | |
Compared to a normal day, there would be three or four. | 0:25:50 | 0:25:53 | |
There's only 36 chairs out. If you get a chair, you've got a question. | 0:25:53 | 0:25:57 | |
I've come early, which I thought was early, | 0:25:57 | 0:26:00 | |
but I realised I've got two rows in front of me, | 0:26:00 | 0:26:02 | |
so I'm not that early. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:03 | |
Thank you for your patience in waiting. | 0:26:03 | 0:26:05 | |
It is 2.30. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
CHEERING | 0:26:07 | 0:26:09 | |
Lord Spicer, when would you like to ask your question? | 0:26:11 | 0:26:14 | |
23rd. | 0:26:14 | 0:26:17 | |
-Lord Spicer. -Monday. -OK, lovely. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
-We've had a good time there. -I'm pleased. | 0:26:21 | 0:26:24 | |
What's the first available date? | 0:26:24 | 0:26:25 | |
23rd of May. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:27 | |
Fourth question on the Monday, the 23rd, next week. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:29 | |
-Maybe 24th. -24th. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:32 | |
-Just in case my plane's late. -That's fine. | 0:26:32 | 0:26:35 | |
That's first on the 24th. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:38 | |
-First on the 24th, thanks very much. -Thank you. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:40 | |
I'm the first one on the 24th of May, | 0:26:40 | 0:26:43 | |
so I'll be able to pursue my campaign on the question of | 0:26:43 | 0:26:47 | |
the balance of membership of this place, to try and get it a bit | 0:26:47 | 0:26:51 | |
more representative of the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
See you later. | 0:26:59 | 0:27:01 | |
My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the Lord Speaker. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:09 | |
The new session is now under way. | 0:27:13 | 0:27:15 | |
There's only a month to go until the Brexit referendum | 0:27:15 | 0:27:18 | |
and it will dominate business in the Lords. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:22 | |
Everyone wants a say, but with room for only around 400 in the | 0:27:22 | 0:27:26 | |
chamber, it's hard to get a word in. | 0:27:26 | 0:27:29 | |
We're in a crush, quite frankly, | 0:27:29 | 0:27:30 | |
and there aren't enough seats for everybody. | 0:27:30 | 0:27:33 | |
I often find myself standing | 0:27:33 | 0:27:34 | |
or sitting in the visitors' gallery. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
It is totally overcrowded. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:39 | |
There are too many lords now. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:41 | |
I think the accommodation is rather squeaking at the seams | 0:27:41 | 0:27:44 | |
because there's so many. | 0:27:44 | 0:27:46 | |
I suggested we get one of the old aircraft carriers, | 0:27:46 | 0:27:48 | |
which sadly they scrapped in 2010 | 0:27:48 | 0:27:50 | |
in a rather mistaken way, | 0:27:50 | 0:27:52 | |
dragged it up the River Thames, berthed it before we could put all the extra peers | 0:27:52 | 0:27:56 | |
in the empty aircraft carrier. | 0:27:56 | 0:27:57 | |
That didn't actually meet with too many wishes from people and | 0:27:57 | 0:28:00 | |
you'd have great difficulty getting under the bridges, | 0:28:00 | 0:28:02 | |
but I did it slightly tongue-in-cheek. | 0:28:02 | 0:28:04 | |
The Speaker's job is normally to defend the reputation of the | 0:28:07 | 0:28:10 | |
House, but after five years in office, | 0:28:10 | 0:28:13 | |
Baroness D'Souza is soon to step down and won't be so restrained. | 0:28:13 | 0:28:17 | |
The House is now so big, over 800 members. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:21 | |
If there is a subject of extreme importance and interest, | 0:28:21 | 0:28:25 | |
you can't fit everyone in and, unless you've got a seat in the House of Lords, | 0:28:25 | 0:28:30 | |
you can't speak. | 0:28:30 | 0:28:32 | |
If you can't speak, you can't hold the Government to account. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
It's early June and she's come to Brighton to address an | 0:28:39 | 0:28:42 | |
audience with a tough reputation. | 0:28:42 | 0:28:44 | |
Is the annual conference of the Women's Institute. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
Would you welcome Baroness D'Souza of Wychwood in the County of Oxfordshire. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:56 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:28:56 | 0:28:58 | |
The size of the House, | 0:29:02 | 0:29:05 | |
I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you that | 0:29:05 | 0:29:08 | |
we currently have well over 800 members. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:10 | |
The only larger chamber in the world is the Chinese National Congress. | 0:29:12 | 0:29:17 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:29:17 | 0:29:19 | |
Which is not really a parliamentary body at all. | 0:29:19 | 0:29:22 | |
A careful analysis of attendance, | 0:29:22 | 0:29:26 | |
