Election is the only means by which a nation can have any influence over the laws it is required to obey and the only secure means of achieving accountability for the decisions made.

Appointment confers power on the prime minister and however many checks and balances exist to limit it, patronage can have a corrupting influence on both the patron and the recipient and is fundamentally undemocratic.

If special expertise is required by government, and it is and it always will be, there are many ways of using it without putting people into Parliament.

The European Union, through the Council of Ministers and the commission is now a major source of legislation in force in Britain, capable both of passing news laws and repealing our own laws without any consent of the present Commons or Lords, and a new second chamber should attempt to restore the balance in favour of our Parliament.

An English Parliament?

It seems inevitable that pressure for an English Parliament will grow and if one is established what is now seen as a second chamber might well be perceived as a federal Parliament responsible for those United Kingdom functions which remain, especially in overall economic policy, defence and foreign relations.

If this were to happen the questions might even arise as to whether such a federal Parliament needed two chambers or whether it could best operate with one and this possibility could influence the thinking of the commission.

Crown powers

It is also necessary to look at the remaining prerogative powers, now exercised by the prime minister, for which no approval is required by either house, to see whether a second chamber might have a role in controlling these powers.

The only change in the present system that I would recommend is that the absolute veto which the Lords now have over statutory instruments should be reduced to one of delay.

I believe that it is essential to establish a constituency link for all members of the second chamber and for that reason any national list system would be unacceptable, while the Alternative Vote would be possible and desirable.

There is an additional reason for doing so and it is the risk of allowing national parties - or party leaders - effectively to nominate all the candidates.