Sleeping in the House of Lords

[AquariusEddie]

Speechless...

[imiiiS]

Dead maybe?

[charizardpal]

That's what those couches were designed for.

[BrothersBean]

wasters

[manhattanguru2]

To be fair to them they do have to debate issues long after midnight and they will also do a all-nighter know and again so it is very tiring.

[benpetben]

they get paid loads for sleeping? can i find this job in my local jobcenter!

[brett18uk]

@benpetben ACtually they don't get paid a salary at all.

[Angryification]

Erm maybe she's just listening to the speaker [not the guy who yells ORDER, the electronic thing] in the seat...

[01blackpete1]

Bunch of cunts.

[MisterScottishPerson]

@01blackpete1 Totally agree

[lorryt0]

I started watching this and fell asleep what happens I cant go through it again

[baraxor]

Those Victorian-era benches look very comfy.

[teabag3339]

If they start dosing-off they should thrown a bucket of water over them. Just imagine how many £250's they could get from Harry Hill. Then donate all the money to a worthwhile charity.

[shame69]

I'm on the edge of my seat! Nail-biting stuff!

[puretroubleman]

i've been listening to this for 2 minutes and have yet to figure out what his talking about. 

[StevenDeedle]

@puretroubleman too true! their all liars, vote bnp; the only party which doesn't lie :)

[puretroubleman]

@StevenDeedle they [bnp] do lie, they try to say they are not racist

[StevenDeedle]

@puretroubleman read the policies on their website, lib/lab/con are basically all the same, all they do is lie

[puretroubleman]

how could you not fall asleep during this 

[XionXi]

Watch BBC Parliament and you can always catch one of these unelected old fucks sleeping on the job. Why even bother turning up?

[Kenta19191919]

People criticize aristocracies often for their lack of common sense and for being out of touch. Some of them do have "high minds" and can send warning signs against burgeoning mistakes mass democracy sometimes makes. Virtues, dignity and fundamental principles of a nation are not always best taken care of by common people. Look at Japan. After abolishing the aristocracy and degrading the emperor, Japan has become a country with no bottom. She cannot even handle a third rate country like N K.

[bloomsburymike]

Surely it's all about good government, not who elected them? People need to get over the "if they aren't elected they don't do a good job". Nonsense, Hitler was elected. An extreme example, but there are checks and balances in place. they are not all perfect, but it would be too easy to think that making the Lords fully elected would improve things. Will more elected politicians really make it better? I think we need to be a little more imaginative than just that.

[ednuttah]

To be fair although they are mocked, they keep the Commons in check. Lord knows the Commons is full of children!

[americanman2000]

that is what i meant lol, wow that is something how america is almost the same as the U.K government, GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

[americanman2000]

are the house of reps and house of lords in england almost the same as it is in the united states

?

[robertuk2006]

The Lords are more like the Senate

[robertuk2006]

The house of commons is more like the house of representatives.

[Tzimnewman3]

The house of Commons is the only house who's members are elected by the people of the United Kingdom.

Those members of the House of Lords are un-elected and receive those positions either from members of the House of Commons (Prime Minister) or from birth.

Unless the Senate consists of Un-elected respresentatives then I would say the Senate is much better then this British Dictatorship.

At least Americans can vote for their representatives.

[stevehargreaves69]

The right to sit in the House of Lords can no longer be inherited from birth, hereditary peers were abolished by the House of Lords Act 1999. As for the House of Lords being a "dictatorship".... The role of the House of Lords isn't to represent or dictate new laws, they simply review the laws passed by the House of Commons i.e. the elected body which does represent the will of the people.

[Tzimnewman3]

Ok, your right that it can no longer be inherited, instead if you give enough money to the current political party in charge (Labour) you may buy a seat in the Lords instead.

Nonetheless, Lords or never elected by the people. Therefore they remain in part a dictatorship simply for the fact that they decide and have power over important issues and are not elected by the people.

