The senate-style system that aimed for balance

The government’s plan was to create a senate-style chamber to provide a more accountable balance to the House of Commons.

It is argued that the current occupants of the Lords do not have legitimacy, because they are not elected, yet can still exert influence over bills.

Some contentious elements of the early proposals, including a £65,000 salary for new senators, were dropped.

Critics had argued that an elected House of Lords would cost more than the current one and could interfere with the Commons’ supremacy.

Details of the bill proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg included the following:

• Peers would serve 15-year, non-renewable terms

• Elections would take place every five years, with one third of seats up for re-election.

• Elections would take place in 2015, 2020 and 2025, with existing members being “phased out”.

• 90 unelected members (about 20 per cent) would be chosen by an Appointments Commission, on a non-party basis.

• The number of Church of England bishops in the Lords would be cut from 26 to 12.

• There was some discussion about completely phasing out the Lords Spiritual – as bishops are known.

• It would still be called the House of Lords, but members would not have the title “Lord”, with parliament to decide on a new name for them.

• Elections would be regionally based with the different nations and English regions electing the same number of representatives.

• Mr Clegg wanted to use an single transferable vote (STV) system but said he was open to different alternatives.

• An alternative was to use STV plus, which is used only in New South Wales, Australia, where voters either choose parties to rank or individuals.

It was hoped that this system would increase the opportunity of electing independent members.

• Following the heavy defeat in the alternative vote referendum in 2011, there would be no referendum on House of Lords reform put to the British public.