Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
The Lords aren't the aristocracy. They used to be, until they were cleared out under Blair. There are some left, but not many, and chiefly those who are motivated to be involved in politics. The Lords is overwhelmingly appointees by the Commons government.

The recent record, ie. under the Tory government since 2010, sees the Lords as nearly always on the progressive side of the government. While we have a Trumpian government in the Commons, the Lords is politically somewhere around the Democrats/liberal Republicans.

As for what mechanism the Lords has for ensuring good governance: a belief in good government. I've bemoaned how the Tories jettison custom and abuse the system. The Lords still believes in responsibility and holding the country together. The One Nationers are still there, finding more common cause with the opposition than they do the Commons government.
My commentary regarded the yearning toward aristocratic governance. I didn't say that the Lords are nobility. But speaking of them, what is your expectation for the future of the House of Lords in mitigating Conservative government? What if the members come to act differently than you prefer? And what role does or should your new Supreme Court have in all this going forward?

Quote Originally Posted by Pannonian View Post
Hah! The PM previously refused to answer questions because the report was undergoing, now refuses to answer because there is an ongoing police investigation. The civil servant is not allowed to write too much in her report because there is an ongoing investigation. And the police have promised that the investigation won't take more than a year.

It must be nice for a PM not to have to answer questions because he can hide behind his mates. Do we even need checks and balances any more?
The report can't be revealed because it's being audited by the IRS.