Orders of the Day — Parliament Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 November 1947.

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Photo of Hon. Michael Astor Hon. Michael Astor , Surrey Eastern 12:00, 10 November 1947

The hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. B. Levy) has made an attempt to prophesy how we on this side of the House would react to what he termed revolutionary legislation as regards the Upper House. I thought the hon. Member was very wide of the mark. He may attempt to look like a prophet but, in fact, his efforts to get at our feelings on matters of the Second Chamber are quite invalid and not worth dealing with any further.

It seems to me there are two issues, two dangers, before us tonight: one is the con stitutional issue and the constitutional danger involved in accepting this Bill, and the other is the economic danger. On the constitutional issue, I would say that this Bill is almost a good thing. I say so for the reason that it is such a poor Bill, so ill-timed, so totally inadequate, and so feebly presented that inevitably it will lead to further legislation which will recast and strengthen the Second Chamber. On the economic side I know what the country has in mind today. The people are asking themselves, "Will this Measure produce, for instance, one single dollar, one single gallon of petrol, one single manhour of work "—