voting and contributions to debates, | 0:29:26 | 0:29:28 | |
oral questions and committees | 0:29:28 | 0:29:31 | |
indicates that the Lords could very comfortably carry out its | 0:29:31 | 0:29:36 | |
work with no loss of expertise with between 450 to 500 members. | 0:29:36 | 0:29:41 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:29:43 | 0:29:47 | |
Reform of the House of Lords is far from most people's minds. | 0:29:47 | 0:29:51 | |
Britain is about to go to the polls for the biggest vote | 0:29:51 | 0:29:54 | |
in a generation. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:56 | |
Almost everything is on hold because of this decision. | 0:29:56 | 0:29:59 | |
The questions about the future of the House of Lords also pale | 0:29:59 | 0:30:01 | |
into insignificance. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:03 | |
A very good adviser said to me, "If Brexit happens, forget it. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:07 | |
"There won't be any way in which you can bring in reform of the Lords, | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
"because it's just not relevant." | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
BBC RADIO PIPS | 0:30:21 | 0:30:22 | |
'The UK has voted to take the momentous step | 0:30:25 | 0:30:28 | |
'to leave the European Union | 0:30:28 | 0:30:30 | |
'in a move that's shocked the rest of Europe. | 0:30:30 | 0:30:33 | |
'Leave campaigners say it's a stunning rebuff | 0:30:33 | 0:30:35 | |
'to the political elite that run the EU.' | 0:30:35 | 0:30:38 | |
It's a victory for ordinary people, decent people. | 0:30:38 | 0:30:42 | |
There is still a massive disconnect between Westminster, | 0:30:42 | 0:30:47 | |
SW1 and real communities. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
We really are | 0:30:51 | 0:30:53 | |
in a most impossible situation. | 0:30:53 | 0:30:55 | |
No-one knows where we're going. | 0:30:55 | 0:30:57 | |
The Government hadn't expected it, so they've got no idea. | 0:30:57 | 0:31:01 | |
The Leave campaigners didn't think they were going to win, | 0:31:01 | 0:31:05 | |
so they've got no idea. | 0:31:05 | 0:31:06 | |
We really are in limbo. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:08 | |
Normal business has been suspended for an urgent debate. | 0:31:11 | 0:31:14 | |
Clearly, this is a mega, mega issue. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:18 | |
We've got 119 people | 0:31:20 | 0:31:22 | |
in to speak which, in my time here, is a record. | 0:31:22 | 0:31:25 | |
We started at 11.30 this morning, three hours earlier. | 0:31:25 | 0:31:29 | |
We'll go on until 11 tonight and we'll do tomorrow afternoon | 0:31:29 | 0:31:32 | |
and on to ten o'clock tomorrow night to try and get everybody in. | 0:31:32 | 0:31:36 | |
I hope that the House of Lords will send a warning shot to the | 0:31:37 | 0:31:41 | |
Government of the dangers of Brexit, to try and get them to think | 0:31:41 | 0:31:44 | |
again and to say, "We accept the advisory referendum, we accept | 0:31:44 | 0:31:48 | |
"their advice, but on balance, we think it's the wrong way forward." | 0:31:48 | 0:31:52 | |
My Lords, this long overdue and momentous decision, in my opinion, | 0:31:54 | 0:31:59 | |
will be good for the United Kingdom and good for democracy in Europe. | 0:31:59 | 0:32:02 | |
The losing remainers must stop their bitter recriminations | 0:32:02 | 0:32:06 | |
and accept the decision of the people. | 0:32:06 | 0:32:09 | |
The referendum was a blunt instrument | 0:32:09 | 0:32:11 | |
which showed a dominant mood. | 0:32:11 | 0:32:14 | |
It is obvious that the Government was unprepared for defeat. | 0:32:14 | 0:32:17 | |
That's no excuse, my Lords, for legislation based on the first, | 0:32:17 | 0:32:22 | |
second and third reading of the Daily Mail. | 0:32:22 | 0:32:25 | |
Most members were against Brexit, | 0:32:28 | 0:32:31 | |
but for now, the Lords is just a talking shop. | 0:32:31 | 0:32:34 | |
They will have to wait and see whether they get to vote on the | 0:32:34 | 0:32:38 | |
biggest of all issues facing Britain. | 0:32:38 | 0:32:41 | |
First they will have to consider another exit... | 0:32:41 | 0:32:45 | |
their own. | 0:32:45 | 0:32:47 | |
Abnormal rainfall last night hit the Palace of Westminster and we | 0:32:57 | 0:33:00 | |
have been incredibly busy doing a massive operation mopping up. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:04 | |
-We're running out of buckets. -We're running out of buckets. | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
The need for repairs is becoming increasingly urgent. | 0:33:11 | 0:33:15 | |
Almost every area in the Parliamentary estate | 0:33:17 | 0:33:19 | |
has had some type of water damage today. | 0:33:19 | 0:33:22 | |
You can see where it's coming from. | 0:33:24 | 0:33:25 | |
Yeah, yeah, it's dripping down across the beam. | 0:33:25 | 0:33:29 | |
This carpet underneath me is completely sodden. | 0:33:31 | 0:33:35 | |
But if we can just go up into the roof, | 0:33:35 | 0:33:36 | |
because I'd like to see how it's backing up to get this bad. | 0:33:36 | 0:33:39 | |
-OK. -Are you confident of getting me to the roof above here | 0:33:39 | 0:33:42 | |
