The Lords' Tale (Part 19)

Earl of Romney on democracy and the ideal government.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• State Opening
• Judges
• Bishops
• Commons
• Her Majesty the Queen
• Earl of Romney
• Tony Blair smug
• Queen's Speech
• Lords Reform?
• Throne

[meredithk]

Thank you for posting this documentary, it was fascinating.

What film is the clip at the end from?

[desiretheright]

It looks like Foyle's War.

Certainly Michael Kitchen's there, and it seems to be about the War. And it's likely to have been recorded ~2002. But I can't be absolutely certain.

[Dimmimar]

The Earl of Romney was right, really; but I don't think there's another system that we could possibly use.

[Andy1982able]

Thank you so much for posting this. I actually met several of the participants - including Earl Ferrers, Lord Carrington and the late Earl Russell - when I worked in Parliament. The Lords was the greatest revising chamber in the world and this Gov't has assaulted it. Just last year, we saw the abolition of the Judicial function and the removal of the Law Lords to the new Supreme Court. Who do these reforms serve? Not the British people, that much I can tell you.

[yakchirscarlson]

This was absolutely GREAT! I also thought it was a little emotional – I hate to see great things go away. And, the more I think about it, the more my heart aches. Think about it – will there ever be a hereditary house in Europe? History would tell us no, and because of that daunting realization, I am utterly depressed. I detest mob rule, and I grieve for the departed system.

[dickcharteris]

Thank you for this wonderful and poignant documentary. Tony Blair is going to be condemned by history for this, and his many other attacks on our ancient institutions.

[Fleshious]

The removal of hereditary peers was a disgrace.

Tony Bliar replaced all these gentle, intelligent and wise men with a bunch of lefty professors, brainless TV personalities and oiks like John Presscot.

[umaralansari]

If anyone believes that we live in a democracy, with a royal head of state, 30% governments (taking electoral turnout into account) and MPs typically selected from the ranks of lawyers, bankers, careerists and reliable party line-toers.. then they are sorely deluded...

And were it to be otherwise, were this to be truly a democracy, you would still have the conflict between the will of the masses and the best way to govern - a dictatorship of the masses (many of them Sun readers).

[fight4uk]

as churchill said “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

[hesajollygoodfellow]

Excellent and very thought provoking. It certainly highlights the inadequacies of democracy and supports the logic of the good noble lord Romney, however, we must remember what life was like in the past when we had lords less scrupulous governing us. Democracy will never be perfect but, alas, it is the least worst option.

[Random1208]

How sad that so few people have watched this series of clips you probably worked hard to make available. I'm an American and most of my exposure to British politics comes from watching old Commons proceedings here on YouTube. However, having given that caveat I'd like to point out that there's something to be said for people trained from childhood for a specific job, even if they aren't charismatic enough to sway the ignorant, apathetic electorate. Far too many people can vote nowadays.