Lords reform scuppered

The electorate dispensed with the Liberal Democrats AV proposals with a resounding 'no'.  The Coalition agreement linked the AV referendum with proposals for parliamentary constituency boundary revision, not with House of Lords reform.  Now that Clegg has been given a bloody nose over Lords reform by backbench Tories he is retaliating by refusing to support constituency boundary reform.  Says all that needs to be said about the Liberal Democrats.

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thecolumnists/2012/08/andrew-lilico-the-conservatives-havent-welched-on-the-coalition-agreement-but-the-lib-dems-have.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9455912/Nick-Clegg-shows-his-true-colours-on-equal-votes.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9458909/Cameron-to-push-ahead-with-boundary-reform-despite-Lib-Dems-wrecking-vow.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/davidhughes/100175026/the-tories-to-lose-a-by-election-so-what-its-lib-dem-opportunism-on-boundary-changes-we-should-worry-about/

I doubt the electorate would have put up with another layer of well paid party hacks in a reformed upper chamber, hence the refusal to put the issue of Lords to a referendum.  As for as I am aware the list system was to have been used for elections to the upper chamber, the list order being determined by the political parties.  Jobs for the boys and girls who follow the party line.

Of course the main beneficiary of AV and Lords reform would have been the Liberal Democrats who would have become the perpetual tail wagging the dog.  Back room deals between the parties would become the order of the day, and hang the electorate.

Really, the Conservatives should be looking to ditch the Liberal Democrats.  A press report today

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9455794/Labour-poll-lead-widens-as-Tories-agitate-for-UKIP-coalition.html

states that six out of ten Tory activists would like the Conservative Party to enter into a coalition with UKIP.

See also: http://networkedblogs.com/AJOwf

One assumes that the main reason for this is strong anti- EU sentiment within the Conservative Party membership.  The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-EU major political party in England, which makes for strange bedfellows within the Coalition.

See also:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/9458069/Lords-reform-Lib-Dem-minister-breaks-code-by-voting-against-boundary-changes.html

UPDATE:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9459046/Clegg-cares-more-about-revenge-than-fairness.html