So on reading this article on the BBC News site, we learn the rather disturbing news that, stopping short of a fully elected upper chamber for the British parliament, Labour wants to retain the bishops as members of the House of Lords. So let me get this straight: appointing leading doctors, lawyers, humanitarians, etc., is a bad thing, but keeping bigotted, women-hating, gay-hating, discriminatory fantasy-worshipping loonies in a position to influence our lives is a good thing?

Here’s a secret about me: I’m actually occasionally a fan of the Lords. I think it’s obvious that having people who aren’t looking over their shoulder at the next election as they vote is a very good thing, and (except for selling Peerages) I’m actually not so averse to the idea that we elevate the great and the good, if we can come up with a good system of doing it. Obviously letting the previously elected politicians make the decision about how they want to pack the upper house doesn’t work. But nor does making it an elected chamber except for the extra-special-super-duper evil bastards that represent an ever diminishing, and certainly irrelevant religious sect.

Not much more to say: I’m just pretty furious…