MOST people in the UK are opposed to having bishops sit in the House of Lords, according to a new poll.

As I mentioned when blogging Ming Campbell’s speech from Liberal Democrat conference, the motion in favour of Lords reform was passed overwhelmingly. That in itself was not a surprise, but that does not mean actually securing Lords reform will be easy. Two immediate ways you can support the campaign for House of Lords reform are:

Polly Toynbee has written a piece today about antidisestablishmentarianism and says the following about the House of Lords.Of course [the 26 bishops in the House of Lords] should not be there, when only 16% of people will grace the pews on Christmas Day.I highlight this line because the argument Polly appears to be making is that the presence of 26 Bishops in the House of Lords is disproportionate...

Aside from the debate at Liberal Democrat conference on Lords reform, there’s another important opportunity to have your say on Lords reform at the moment. The official public consultation from the Joint Committee of the Draft House of Lords Reform Bill runs until 12 October and Unlock Democracy have put together a very simple to

Work and Pensions Secretary is confident his welfare reform Bill will make it through the House of Lords despite opposition from Church of England bishops and rebel Liberal Democrats.

Bishops could be banished from the House of Lords under plans being considered by Gordon Brown.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has hit out at bishops trying to block his welfare reforms, accusing them of ignoring the concerns of ordinary people.

Oh dear. Iain Dale has discovered the dates of the General Elections from now to eternity. I have asked him when the document to which he refers - the Constitutional Reform Bill - was actually published by Lords Hansard. Answer here and above. It's either quite a scoop - well, apart from the possibility of amendment or action before it is enacted - or evidence that the April Fool meme reaches...

My first post titled Irony was quite good, and involved Iain Dale. But this one is a cracker. And involves Iain Dale again. Tom Watson… Mr Watson complained of an article by Iain Dale, headed “Smears, glowering henchmen-like the Nixon White House” published in the Mail on Sunday on 12 April 2009 in which it was stated

Whilst the News of the World scandal has drawn virtually all of the attention, the clock has started ticking on the work of the Joint Select Committee on the Draft House of Lords Reform Bill. Comprising twenty six members appointed from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it is charged with