without getting me lost? | 0:33:42 | 0:33:44 | |
-Not confident but I'll have a good go. -Well, shall we try? | 0:33:44 | 0:33:47 | |
It's like being a bit of a detective. | 0:33:52 | 0:33:54 | |
We need to understand why the water's coming into the building. | 0:33:55 | 0:33:58 | |
Some of this building has been here for near enough 800 years. | 0:34:13 | 0:34:17 | |
What I'm actually looking at now is what they call a box gutter, | 0:34:17 | 0:34:20 | |
this is part of the original fabric of the building. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:23 | |
This has been cleaned today and the water is actually running, | 0:34:23 | 0:34:27 | |
so hopefully it will be better now than it was this morning. | 0:34:27 | 0:34:30 | |
This building is a sprawling palace, | 0:34:31 | 0:34:34 | |
intertwined with downpipes and soil pipes and plumbing work. | 0:34:34 | 0:34:39 | |
We don't always know where it all goes. | 0:34:39 | 0:34:41 | |
Even though you do surveys, | 0:34:41 | 0:34:42 | |
pipes just disappear into walls and you can't find where they're going. | 0:34:42 | 0:34:45 | |
But this is all part and parcel of working in a historic palace. | 0:34:45 | 0:34:49 | |
The report on renovating the palace will soon be published. | 0:34:58 | 0:35:02 | |
Rumour is it will recommend moving out completely | 0:35:02 | 0:35:05 | |
while repairs are undertaken. | 0:35:05 | 0:35:07 | |
Lord Blencathra has already started thinking of where to go. | 0:35:08 | 0:35:12 | |
People say, and colleagues ask me, "OK, | 0:35:13 | 0:35:16 | |
"if we were to move out of Parliament, where would we go?" | 0:35:16 | 0:35:18 | |
It is my submission that | 0:35:20 | 0:35:21 | |
within a couple of hundred yards of Parliament, | 0:35:21 | 0:35:24 | |
we've got ample alternative space. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:26 | |
Look at this beautifully quiet area here, | 0:35:30 | 0:35:33 | |
250 yards away from the Houses of Parliament. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:35 | |
Clearly this space can't be desecrated permanently, | 0:35:35 | 0:35:39 | |
but we've got a huge area here where it would be possible, | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
for the four or five years without a Parliament, to build, | 0:35:42 | 0:35:45 | |
what, three, four-storey Portakabins here with huge open-plan offices | 0:35:45 | 0:35:50 | |
to hold staff and secretaries, and MPs and Lords if necessary. | 0:35:50 | 0:35:55 | |
Portakabin city. OK, a posh Portakabin city. | 0:35:55 | 0:35:59 | |
I know many of my colleagues in the Lords are, like, | 0:35:59 | 0:36:01 | |
"Oh, Portakabins - horrible, vulgar things, we can't sit in those." | 0:36:01 | 0:36:05 | |
But there's some very sophisticated | 0:36:05 | 0:36:07 | |
Portakabin-type office blocks these days. | 0:36:07 | 0:36:09 | |
Ample alternative facilities for five or six years. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:13 | |
The cost of renovating the palace will be enormous. | 0:36:20 | 0:36:24 | |
Initial estimates are over £3 billion. | 0:36:24 | 0:36:26 | |
Parliament will be under pressure to justify the cost in the press. | 0:36:28 | 0:36:31 | |
For now, Baroness D'Souza is getting some flak of her own | 0:36:35 | 0:36:38 | |
for a smaller expense. | 0:36:38 | 0:36:40 | |
Good afternoon. This is the moment of truth. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:43 | |
And I think it's a good painting. I think it's a really good painting. | 0:36:44 | 0:36:48 | |
I'm terribly honoured, I'm flattered. | 0:36:48 | 0:36:51 | |
A portrait costing £12,000 has been called | 0:36:51 | 0:36:54 | |
a waste of public money by some newspapers. | 0:36:54 | 0:36:57 | |
Previous attacks have come over the cost of flowers in her room | 0:36:57 | 0:37:01 | |
and once leaving a car waiting | 0:37:01 | 0:37:02 | |
whilst making an official visit to the opera. | 0:37:02 | 0:37:05 | |
They do what is appropriate. | 0:37:07 | 0:37:08 | |
They hold people to account, those people who spend taxpayers' money, | 0:37:08 | 0:37:11 | |
there's absolutely no qualm in that at all. | 0:37:11 | 0:37:14 | |
In fact, that's their job, I absolutely support that. | 0:37:14 | 0:37:19 | |
Just one would require them to be accurate. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:21 | |
The fact that one has, as we have in this office, | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
halved expenditure over the five years that I've been here, | 0:37:24 | 0:37:27 | |
more than halved it, is really not news, is not news at all. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:31 | |
My son-in-law gave that to me. He said it's one of the last ones | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
he found in an old Communist bookshop. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:36 | |
He gave it to me. | 0:37:37 | 0:37:39 | |
-RADIO NEWS: -'The former Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield | 0:37:41 | 0:37:44 | |
'has been cleared of false accounting. | 0:37:44 | 0:37:46 | |
