Another list of Lords stooges

THE need for House of Lords reform is made even more urgent by the creation of a new tranche of working peers that is significant for the inclusion of justice campaigner Doreen Lawrence and the omission of legendary football manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

This is not a list to inspire the nation and improve decision-making at Westminster – it is simply a means for the main parties to reward party donors and political cronies, as well as a raft of former MPs and councillors.

The honourable exception is the admirable Mrs Lawrence, who has accepted a Labour peerage more than 20 years after her teenage son, Stephen, was murdered by racists in London. Yet the mixed response to her elevation to Baroness exposes the House of Lords and its lack of democratic accountability. Some contend that she will use her position to further expose the police’s lamentable failings in the Lawrence case, while others argue equally forcefully that she will have less influence as a result of her decision to take the Labour whip.

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It should not be like this. If the Lords is to improve legislation, its primary purpose as a revising chamber, it needs to find a way for voters to elect independently-minded individuals whose expertise can enhance the nation’s governance rather than those stooges who put party loyalty before the wider public interest.

Two other points need to be made. First, these appointments make a mockery of David Cameron’s promise to make politics cheaper. Each peer costs the taxpayer an average of £131,000 a year – and this list contains 30 appointments as the coalition looks to reduce Labour’s influence after Tony Blair and Gordon Brown rewarded dozens of their own supporters with peerages.

Second, it leaves Nick Clegg open to the charge of hypocrisy. He has chosen to appoint 10 new peers – even though he still wants the House of Lords to be scrapped and replaced by a fully-elected chamber.

Perhaps the only person who emerges from this process with any credibility is Sir Alex Ferguson, who 
told Labour leader Ed Miliband that he was too busy to take up his offer of 
a peerage.

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Unlike so many members of the Upper House, he 
came to the correct conclusion that this role demands a full-time commitment because of its importance – a view that is not shared by all peers – and that he would very quickly have become frustrated at Parliament’s antiquated processes of procedure.

Yorkshire Water’s tax arrangements

YORKSHIRE Water’s tax arrangements should be viewed from the perspective of those customers who struggle to pay their bills.

Unlike the energy and telecoms industries, where firms compete for business, the privatised water companies enjoy a monopoly status.

And, because water is an everyday essential, households have to pay this bill every month – with Yorkshire Water not being afraid to threaten legal action when a customer falls behind with their payments.

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As such, people will be incredulous that this firm does not abide by the same principle when it comes to the payment of corporation tax – one bill that an increasing number of profitable firms from Starbucks to Google and now Yorkshire Water seem to regard as an optional extra.

After making a pre-tax profit of £186m, Yorkshire Water’s contention is that it was right to use this money to quadruple shareholder dividends because these

are the people who are enabling the company to invest in improvements to drains and water quality.

Yet, as North Yorkshire MP Julian Smith MP points out, it is difficult to defend this position at a time when household water bills are rising by an above-inflation 6.6 per cent and when

some of the money awarded to shareholders could

be used to repair scores of burst pipes across this region.

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As such, the formal response of Yorkshire Water’s directors when they are questioned by MPs will be awaited with interest.

An encouraging state of affairs

THE importance of giving every child a sporting chance is illustrated by King Ecgbert School in Sheffield. The school that helped to launch Jessica Ennis-Hill’s golden journey to the London Olympics,

it was also instrumental in the formative years of man-of-the-moment Joe Root’s cricketing career.

The success of Ennis-Hill and Root, who is spearheading England’s attempt to retain the Ashes in the Old Trafford Test,

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is proof that future sporting stars are just as likely to be found in state schools as on the hallowed fields of Eton, Harrow or at other independent academic institutions of great renown.

It is a point made by the Chance to Shine charity, which is hoping to inspire a cricketing comeback in state schools. It’s a noble cause – lifelong friendships can be forged as youngsters embrace the team ethic while trying to improve their batting, bowling and fielding skills. The challenge is finding ingenious ways to enhance cricket’s popularity at a time when the coalition Government is still selling off school playing fields – and in a climate when bad weather can invariably dampen the spirits of those youngsters who, understandably, just want to turn up and play.