[stevehargreaves69]

They cant exaclty be regarded as a "dictatorship". The Lords only review laws passed by the Commons. "Review" does not mean "make" or "dictate", it means they simply look over Statutes which Parliament wish to implement and suggest improvements. They don't make any fundemental changes, nor can they ultimately block new laws from being passed. The Lords actually play a vital role by reviewing new laws because it increases the effectiveness of their enforcement.

[Tzimnewman3]

@stevehargreaves69

Its not as simple as a reviewer retard. You say they have no power to block laws. They do indeed have this power by simply stating they do not agree with the law being passed to thme therefore handing it back to the Commons who then after a certain perdiod of time must ammend it before giving it back the House of Lords who can simply keep doing the same thing over and over again.

PLUS the important FACT.

THEY ARE NOT ELECTED BY US

[stevehargreaves69]

Wrong, under the Parliament Act 1954 the House of Lords can only reject legislation a maximum of 2 times, which is why I previously said that they cant ULTIMATELY block new laws. Youre correct they arent voted in, but seeing as their function is only to review not make new law, you have to consider whether voting them in would actually make any difference to the system.

I'd suggest you get your facts right before calling ME a retard because clearly it added no substance to your argument.

[Tzimnewman3]

@stevehargreaves69

It would change the fact that we can kick those people who are in important positions out of their job when they break the law.

As for the Parliament Act it seems more a joke since its only been used 7 times since 1911.

That still does not change the fact that the House of Lords are UN ELECTED. Its not Democratic. Thats the real problem.

[stevehargreaves69]

Parliament Act 1949 rather, apologies for the typo.

[wakeylad81]

shes not sleeping shes just checking her eye lids for holes!

[sbasey]

They are only dangerous when they are awake.

[faro0485]

We need more clips of house of lords snoozing.

[stefanybody]

this shit is so damn funny lolllllllll

i pictured the woman being hillary and the man being joe biden that would be funny

[AmberAlley]

Lords a-sleeping!

[shame69]

Hear, hear!

[prowlifik]

i cant blame her for going to sleep the british are boring people. the only thing they care about is the queen and tea. everytime i hear a british person my ears bleed. that accent is the worst. they always sound like there crying.

[MrJohnBercow]

It's "their"; please don't abuse the English and then misuse their language.

[MoneyMaker4Ads]

i know what you mean,its just the same that all yanks over induldge in steroids or date their sisters and think god would bless such a war mongaring nation of egotystical people.

steriotypes are always wrong - want to know true british people then don't look in parliament or on the news because true british people are nothing like you yanks think we are!

[blanchelincoln]

Oh yes, her eyes are shut and her mouth agape because she's "listening intently" . That's what they want you to think serfs!!

And the guy on the right looks ready for a few cocktails.

[slimmboy85]

zzZZZZZzZzZZzzZZZzzZzZzZZZzzzz­ZZZZzzzZzZzZz

[augustusgl]

Can people just go and watch?

[OrangUtanUK]

The metal rosettes in the back of the benches are actually loudspeakers. They lay back to hear better. But I don't doubt that occasionally one of them does nod off.

At least they attend sessions of the house, unlike the members of the House of Commons. Whenever I've been in the public gallery, there have abeen about 30 Lords present there (the quorum is 3) but only about 13 of the 650 MPs have been in the Commons (where the quorum is 40).

[gagothesith]

I would rather have an MP absent from the debating Chamber and doing something productive elsewhere, than one physically present but not contributing and looking every bit like (s)he would rather be elsewhere.

[mchap38834]

Did Margaret Thatcher ever take an active role in the House of Lords?

[324wilson]

Yes!

[gagothesith]

> Did Margaret Thatcher ever take

> an active role in the House of Lords?

324WILSON is right--from her maiden speech to every occasion when the issue at hand compelled her to speak, she was as formidable as ever.

Video clip of her first statement as Baroness Thatcher is available on YouTube.

[JackBrindelli]

never mind sleeping, i think she's passed on

[neonpiano]

I don't think she's actually asleep, she's just sitting back so it looks like her eyes are shut. She scratches her nose with her glasses at one point.

[AntarcticanCommunist]

Ahhh life peerages suck and an elected chamber would just ruin the whole point of the HoL. I say 50% elected and 50% heriditary.

[gagothesith]

1 ELECTED MEMBERS: Considering all the complaints citizens have against elected Members of the House of Commons, what need is there to have several hundred more of the same.

2 LIFE PEERS have the advantage of not being motivated to exercise the powers of the position for personal political gain.

3 HEREDITARY PEERS have the advantage of a generations-old name to protect and to never have come to the HoL through politics to begin with--an issue is examined for its own merits alone.

. . .

[gagothesith]

PS: problems start when the seats are sold to begin with, and when the holders sell influence--hang those bastards!

[Kenta19191919]

@gagothesith

I am led to believe that T Blair worked hard to destroy the Lords to win popularity and make some mark of political achievement. Labour basically ran of easy targets and had to look for something easy to win popularity with. I am surprised that the aristocracies let that happen. Do they not control the realm? After the aristocracies, the Royals may be next. Common people don't realise the values of such institutions.

[Redcarpet01]

@gagothesith That's the theory though. Ultimately they're mostly political hacks. A Citizens Chamber would be better; let an X number of voting citizens, similar to jury selection but if you put your name in, sit in the UK's upper chamber. It's time to let citizens have a say instead of these politicians and hacks talk amongst themselves in their 'bubble'.

[rugbyboy198127]

@gagothesith yes excellent comments - politics has become increasingly dangerous in the modern age - now more than ever before we need the safety net of house of lords - and we need to keep the blasted damn politicians out of there - house of lords should be made of life peers(not from politics) and hereditary peers, also should have well reknowned scientists in there too, such as dawkins, attenborough or philosophers such as russel etc etc - should be separate from politcs as much as possible!!

[mikeybrumbrum]

They only get £90,000 a year, BASIC salary. YOu cant expect them to stay awake, listening about your bleating problems, for THAT !!

Perhaps id they got a few mnore perks, and freebies, and bribes and hush money, they cud be incited to wakeness.

Or, we coudl set fire ot the buidling, and see if that wakes them up, to the problems at hand.

[theredraven]

The Lords's don't get paid. That's why so many of them have secondary jobs.

[mikeybrumbrum]

how can they have "secondary" jobs, when they rest of us coulnd't physically stay awake for 2 jobs ?

They can have several jobs, each turning over millions of hours of manpower and creaming off the spoils of their constructed confusion of the masses.

I just dont like them !

[curlyceltic]

Lord do get money for showing up, as far as I'm aware. I think it was referred to on Daily Politics as 'care in the community'. They are often former MP's, so they have a pension from that.

[DocGreen15]

See that "the prevention of terrorism act" they were talking about!

Fucking bastards! Take away our liberties! You could at least be awake to hear both sides of the argument and the stripping of civil liberties in order to gain a little more security! Worthless!

[drfarenheight]

what a bunch of wankers!! more people have been stabbed and kicked to death this week!!! never mind sitting on yer idle arses and sleeping about ... Do something usefull and bring back hanging for fuck,s sake =[

[chuckmonkey7337]

well actually appregios you don't get payed to be a lord look it up. either way my comment: me and a group of people once got to sit and watch the U.S.'s Senate and they all fell asleep to i don't blame the poor lady zzzzzzz

[proffesermusic]

They are not a sleep if you have ever been to the lords or commons like i have you will no in the seats is a little portcullis and in there is a speaker and they close there eyes and listen in a better quilty what the front benchers is saying

[bringbackvinyl2]

Another sucker fooled by these phonies

[theredraven]

There's nothing phony about being a peer. It's a regular thing in this country.

[paulod27]

That woman is definitely asleep because the House of Lords is boring and pointless. Just look at her mouth she could catch flies in that thing!