'Describing him as Lord Fraud, the paper explained how | 0:37:46 | 0:37:49 | |
'he claimed the maximum £300 attendance allowance for the Lords | 0:37:49 | 0:37:52 | |
'on 11 days when he spent less than 40 minutes in Parliament.' | 0:37:52 | 0:37:56 | |
Baroness D'Souza has another scandal to deal with. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:02 | |
Lord Hanningfield is a serial offender. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:04 | |
Jailed for expenses fraud, | 0:38:04 | 0:38:06 | |
he returned to the Lords on release | 0:38:06 | 0:38:08 | |
only to be suspended for claiming his daily allowance without working. | 0:38:08 | 0:38:13 | |
Now the criminal case has been dismissed after the court said | 0:38:13 | 0:38:16 | |
only the Lords can define what constitutes Parliamentary work. | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
Some newspapers are calling it a cover-up. | 0:38:21 | 0:38:24 | |
-Morning. -How are you? -Good, thank you. | 0:38:24 | 0:38:27 | |
What news, other than Hanningfield? | 0:38:27 | 0:38:29 | |
Well, I just saw the front pages this morning. Doesn't look good. | 0:38:31 | 0:38:34 | |
And it gets off scot-free? | 0:38:34 | 0:38:35 | |
"Lord Fraud Above The Law." That's what it says. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:37 | |
When you said yesterday that the press office had got | 0:38:39 | 0:38:44 | |
some press lines ready, are they putting them out? | 0:38:44 | 0:38:47 | |
Yes, I'm sure they are. I'll check, though. | 0:38:47 | 0:38:49 | |
I'll let you know what they are as well. | 0:38:49 | 0:38:50 | |
OK, thanks very much, Rob, that's great. | 0:38:50 | 0:38:52 | |
It's a very, very sad case of someone who behaved | 0:38:53 | 0:38:57 | |
very, very stupidly. | 0:38:57 | 0:38:59 | |
He was someone who was not savvy enough to realise that | 0:38:59 | 0:39:03 | |
he would become a point of interest for the press. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:07 | |
And he clearly, having already been convicted and imprisoned for fraud, | 0:39:07 | 0:39:12 | |
and came back to the House, | 0:39:12 | 0:39:14 | |
and then started claiming a full whack for not a very full day... | 0:39:14 | 0:39:20 | |
it brings the House into disrepute. | 0:39:20 | 0:39:22 | |
The Hanningfield scandal will be the last that Baroness D'Souza | 0:39:24 | 0:39:26 | |
has to deal with before she leaves office. | 0:39:26 | 0:39:29 | |
We've had some very, very good times, | 0:39:31 | 0:39:33 | |
quite a lot of difficult times. | 0:39:33 | 0:39:35 | |
I don't think that you could do without the House of Lords. | 0:39:37 | 0:39:41 | |
It does refine legislation. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:43 | |
It's got a particularly strong reputation | 0:39:43 | 0:39:45 | |
for upholding individual liberties. | 0:39:45 | 0:39:49 | |
It holds the government to account. | 0:39:49 | 0:39:50 | |
I feel quite sad about stepping down. | 0:39:50 | 0:39:53 | |
It's now the summer recess. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:06 | |
But controversy hasn't taken a holiday. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:09 | |
-RADIO NEWS: -'David Cameron's been accused of | 0:40:11 | 0:40:13 | |
'looking after his old boys network | 0:40:13 | 0:40:15 | |
'after the Sunday Times published what it says is his | 0:40:15 | 0:40:18 | |
'resignation honours list. | 0:40:18 | 0:40:20 | |
'It includes two major Conservative party donors | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
'who were also Remain supporters, | 0:40:22 | 0:40:25 | |
'four Cabinet ministers and more than 20 staff at Downing Street.' | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
On leaving office, | 0:40:30 | 0:40:31 | |
David Cameron has nominated 13 Conservatives for peerages. | 0:40:31 | 0:40:36 | |
Of course, prime ministers have every right to appoint people | 0:40:36 | 0:40:39 | |
when they leave office, when they're in office, | 0:40:39 | 0:40:41 | |
if they want to put more peers in there, but, you know, | 0:40:41 | 0:40:43 | |
I really do have to tell you, | 0:40:43 | 0:40:45 | |
it really has been far too many in recent times. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:48 | |
Tony Blair, in ten years, appointed 374 new peers. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:52 | |
Cameron was in office for six years, | 0:40:52 | 0:40:54 | |
he created 244 new peers at a faster rate than any other Prime Minister. | 0:40:54 | 0:41:01 | |
I think, quite frankly, it's a disgrace. | 0:41:01 | 0:41:03 | |
Lord Blencathra has a plan for where the knife should trim. | 0:41:06 | 0:41:09 | |
There are some people who had tremendous expertise | 0:41:11 | 0:41:14 | |
or maybe held high positions in government. | 0:41:14 | 0:41:17 | |
But if they're never here now, then what is the point of staying on? | 0:41:17 | 0:41:21 | |
I'm thinking about a Deputy Prime Minister | 0:41:21 | 0:41:23 | |
in the Conservative government under John Major. Let's find him. | 0:41:23 | 0:41:27 | |
Ah, there he is. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:30 | |
Michael, Lord Heseltine. | 0:41:30 | 0:41:32 | |
