Baroness Harman Advocates for Mandatory Retirement at 80 in House of Lords Reform and Questions Bishops’ Reserved Seats

Baroness Harman supports the commitment to remove members of the Lords when they reach 80

The freshly titled co-presenter of Electoral Dysfunction is endorsing Labour’s campaign vow, noting her surprise at the guaranteed positions for bishops in the assembly.

Political correspondent @NifS

Friday, September 13, 2024, 7:

Baroness Harman has pressed the prime minister to honor his campaign promise to retire members of the House of Lords once they reach the age of 80.

Throughout the campaign for the general election, Sir Keir Starmer committed to completely eliminating the House of Lords in his initial term and instituting a chamber composed of elected officials.

The initial measure in his series of reforms involves eliminating the last 92 hereditary peers, who occupy their positions because of titles passed down through generations, and setting a mandatory retirement age of 80.

Baroness Harman, recently appointed as a Labour peer and now a co-host on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, expressed her joy at joining the esteemed red benches, stating she was "delighted."

She indicated her agreement with her party's policy that members should not continue in the chamber past the age of 80, noting, "I am quickly approaching that age, so I'll need to reinvent myself soon."

"At 73 years old, I need to reinvent myself since my mother lived to be 100. That potentially gives me around three more decades to make the most of," she stated.

Conservative peer and fellow podcast host Ruth Davidson expressed her understanding of inquiries from some senior peers who are highly engaged in the House's activities. She noted that these individuals, despite their age, are often more active than younger peers who might be earlier in their careers. She questioned the rationale behind setting an arbitrary age limit, pointing out that many remain sharp and capable even at 80.

Baroness Harman mentioned that the options were limited to that, a somewhat harsh cognitive test, or evaluating individuals based on how they look.

"She acknowledged the drawbacks associated with each option. However, she believes that implementing an age limit is the most compassionate and logical choice."

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She also gestured towards the seats allocated for bishops in the upper house, which she referred to as "rather unusual".

Baroness Harman suggested that while bishops might have a valid role in the House of Lords, their method of entry should be consistent with that of other members, rather than through automatically reserved positions.

"For a long period during which women were not permitted to become bishops, women were inherently excluded from the ranks of the bishopric.

Members of the House of Lords are often praised for their significant contributions and impactful speeches, drawing from diverse experiences across various communities nationwide.

"There's a question of fairness in contemporary legislative bodies – why is it that only one religion is represented and allowed to participate in the legislature, while others are not?"

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