Friday 28th May 2010

Matthew Taylor, who was MP for Truro and St.Austell for 23 years, is to be given a peerage. He says:

"Of course it is an honour for my long work for Cornwall, and my national work on affordable housing, the environment, and rural communities, to be recognised this way. But I only intend to have some continuing national voice in Parliament on these issues for a short while longer. When I announced in 2007 that I would not be seeking re-election as an MP, I fully expected that by the General Election the then Labour Government would have honoured its pledge to have an elected House of Lords. Therefore I expected no new peerages would be made. I have accepted this unexpected honour with the specific intention of abolishing myself by voting through the new Coalition Government's pledge to democratise the Lords.

"I want fundamental political reform which includes a democratically elected second chamber - a senate rather than a House of Lords. The Coalition Government has agreed Lords reform is a priority. I see my primary role as holding them to that change, by using my vote to make democratisation of the Lords happen quickly, which will need votes for reform in the Lords as well as the Commons."

"I have always made it very clear that I will be based in Cornwall with my family, and pursuing issues I care about in a non-political way. That is why I left the Commons. I will only be attending the Lords when I believe there are specific occasions I can help speed through democratic reform, or there are issues of special concern to me. I will not be using it as the base for a new political career - I have put that kind of politics behind me."