Baroness Harman backs pledge to kick peers out of Lords at 80
Baroness Harman has urged the prime minister to stick to his manifesto pledge to kick peers out of the House of Lords when they turn 80.
During the general election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to abolish the Lords entirely during his first parliament and replace it with an elected chamber.
But the first of his reforms will see the removal of the final 92 hereditary peers, who hold their seats due to inherited titles, and an imposed retirement age of 80.
Co-host of Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast Baroness Harman, who became a Labour peer herself just this month, said she was “delighted” to be on the red benches.
But she said she was “signed up” to her party’s plans for “people not going on beyond 80” in the chamber, adding: “I am really heading up to that fast so I’ll have to have a new reinvention.
“I’m, 73, so I will need a new reinvention because my mum lived to 100, so I have got three decades left virtually to be cracking on,” she said.
Harriet Harman supports Lords reform
Tory peer and fellow podcast host Ruth Davidson said she understood questions from some older peers who were “very active in the House – perhaps more active than some of the younger peers who are at a different stage in their careers – about why make it an arbitrary cut off because there are some people who are bright as a button are 80.”
But Baroness Harman said it was either that, a cognitive test that was “a bit cruel”, or judging people on their appearances.
“There’s downsides of all of those,” she added. “But I think the age cut-off is the most humane and sensible one.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Speaking in May, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to abolish the House of Lords.
She also pointed at the seats reserved for bishops in the second chamber, which she described as “quite odd”.
“It might well be the bishops have got a role to play in the House of Lords, but how they get in there should be the same way as how everybody else gets in there, not by virtue of having… reserved places,” said Baroness Harman.
“For ages when there weren’t allowed to be women bishops, there was, by definition, no woman allowed to sit as part of the bishops.
“People say in the House of Lords that they make a great contribution, they make great speeches, they come from all around the country… routed through lots of communities.
“But there’s a legitimacy issue in a modern legislature – why you have one religion that is there to be able to be part of the legislature [and not others].”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Don’t forget, you can see Electoral Dysfunction live during its tour this month.
You can get your tickets by clicking here. The dates for the remaining shows are:
• Salford – Monday 16 September, Lowry Quays
• Liverpool – Sunday 22 September, St George’s Hall
• Glasgow – Thursday 26 September, The Glee Club
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform
Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway