As someone on a low wage with 2 jobs, my faith has been restored in human nature tonight

[ssd]

and I could cry.

someone with a title and a cut glass accent has stood up for me, and actually cared about me and my family.

I honestly thought those type of people eg. middle/upper class, titled, educated and privileged, looked at people like me and thought we were beneath them. This is how the conservative gov has made me feel, me working 2 jobs, like I am somehow beneath them, as I earn minimum wage.

Now, whatever happens with the tax credits, I know not everyone that speaks and looks well bred and monied thinks that way.

Thanks house of lords, you've restored my faith in human nature and shown DC and GO up as the utter bastards they are.

ssd, it is very good news. I am pleased you and many many other hardworking people have got some good news over this.

I didn't think they were going to hold their nerve. That's really good news.

thanks claig

seriously, I have been ill over this, I honestly we beginning to think I'm some sort of scum, the way this gov has been speaking.

but I'm not, and neither is anyone else who is low paid.

They have treated this as figures and statistics and have misunderstood the real effect on people's lives. It is not good enough. They will have to listen and change or they will be very unpopular after the Lords turned them down.

they tried to sneak this through without the HOC really understanding what its all about and the impact these tax credit cuts would actually have on the hard working families they built their manifesto around.

thank god there are still some decent people still out there.

I'm truly very happy for you.

Let's hope that if any cuts to tax credits are implemented, then they are fully compensated by other means, or that they are eventually abandoned altogether.

Osborne’s tax credit cuts are ‘delayed’ by Lords

voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/10/26/osbornes-tax-credit-cuts-are-delayed-by-lords/

thanks, and also for that link.

I feel the same.

I don't agree with working tax credits in principle, but I do know if you're going to change the system you don't do it by cutting them off before you've restored the balance elsewhere. Cameron is an arsehole.

And this is why I will never, ever want an elected House of Lords. I want a house that doesn't need to rely on spin doctors telling them how to get respected every few years and can actually vote with its balls.

I thought that it would collapse at the last minute and I'm very pleased that people will sleep slightly easier tonight.

And this is why I will never, ever want an elected House of Lords. I want a house that doesn't need to rely on spin doctors telling them how to get respected every few years and can actually vote with its balls.

You can have an elected house of lords where lords 'sit' for a period of 10 years or more and couldn't be re-elected. This would mean they wouldn't have to make populist decisions, but right decisions, holding the lower house to account.

There are lots of solutions.

Having an elected upper-chamber is pretty much the norm in all modern democracies. It's the UK which is the weird one out.

I know ALOT of people with cut glass accents and titles, who own land and are a million miles away from the average Joe. Most of them are truly lovely people, who would help anyone as a 'normal' person would. They are no different to you or I, they just look different on the outside. They have the same hopes and fears. You cannot assume anyone with a big house and a title is fine and looks down on everyone else. We have no idea of the debt people can be in, or personal problems.
However,

Politicians on the other hand, seem to be incredibly shifty! I don't think you can actually trust any of them. I think you have to be a certain type of person to actually WANT to do the job, and that type of person finds it all to easy to stop seeing the common man.

OP, It's a historical turn of events for sure. I hope the Tories don't weasle their way out of it. Join you in a !

horseygeorgie, yes you do need to be a certain type of person to want to be a politician.

There are many academic studies into the similarities between a criminal psycopath and leading politicians. (Tony Blair most obviously).

Check out Robert D. Hare.

Ohh I'll have a look, thank you.

House of Lords is a mixed bag, there are the 'other world' aristos, some old politicians pensioned off to get them out of the way but nevertheless experienced, and a boatload of people from academia as well who might actually deserve some of the honours. It's not the first time I've been grateful they exist: although they sit uneasily on my democratic principles, they're the only check on an increasingly undemocratic commons.

I liked this Newsthump article on their 'unconstitutional' behaviour .