3% attendance in the whole of the last Parliament. | 0:41:32 | 0:41:35 | |
3%. You know? | 0:41:35 | 0:41:38 | |
And maybe he came in and made some devastatingly important speech then, | 0:41:38 | 0:41:42 | |
I don't recall it. | 0:41:42 | 0:41:44 | |
Um, but... | 0:41:44 | 0:41:46 | |
it's, it's... I don't think we can go on with people | 0:41:46 | 0:41:49 | |
on 3%, 4%, 5%, or 0% attendance, when there is no good reason not to. | 0:41:49 | 0:41:54 | |
There are only so many sardines that can fit into a tin. | 0:42:05 | 0:42:09 | |
And only so many peers that can squeeze into a room. | 0:42:09 | 0:42:12 | |
Where did you disappear to? Oh, you did that? | 0:42:13 | 0:42:17 | |
SHE CHUCKLES | 0:42:17 | 0:42:18 | |
Maureen and Carol have the unenviable task | 0:42:18 | 0:42:21 | |
of looking after Lords' private offices. | 0:42:21 | 0:42:24 | |
This room has got, like, three rooms in it. | 0:42:24 | 0:42:27 | |
One, two, three. You've got a baroness in here. | 0:42:27 | 0:42:30 | |
The easiest room? One of the cubicles. | 0:42:33 | 0:42:36 | |
There's one desk, one chair. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:38 | |
Bits and pieces. | 0:42:38 | 0:42:40 | |
It's like 3' x 3', so I just go in, round, and out again. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:46 | |
In these cramped rooms, no gap is too small for a desk, | 0:42:48 | 0:42:53 | |
some papers and a peer of the realm. | 0:42:53 | 0:42:55 | |
Can't do much on that table. There's so much stuff on there. | 0:43:00 | 0:43:03 | |
Got so many papers. | 0:43:03 | 0:43:04 | |
Of course, we're not allowed to touch it. | 0:43:04 | 0:43:07 | |
We just hold the stuff... and then just flick over. | 0:43:07 | 0:43:11 | |
Lord Ivan. | 0:43:17 | 0:43:19 | |
Irvine, sorry. Lord Irvine. | 0:43:23 | 0:43:25 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:43:25 | 0:43:27 | |
It's November. | 0:43:32 | 0:43:33 | |
And the courts have ruled that Parliament, | 0:43:33 | 0:43:35 | |
including the Lords, must vote on Britain leaving the EU. | 0:43:35 | 0:43:39 | |
-CHANTING: -What do we want? -Brexit! -When do we want it? -Now! | 0:43:39 | 0:43:43 | |
This is potentially a massive blow to Theresa May's Brexit plan, | 0:43:43 | 0:43:48 | |
that Parliament could have to pass legislation to trigger Article 50. | 0:43:48 | 0:43:54 | |
It wouldn't just have to go through the Commons, | 0:43:54 | 0:43:56 | |
it would have to go through the House of Lords too, | 0:43:56 | 0:43:58 | |
where the government does not have a majority, | 0:43:58 | 0:44:00 | |
and where there are an overwhelming number of peers opposed to Brexit. | 0:44:00 | 0:44:04 | |
Pro-European Lords now face a historic dilemma. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:09 | |
Bow to the will of the people, | 0:44:09 | 0:44:10 | |
or vote with their hearts against Brexit. | 0:44:10 | 0:44:13 | |
This is the most important decision that has been made by Parliament | 0:44:14 | 0:44:19 | |
in the 40 years that I've been in the Commons and in the Lords. | 0:44:19 | 0:44:23 | |
What we've already got MPs saying, and the government in particular is, | 0:44:23 | 0:44:26 | |
"We've been given instructions by the British people." | 0:44:26 | 0:44:30 | |
That is a load of nonsense. Absolute rubbish. | 0:44:30 | 0:44:33 | |
Whispers around Westminster are that the Lords could even be abolished | 0:44:34 | 0:44:38 | |
if they defy the government. | 0:44:38 | 0:44:39 | |
It is undermining our whole system for the Prime Minister | 0:44:41 | 0:44:45 | |
and the government to threaten the House of Lords | 0:44:45 | 0:44:48 | |
that if we don't do what they expect us to do, | 0:44:48 | 0:44:50 | |
then our future will be in jeopardy. | 0:44:50 | 0:44:53 | |
That is disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful. | 0:44:53 | 0:44:55 | |
The Lords would be very, very foolish to vote it down, | 0:44:55 | 0:45:00 | |
because they don't understand the mood of the people out there. | 0:45:00 | 0:45:04 | |
If the elected members of parliament try and muck around with | 0:45:04 | 0:45:07 | |
the will of the people, then I think they'll be in deep trouble. | 0:45:07 | 0:45:10 | |
And if the Lords were attempting to do it, then, | 0:45:10 | 0:45:13 | |
I think that would be, that would lead to trouble on the streets. | 0:45:13 | 0:45:15 | |
That would lead to complete anarchy and riots. | 0:45:15 | 0:45:18 | |
Never mind the House of Lords being abolished, | 0:45:18 | 0:45:20 | |
that will be the least of our worries. | 0:45:20 | 0:45:21 | |
For now, peers have the chance to debate an issue | 0:45:31 | 0:45:34 | |
that's united the House. | 0:45:34 | 0:45:36 | |
Their own bloated size. | 0:45:36 | 0:45:38 | |
The House wants it, the country wants it, the nation deserves it. | 0:45:38 | 0:45:43 | |
We deserve reform. | 0:45:43 | 0:45:44 | |
So all we can do is go on pressurising the government | 0:45:44 | 0:45:48 | |
to see the error of their ways. Get something done about it. | 0:45:48 | 0:45:51 | |
After years of talk about reducing numbers, | 0:45:53 | 0:45:55 | |
peers have finally secured a debate they hope will spark real change. | 0:45:55 | 0:46:00 | |
