Westcountryman

What the House of Lords can do:

Scrutinise Bills (Second, Third Readings and Committee stage)
Scrutinise Public Policy (Select Committees)
Allows UKIP to challenge the government directly (ie. Question Time).
Bills can start in the Lords.

The scrutiny committees in the House of Lords have a better reputation than those of the Commons.

By your logic Alex, HM Official Opposition don't count for anything either - since no-one but the government has Executive power.

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Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

Alex McKee

Pretty much. There's no way we're leaving the EU unless an anti-EU party forms a government. Since UKIP's entire purpose is to get us out of the EU, then I would say from a UKIP standpoint, neither becoming the official opposition or gaining seats in the lords does much for our cause.

douglas denny

T'aint necessarily so. There are other ways.

For example: It would be entirely possible for an opposition party (along with others in the Commons lobby) to defeat an existing government and force a vote of no confidence on an issue.

Or, to make it so difficult with amendments in the committee stage that the Bill never sees the light of day.

Or, the Lords keep throwing it out - in which case a government will have to wait to try to impose the Parliament Act to get it into law - which would not be easy if it got that far. They would probably ditch it first or amend it drastically.

In any event, really strong opposition publicised in the media would force a government's hand before it got into law. Even though it might not seem so, governments are very sensitive to public feeling as they want to get in again. Really strong opposition - they ditch their plans.

It might actually happen over this treaty and a referendum. We shall see.

DED.