The blog is back

After a refreshing summer rest, the Politics blog will be back to daily postings of the latest updates relating to teaching and learning Politics.

First up is the Guardian’s take on a key topic in the Governing the UK papers at AS level, House of Lords reform.

According to a Guardian editorial, the prospects for a fully or largely elected chamber look as dim as ever, regardless of the party that wins the 2010 election:

“Whoever wins, the next election will be a watershed, for there is no provision in the current interim system to accommodate political change in the Commons. A returned Labour government would be faced with heavy demand from retired or unseated MPs looking for a way back to Westminster. An incoming Conservative one would find an upper house where they had fewer, older peers than Labour and a strong case for the immediate appointment of a large group of Tories.”

Why this is disappointing is supported by a good final point: “the system by which we are governed shapes what governments do.”

Why is the Lords back in the news? Last week, Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary announced plans to publish a draft bill before the next election. Read more here. Change, however, seems some way off since there is no real political will behind the campaign within the Commons.