The repeated abuse of prime ministers' powers of privilege | 0:46:00 | 0:46:05 | |
is as plain as a pikestaff. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:07 | |
The abolition of their unchannelled power is long overdue. | 0:46:07 | 0:46:12 | |
Be gone, I say. | 0:46:12 | 0:46:14 | |
And I hope Theresa May takes note. | 0:46:14 | 0:46:16 | |
MUMBLES OF AGREEMENT | 0:46:16 | 0:46:18 | |
The question is | 0:46:19 | 0:46:21 | |
that this House believes that its size should be reduced | 0:46:21 | 0:46:25 | |
and methods should be explored by which this could be achieved. | 0:46:25 | 0:46:29 | |
As many are of that opinion will say, "Content." | 0:46:30 | 0:46:33 | |
Content! | 0:46:33 | 0:46:34 | |
To the contrary, "Not content." | 0:46:34 | 0:46:36 | |
The contents have it. | 0:46:36 | 0:46:39 | |
The House do now adjourn. | 0:46:39 | 0:46:41 | |
For the first time, | 0:46:43 | 0:46:45 | |
all sides of the House agree that numbers should be cut. | 0:46:45 | 0:46:49 | |
The only way to do it is a proper Select Committee | 0:46:49 | 0:46:51 | |
to see how it can be done, | 0:46:51 | 0:46:53 | |
and to stop prime ministers, and all prime ministers, | 0:46:53 | 0:46:55 | |
not just one prime minister, all prime ministers, | 0:46:55 | 0:46:58 | |
putting people into this House that give them either financial support | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
or support in some other way. | 0:47:01 | 0:47:03 | |
A committee will now look at where the axe should fall. | 0:47:03 | 0:47:07 | |
But any plan will need not only cross-party support, | 0:47:07 | 0:47:10 | |
but the Government's support as well. | 0:47:10 | 0:47:13 | |
Is any government really going to give time to changes of this sort | 0:47:14 | 0:47:18 | |
when they've got the whole Brexit concerns to face up to? | 0:47:18 | 0:47:23 | |
If it becomes evident that the Prime Minister and the Government | 0:47:23 | 0:47:27 | |
have less patronage, less power, less influence here, | 0:47:27 | 0:47:30 | |
just when they need it most? No way. | 0:47:30 | 0:47:33 | |
That's not real politics. | 0:47:33 | 0:47:34 | |
The committee on renovating the palace has published its report. | 0:47:43 | 0:47:46 | |
'The report anticipates that sooner rather than later, | 0:47:47 | 0:47:50 | |
'we've got to completely refurbish every aspect of the building | 0:47:50 | 0:47:54 | |
'and that means we should plan to move out | 0:47:54 | 0:47:56 | |
'and then we can actually do a proper job.' | 0:47:56 | 0:47:58 | |
The suggested new home for the Lords is the QE2 conference centre, | 0:48:00 | 0:48:04 | |
just across Parliament Square. | 0:48:04 | 0:48:05 | |
This is a horrible, ghastly, 1970s architectural monstrosity | 0:48:06 | 0:48:10 | |
in my opinion, but nevertheless, it is perfect for our purposes. | 0:48:10 | 0:48:14 | |
I know we've got a few colleagues who suggest | 0:48:16 | 0:48:18 | |
close the whole thing down and build a new one in Birmingham or whatever. | 0:48:18 | 0:48:21 | |
No, the concern some will have is that once we leave, | 0:48:21 | 0:48:26 | |
we may never go back in. | 0:48:26 | 0:48:27 | |
Some wicked government in the future will say, | 0:48:27 | 0:48:30 | |
"Ah, well, that's the Lords out of the place now, let's close it down." | 0:48:30 | 0:48:33 | |
I don't think that will happen. | 0:48:33 | 0:48:34 | |
I can understand how some people say, | 0:48:38 | 0:48:40 | |
dangerous moving out, because | 0:48:40 | 0:48:41 | |
you never know what quite will happen then. | 0:48:41 | 0:48:44 | |
There are things like the dress of the doorkeepers. | 0:48:44 | 0:48:47 | |
You know, the Black Rod may no longer be called Black Rod, | 0:48:48 | 0:48:51 | |
for example. Is he really going to walk around | 0:48:51 | 0:48:53 | |
with a sword on his hip for various events? | 0:48:53 | 0:48:56 | |
I think a lot of these things could be removed. | 0:48:56 | 0:48:58 | |
People say, "No, we don't really want to do that." | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
Once you've had a break, that's the time to do it. | 0:49:00 | 0:49:03 | |
-BARONESS BOOTHROYD: -We probably all have to move out. | 0:49:03 | 0:49:05 | |
It will be very traumatic for me personally when that happens. | 0:49:05 | 0:49:09 | |
I love being here. | 0:49:09 | 0:49:10 | |
I look at the paintings, the glorious ceilings we have. | 0:49:10 | 0:49:14 | |
Or the library. | 0:49:14 | 0:49:16 | |
What is going to happen to all of this? I ask myself that question. | 0:49:16 | 0:49:20 | |
How are we going to preserve this so that one day we can come back | 0:49:20 | 0:49:24 | |
and make this a real parliament, you know, again? | 0:49:24 | 0:49:27 | |
The Lords have had to move out of their chamber before. | 0:49:32 | 0:49:35 | |
And still survived. | 0:49:35 | 0:49:37 | |
Oh! We've got something here which shows you | 0:49:37 | 0:49:39 | |
the officials of Parliament managed to keep traditions going, | 0:49:39 | 0:49:42 | |
doesn't matter what happens. | 0:49:42 | 0:49:43 | |
After the Second World War, the House of Commons was destroyed, | 0:49:43 | 0:49:47 | |
