This article is more than 1 year old
Power to the People: apply online to enter UK govt
But would you want to sit alongside the old duffers in the Lords?
The modernisation of the House of Lords is going on apace and now us commoners are invited to apply for a place in the red-seated chamber. Not only that but in line with Tony's Blair e-government prattling, a new Web site is being set up to welcome applications online.
The new appointments commission will be launched on Wednesday, as will its website, found here (but there's nothing there yet). If you fancy becoming a Lord, all you have to do is send the commission your CV and two references. Or you can even nominate a friend. The idea is to pull in people more representative of the country and dilute the old, white, male, wealthy, blue-blood members already there.
However, the commission has excepted that it is likely to be inundated by cranks and egotists. The scary thing is that we predicted last year (as a joke) that people like Chris Evans would soon be invited to join the House of Lords - now that sick, sick scenario is growing ever closer. Of course, a few of the old gits that run this country (politicians), think this is a ridiculous system and the old system was much better and fairer. To which we reply: bunkem.
The peerage system is a totally corrupt old-boys'-network affair and tends to vote in exactly the people that make the House of Lords appear out of date. Every year, the Lords slipped one more year into its alternative universe. That said, we don't much like Blair's reform either. A lot of the hereditary peers he kicked out earlier were the only ones who could call themselves independent. And this Web site idea is pushing it a bit far - no one seriously expects to enter government by writing in themselves. This is just stupid. It's Jim'll Fix It populist government.
Mind you, if by some miracle you did get in, you could expect to meet the Queen, wear fancy (and bloody expensive) clothes, get the best seats at all government dos, enjoy 24-hour drinking at Parliament, claim £81.50 a day in expenses, get your own coat of arms and rub shoulders with the back-biting scum that run the country. Bargain. You've got til 17 November. ®
Related link
Appointments Committee (not up until Wednesday)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
