Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Shadow Leader of the Lords, responding to last night’s vote on David Cameron’s decision to downgrade the role in Cabinet of the Leader of the House of Lords, said:

“This whole issue, and the way in which David Cameron has chosen to deal with it, has further demonstrated not just his lack of judgement but also his cavalier approach to detail. 

“The outcome of last night’s vote wasn’t just a defeat for the Prime Minister but a deep humiliation. 21 of his own Peers voted against his decision to downgrade the Cabinet status of the Leader of the Lords, including four ex-Cabinet Ministers and a whole host of other former Ministers. With years of experience between them, they can see that David Cameron is treating one part of Parliament with contempt, and their concerns – like those of many in the Lords – are unlikely to go away any time soon.”