For sale: a peerage

Published: 24th June, 2011

• TONY Benn and our very own Jeremy Corbyn celebrated the 630th anniversary of the Peasants’ Revolt at Highbury Barn (Peasants’ Revolt was the first campaign for freedom, June 17). 

This obviously evoked memories of the physical demise not only of the erstwhile Lord Treasurer Sir Robert Hale, but of the political demise of the 20th century reviver of the poll tax, the egregious Mrs Thatcher. 

What is forgotten is that the medieval version of the poll tax was much less regressive than hers. The crown was desperate for funds to finance foreign wars (we’ve been there since!), and a flat rate would not have passed muster. So the poll tax medieval Englishmen had to pay was geared to their station in life. If you were a freeman you paid more than a serf; a knight would pay still more. A further attempt to raise revenues was to offer honours to people, who often declined the offer to raise their taxes along with their station in life. 

Now that the constitution of the second chamber is once more under discussion, and while we are strapped for cash, my modest proposal is to sell a limited number of peerages (to the highest bidder of course).

These newcomers to the Lords (or Senate, call the cash-generating machine what you will) will not obstruct the Commons. Why not? For the simple reason that if they do not toe the line more peers or senators will be created, reducing the value of their investment.  
PITAO
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