Now is the time for a democratic Second Chamber

12.00.00am GMT Wed 7th Feb 2007

Responding to today's White Paper on House of Lords reform, Liberal Democrat Shadow Constitutional Affairs Secretary, Simon Hughes MP said:

"I welcome the Government's commitment to make a further serious effort to reform the House of Lords. This is part of a reform agenda that began in 1911. Nobody can say that serious democratic reform of the second house of the British Parliament is not well overdue.

"Liberal Democrats have always been committed to a wholly or substantially elected second House. That remains our position. We will vote for at least 80% of the new second house to be elected. In the 21st century the only way that both Houses of Parliament can be legitimate is for them to be made up of people elected directly by the people.

"People rightly pay tribute to the effectiveness of the current House of Lords. With progressive reform it can only improve."