[LS8492]

Yep, it happens everywere! :D

[lordeverglot]

totaly usuall, you can see this in every parliament in the worl!

[Ohyewildthong]

This is what happens with the life peers

[RtHonDan4whoresnorth]

haha oh god i love watching the house of lords and the AU,CA, senate when ppl are sleeping it makes it more interesting come on Helen bring back LC we need to see stuff like this!

[AdzeeT]

lazy bitch

[appregios]

get paid too much your fired

[amoreztytytt]

Taking a well earned rest ( at the taxpayers expense). Nice work if you can get it!

[katieford44]

Actually shes not. Many of the peers sit in this way because of the speaker system. I had the privilage of sitting in the house and I have to say the seats there are the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on and are no cosy wing chair. Many of the members sit in this position and close there eyes to concentrate on what is being said. To say to someone who has seen the set up properly "get real" is a little ignorant and I have to say I am speaking from experience whereas you appear not to be.

[06lockharta]

You must think people are stupid, at one point her mouth is wide open, she wakes up, looks around and nods back off. How ignorant are you to assume I've never been to The House Of Sleepers?

[lcc1211]

It is quite obvious that she is sleeping.

[theredraven]

DO you remember what Obi Wan Kenobi said about your eyes?

[proffesermusic]

I am sorry i have to agree with everything katieford44 has said in this ironic debate i also have had the privilge to be in the lords and 1st hand watch them debate please read my comment and katieford44's comment aswell we are talking sense

[katieford44]

cont - who is one of the UK leading minds in the area of science as you have seen in programmes such as 'child of our time'. The unfortunate thing about an elected house is that it requires individuals to become politicians and all the corruption which comes along with that. Obviously I am not refering to the cash for peerages individuals in this description, but luckily the people are in a tiny minority.

[06lockharta]

"Tilt their heads', get real - she's asleep.

[theredraven]

And you know this because...........?

[katieford44]

Your comments really do show how much you know about the lord's chamber. The reason why many of the lords and ladies tilt their heads in this way is because there are speakers within the seats in the house. As far as an elected house goes this is an absolutely farsical idea as one of the reasons the house of lords has such integrity is because they are usually appointed to the house because they are some of the most knowladgeable people within the UK within their area eg Lord Winston cont...

[Junkhead1988]

maybe if we had an elected upper house, it wouldn't chiefly be a house of codgers, and we wouldn't get people falling asleep...

[wansim]

This is the coolest joke of the day. LOL!

I guess ut happens all the time. Unlucky for her to get caught.. haha

[GuruAndEye]

How much more will we put up with it before we literally take to the streets and demand are rulers become our servants!

[bringbackvinyl2]

Pity they can't stay awake, maybe then they would know what's going on in the real world.

[gagothesith]

If you had to listen to a LibDem talk and happy fairy tales are not your thing, you'd doze off, too.

Now imagine having to listen to an aged LibDem--I'd PRETEND to be asleep if I have to.

[slimmboy85]

I almost fell asleep watching this on youtube.

[L119164]

Baroenss Linklater of Butterstone who is the person resting her eyes, works very hard on criminal justice bills in the house of lords. The House of Lords does a vital job of scrutinising, bills which the House of Commmons has rushed through. We would be much worse off without the House of Lords.

[lcc1211]

Wouldn't you be better off having an upper house that is elected or at least appointed to terms? I understand tradition and all, but this isn't very democratic.

[curlyceltic]

I understand the argument for elected chamber. However, they do vote in a way that supports precedent, rather than undermine it - as in the recent abortion and detaining of suspects legislation. There would be a concern about elected Lords using the platform to undermine precedent, and maybe use fundamentalism to undermine science. There would need to be a written constitutional safeguard to protect from this potential abuse.

[unHalo]

I'm completely embarassed to be a part of the country that takes so much pride in these politicians. I couldnt even laugh at that because of how messed up it really is.

[jamesmagmar126]

haha typical