the Commons moved into the chamber of the House of Lords | 0:49:47 | 0:49:51 | |
and the Lords moved through there into the Robing Room. | 0:49:51 | 0:49:54 | |
So what happened, at the Queen's speech, | 0:49:54 | 0:49:57 | |
when the Commons were in here, | 0:49:57 | 0:49:58 | |
Black Rod came down through the Royal Gallery, | 0:49:58 | 0:50:01 | |
came here and knocked with his rod on THIS door. | 0:50:01 | 0:50:04 | |
So this door has got exactly the same kind of marks | 0:50:04 | 0:50:08 | |
that the door of the House of Commons has. | 0:50:08 | 0:50:11 | |
There are going to be very serious questions | 0:50:11 | 0:50:13 | |
when we move out to other buildings. | 0:50:13 | 0:50:15 | |
It will be very, very difficult for them to keep some of the traditions | 0:50:15 | 0:50:20 | |
and keep some of the ceremonial going. | 0:50:20 | 0:50:22 | |
But don't underestimate their ability to find ways of doing it. | 0:50:22 | 0:50:28 | |
And I'm sure that Black Rod, | 0:50:28 | 0:50:31 | |
even now, will be thinking, | 0:50:31 | 0:50:34 | |
is there a door Black Rod can knock on? | 0:50:34 | 0:50:36 | |
It's definitely a landmark occasion, | 0:50:45 | 0:50:46 | |
it's something that we'll probably never, ever see again. | 0:50:46 | 0:50:49 | |
We're going to get a lot of Lords in the chamber today and it's going to be busy. | 0:50:49 | 0:50:52 | |
There's been a lot of talk saying, if they do vote against anything, | 0:50:55 | 0:50:58 | |
then they're going to get rid of the House of Lords. | 0:50:58 | 0:51:01 | |
I don't want that to happen, I'd be out of a job. | 0:51:01 | 0:51:03 | |
The Government's Brexit bill has been passed in the Commons | 0:51:03 | 0:51:06 | |
by a large majority. | 0:51:06 | 0:51:08 | |
It is now down to the Lords to agree it. | 0:51:08 | 0:51:11 | |
'I came to London last night to prepare for it today | 0:51:12 | 0:51:15 | |
'because it is such a big day. | 0:51:15 | 0:51:16 | |
'I've been listening to the radio and TV last night and this morning, | 0:51:16 | 0:51:19 | |
'and they're all talking about the House of Lords.' | 0:51:19 | 0:51:23 | |
Hi, how are you? | 0:51:25 | 0:51:26 | |
-I'm very well, thank you, how are you? -Very well. | 0:51:26 | 0:51:28 | |
That's brilliant, nice and strong. | 0:51:28 | 0:51:30 | |
I've been getting e-mails the like of which I can't recall, | 0:51:33 | 0:51:37 | |
asking us to do something about stopping Brexit. | 0:51:37 | 0:51:41 | |
If the House of Commons is going to just meekly accept | 0:51:43 | 0:51:47 | |
this flawed referendum result and take it as an instruction, | 0:51:47 | 0:51:51 | |
why are they there at all? | 0:51:51 | 0:51:53 | |
All that we have now to protect our constitution | 0:51:54 | 0:51:57 | |
and protect our democracy is the House of Lords. | 0:51:57 | 0:51:59 | |
'People made the decision. | 0:52:07 | 0:52:09 | |
'It's simply our job to enact it without mucking around with it.' | 0:52:09 | 0:52:13 | |
It is a very, very short bill. | 0:52:13 | 0:52:15 | |
It has come from the Commons unamended with a massive majority. | 0:52:15 | 0:52:20 | |
I want to say to peers, | 0:52:20 | 0:52:22 | |
if they want to actually try and vote against this bill, | 0:52:22 | 0:52:25 | |
they will open up a firestorm of resentment in the country. | 0:52:25 | 0:52:29 | |
Record numbers of peers want to speak in the two-day debate. | 0:52:32 | 0:52:36 | |
What we've got here, we have the speakers list. | 0:52:36 | 0:52:38 | |
They're not normally this long. | 0:52:38 | 0:52:40 | |
And we have got 84 speakers today and more coming tomorrow. | 0:52:40 | 0:52:44 | |
We'll start at 11 o'clock, with Lord Lamont, | 0:52:44 | 0:52:46 | |
and then we'll go until the end, | 0:52:46 | 0:52:48 | |
which is 187 speakers. | 0:52:48 | 0:52:51 | |
Fun day. | 0:52:51 | 0:52:52 | |
This is much bigger than anything I've encountered | 0:52:56 | 0:52:59 | |
during my political lifetime. | 0:52:59 | 0:53:00 | |
That would apply to everybody else in this chamber today. | 0:53:00 | 0:53:03 | |
I mean, this is big league time. | 0:53:04 | 0:53:06 | |
It's standing room only in the chamber. | 0:53:11 | 0:53:13 | |
But a surprise visitor has squeezed in. | 0:53:15 | 0:53:18 | |
When any Privy Counsellor comes, they have to sign in the book here. | 0:53:20 | 0:53:25 | |
February 2017, we've got the Prime Minister there. | 0:53:27 | 0:53:30 | |
You wouldn't really know it was the Prime Minister, | 0:53:30 | 0:53:32 | |
so she's conveniently written "Prime Minister" alongside for us. | 0:53:32 | 0:53:36 | |
Theresa May is taking up her right to sit in front of the throne, | 0:53:36 | 0:53:39 | |
the first Prime Minister to do so in a quarter of a century. | 0:53:39 | 0:53:43 | |
I don't think anyone comes in here to intimidate the House of Lords | 0:53:43 | 0:53:48 | |
because the House of Lords is a fairly unintimidate-able | 0:53:48 | 0:53:51 | |
body of people. | 0:53:51 | 0:53:53 | |
I know that a lot of media said, "Oh, she was showing, 'Look, | 0:53:53 | 0:53:56 | |
"'I'm keeping an eye on you lot, don't you dare do anything.'" | 0:53:56 | 0:53:59 | |
I think actually it was, in a funny way, | 0:53:59 | 0:54:01 | |
