Photographic evidence: Lords hard at work in budget debate

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The picture above shows unelected members of the House of Lords, hard at work debating the effects of George Osborne’s ’emergency’ budget on families and the disabled.

These people earn £400 a day and are asleep on the job.

If that money was spread around those who deserve it – such as the low-paid families and disabled people under discussion – there would have been no need for an ’emergency’ budget at all.

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30 Comments

  1. thelovelywibblywobblyoldlady July 17, 2015 at 11:42 pm - Reply

    Do you know, that picture reminds me of when I used to be a nurse … on the geriatric ward!

    • hugosmum70 July 18, 2015 at 12:13 pm - Reply

      if they are so old they need an afternoon nap, then they should retire. at over 70 lot of people need an afternoon nap or power nap as they call it these days but if working then no.. this lot should be fired.too old to do the job they are paid to do.

      • thelovelywibblywobblyoldlady July 20, 2015 at 8:13 am - Reply

        Yes @hugosmum anyone else sleeping on the job, whatever their age, would be subjected to conduct and disciplinary procedures!

  2. Nick Fourbanks July 17, 2015 at 11:46 pm - Reply

    This is outrageous especially as the likes of my wife who is a carer on the minimum wage and has to look after these types of people

    If they were any half way decent, you would think they would be talking about how the country might like to make those in the caring profession a little better rewarded for the magnificent things they do in looking after those that are coming to the end of their life

    • John Gaines July 20, 2015 at 9:27 am - Reply

      When they talk about Benefit Cheats they ignore the biggest swindlers of the lot, Politicians creating ‘Lords’, IS AS INSANE AS THIS…..are the far too expensive Royals ever going to do a jot for the Billions they get ‘Free’, isn’t that actually ‘WELFARE’ ?????

  3. ian725 July 18, 2015 at 1:21 am - Reply

    makes one reiterate the question ‘ Just how relevant is the House of Lords and its unelected aristocrats ?’ Its almost legalised fraud against the State!

  4. kompani101 July 18, 2015 at 6:54 am - Reply

    They should be charged with bringing Parliament into disrepute and also claiming money under false pretences, the money reclaimed and then kicked out for life, disgusting.

  5. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) July 18, 2015 at 6:57 am - Reply

    A disgusting spectacle. No wonder there are so many people called “Lord”.

  6. thomassutcliffe July 18, 2015 at 8:12 am - Reply

    If I were got snoozing while I should be at my minimum wage job I would be fired on the spot – and that is the treatment that those Lords in your photo deserve.

  7. Chris Kitcher July 18, 2015 at 8:27 am - Reply

    However until the great British public wake up and do something positive to put an end to this burgeoning inequality these has beens will continue to take advantage of us.

    Sadly with the rotten government that we have now these scroungers will be encouraged to fleece us in order to keep the disasterous policies emanating from Westminster being inflicetd on the poor and vulnerable.

  8. sasson1 July 18, 2015 at 10:19 am - Reply

    Yet again these sorts of photographs reveal the contempt of the political process and our country’s law making; similarly in the commons.

    Apart from any urgent activities a Lord or M.P. might have to preclude them from debates, the debates should be mandatory to ALL.

  9. hilary772013 July 18, 2015 at 10:22 am - Reply

    The Government have the gall to call Benefit Claimants Cheats, they should look on their own doorstep to see who the real cheats are (The Lords)

  10. hayfords July 18, 2015 at 2:40 pm - Reply

    They actually get either £150 or £300 per day allowance

    http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-allowances/

    They are not employees so could not be fired for falling asleep. They fall asleep in the Commons as well in long debates. The photo may have been taken late at night. The Lords often sits quite late.

    • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 2:18 am - Reply

      Excuses, excuses.

  11. crazytrucker1951 July 18, 2015 at 3:14 pm - Reply

    Who are the ones asleep? Whoever they are it’s a disgrace at least have peers in there who can at least stay awake?
    Mind when I was at Uni I had to do an IT course and the lecturer was so monotonously boring I couldn’t stay awake, and having to listen to a regurgitated Osborne diatribe would be enough to bore anyone to unconsciousness.

  12. sendiansmail July 18, 2015 at 6:25 pm - Reply

    I am certainly no supporter of the House of Lords, to say the least and agree with many of the comments. HOWEVER, we lose credibility when images are realised that are not all they appear to be. In the backs to the benches there are round speakers. You need to put your ear to them in order to hear the speeches.

    • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 2:14 am - Reply

      No, you don’t. They are loud enough to be heard from any seated position – you don’t have to be flat out with yours eyes closed.

      • sendiansmail July 20, 2015 at 3:02 am - Reply

        So, “don’t confuse me with facts, me mind’s made up” is your motto? lol

        • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 12:28 pm - Reply

          No. You only sent an opinion.

  13. rosie dee July 18, 2015 at 6:57 pm - Reply

    i felt there needed to be credible notes Times dates if this is to be accepted as a credible report. As for the Lords…

    • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 12:31 pm - Reply

      Really?
      From experience, people only really make this kind of comment if they are desperate to disbelieve what they are being shown.
      It doesn’t matter when it happened, really, does it? The photo showed people who were asleep on the job and earning more money per day than some people receiving an an entire month. Why are you, apparently, keen to support that?

  14. LadyDee (@rodee55) July 18, 2015 at 7:00 pm - Reply

    i generally enjoy your posts & feel #workingpoor #disabledhungry etc

  15. John Cartwright (@JohnLoony) July 19, 2015 at 12:13 am - Reply

    It doesn’t look like they’re asleep. It looks like they’re listening through the speakers which are built into the backs of the seats.

    • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 2:09 am - Reply

      One of them is reading from the papers on the bench next to him. The female is making a speech (obviously).
      If you really want to claim that one of the other three is listening to a speaker, just because it happens to be near his head, that’s your business. Don’t expect anyone else (apart from Hayfords) to agree with you.

  16. Darren M Gomes (@IamTheDoctor) July 19, 2015 at 10:15 am - Reply

    The House of Lords needs reforming, but not abolishing. There has to be an equal number of members fixed to the main parties and non party supporters. There needs to be a retirement age too, or a test that the over 70s members are fit to continue and more importantly, the PM must not be allowed to elevate his mates to the House to make the House Tory heavy, as it is now.

  17. sally July 19, 2015 at 12:07 pm - Reply

    £2,000 a week for sleeping on the job?
    Name, shame and demand sacking.

  18. Richard Allan July 19, 2015 at 5:14 pm - Reply

    how can they get £400 a day? what a joke

  19. hayfords July 20, 2015 at 11:15 am - Reply

    In the picture above it looks like two are asleep. One looks like he is listening to the speaker in the furniture. One at the front is looking down and may be reading. A quick look on the internet show lots of sleeping MPs in the commons. There are some nice ones of Ed Balls dozing off while Milliband is speaking.

    There are pics of the Lords where a few are asleep. However, one pic was taken at the end of an 18 hour debate. Contrary to what was said above, it is not possible for all Lords to attend all debate as they have other duties, such as select committee.

    • Mike Sivier July 20, 2015 at 12:25 pm - Reply

      They can look like they’re listening to a speaker when they’re really asleep, you know.
      Nobody in Parliament should be asleep during a debate, it’s true – whether Labour or Tory or whatever. Childish of you to draw attention to Labour MPs.

    • Nick Fourbanks July 20, 2015 at 1:58 pm - Reply

      They all waffle on hayward i have known many articulate people in my time and i can assure that most lords and mp’s haven’t a clue on their topic and the waffling on just goes to prove that point as the topic become just meaningless

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