Nick Clegg’s gone on a PR rampage (the ‘public relations’ kind) with a clever wheeze of demanding MPs give up their Summer Holiday to find the time to fix the expenses crisis.

One of the suggestions is abolishing the House of Lords to be replaced with an elected senate. I have mixed feelings about this – obviously as a retirement home for former MPs and a holiday camp for big donors it’s fairly squallid.

Yet, at the same time, the Lords have been crucial in blocking the very worst of the Government’s anti-Civil Liberties legislation. “Don’t worry, it’ll never get past the Lords” has been the most reassuring 8 words on the political lexicon for a number of years now.

I quite like the idea of the Lords as a chamber immune to the temptation of populism for easy election victories.  Imagine if, right now, Labour had full control of both Houses. 96 days detention, with Labour Senators joining in in the dash for ‘anti-terrorist’ votes? I dread to think.

If we must have an elected second chamber, political parties must be banned from it. Of course, I’m yet to be convinced that making the second chamber elected won’t just fill it full of politicians anyway.