good leadership, good naval leadership. | 0:54:01 | 0:54:04 | |
The two-day debate will decide | 0:54:04 | 0:54:06 | |
whether the bill goes to the next stage in the Lords. | 0:54:06 | 0:54:09 | |
If we ask the House of Commons to look again at an issue, | 0:54:10 | 0:54:14 | |
it is not a constitutional outrage, but a constitutional responsibility. | 0:54:14 | 0:54:19 | |
Hear, hear. | 0:54:19 | 0:54:21 | |
If this House tries to sabotage the bill, | 0:54:22 | 0:54:25 | |
we will be called the real enemy of the people. | 0:54:25 | 0:54:28 | |
We will have unleashed demons which will not be controlled. | 0:54:28 | 0:54:31 | |
To listen to the arguments and to decide how to vote. | 0:54:31 | 0:54:35 | |
That's Parliamentary democracy for you. | 0:54:35 | 0:54:37 | |
And if we don't stick to that, | 0:54:37 | 0:54:39 | |
it's not just the House of Lords that will be redundant, | 0:54:39 | 0:54:42 | |
it's the House of Commons as well. | 0:54:42 | 0:54:44 | |
MUMBLES OF AGREEMENT | 0:54:44 | 0:54:46 | |
The question is that this bill be now read a second time. | 0:54:47 | 0:54:51 | |
As many of that opinion will say, "Content." | 0:54:51 | 0:54:53 | |
Content. | 0:54:53 | 0:54:54 | |
To the contrary, "Not content." The contents have it. | 0:54:54 | 0:54:58 | |
The House has passed the bill through its first stage. | 0:55:00 | 0:55:04 | |
They will now vote on amendments. | 0:55:04 | 0:55:06 | |
185, 190 speeches. | 0:55:06 | 0:55:09 | |
That's not what people outside have been asking for, writing to us, | 0:55:09 | 0:55:12 | |
sending us e-mails, ringing us up. | 0:55:12 | 0:55:14 | |
They're asking for decisions. | 0:55:14 | 0:55:16 | |
Over the coming days, the Lords make changes to the detail of the bill. | 0:55:18 | 0:55:23 | |
Temporary defeat for the Government. | 0:55:23 | 0:55:25 | |
There have voted contents, 358. | 0:55:25 | 0:55:30 | |
Not contents, 256. | 0:55:31 | 0:55:34 | |
So the contents have it. | 0:55:34 | 0:55:36 | |
But they will not have the final say. | 0:55:41 | 0:55:44 | |
Peers have no intention of stopping the bill in its tracks, | 0:55:44 | 0:55:47 | |
and will ultimately bow to the Commons, | 0:55:47 | 0:55:50 | |
whether they accept their amendments or not. | 0:55:50 | 0:55:53 | |
The decision now has been made. | 0:55:54 | 0:55:56 | |
I voted remain but the decision has been made to go. | 0:55:56 | 0:55:59 | |
The House of Lords can't and doesn't want to overturn | 0:55:59 | 0:56:03 | |
the will of the people or the will of the Commons. | 0:56:03 | 0:56:06 | |
Leaving Europe will hand Parliament a massive workload, | 0:56:08 | 0:56:11 | |
passing new legislation to replace EU law that is lost. | 0:56:11 | 0:56:15 | |
The Lords will come into their own. | 0:56:17 | 0:56:19 | |
Burrowing into the heap of legislation | 0:56:19 | 0:56:21 | |
flowing from the Commons, | 0:56:21 | 0:56:22 | |
making amendments and refining it. | 0:56:22 | 0:56:25 | |
I've referred to us as being Parliamentary worms, | 0:56:27 | 0:56:29 | |
and we will be wriggling furiously over the next couple of years. | 0:56:29 | 0:56:33 | |
We can't overstep the mark, because if we do, worms get squashed. | 0:56:33 | 0:56:37 | |
But we will have a huge role to play over the next couple of years | 0:56:38 | 0:56:41 | |
and it's very difficult to think of a time when the House of Lords | 0:56:41 | 0:56:44 | |
is going to be more significant in that legislative process. | 0:56:44 | 0:56:48 | |
We'll be getting into the nitty-gritty. | 0:56:48 | 0:56:50 | |
And as everybody knows, and I know as an ex-MP, | 0:56:50 | 0:56:53 | |
the MPs are not very good at dealing with that. | 0:56:53 | 0:56:55 | |
Both Houses will have to work very carefully together | 0:56:55 | 0:57:00 | |
to hold the government to account, | 0:57:00 | 0:57:01 | |
to make sure that ridiculous things don't slip through. | 0:57:01 | 0:57:04 | |
Brexit will make the Parliamentary worms more important than ever. | 0:57:04 | 0:57:09 | |
Secure in their immediate future. | 0:57:09 | 0:57:11 | |
It is the Palace of Westminster itself | 0:57:14 | 0:57:16 | |
which is facing the most dramatic change, | 0:57:16 | 0:57:20 | |
with radical building work and the loss of its inhabitants. | 0:57:20 | 0:57:23 | |
One day I was coming to work and I stopped on Westminster Bridge | 0:57:37 | 0:57:40 | |
and I looked at it and thought, "Bloody hell, that's where I work." | 0:57:40 | 0:57:43 | |
If we move out, | 0:57:45 | 0:57:47 | |
I personally wouldn't really want to go and work anywhere else. | 0:57:47 | 0:57:50 | |
If we move out here, we stay dressed like this, | 0:57:50 | 0:57:52 | |
you haven't got the same nostalgia, the same history. | 0:57:52 | 0:57:56 | |
Wherever we go work after this, | 0:57:58 | 0:58:00 | |
the Queen Elizabeth building, anything, it won't be the same. | 0:58:00 | 0:58:03 | |
It just won't be the same. | 0:58:04 | 0:58:05 | |
Are you interested in finding out more about the House of Lords, | 0:58:22 | 0:58:25 | |
and the role it plays in the UK's political system? Go to... | 0:58:25 | 0:58:29 | |
..and follow the links to the Open University. | 0:58:33 | 0:58:36 |