Alistair Lexden continued his series of visits to schools and colleges on October 9 when he went to Ashbourne College, an ‘outstanding’ (Ofsted’s word) academic institution in the heart of Kensington, West London. It is a member of the Council for Independent Education, of which Alistair Lexden is President.
The College’s 250 students are drawn in equal proportions from this country and overseas. The term ‘outstanding’ applies particularly to the examination results which the students obtain at A-Level and GCSE, as Alistair Lexden was made well aware in March this year when he presented certificates of excellence to a number of them at a ceremony at the House of Lords.
He spoke to a group of students—mainly those on the College’s politics course—about the work of the Lords. He dealt in particular with the two main areas of controversy associated with the Lords today: its size (over 800) and its appointed membership. Various aspects of these issues were taken up by the students in questions to him. He pointed out that the Upper House remained an unelected body over 100 years after a Liberal government had pointed the way to election because the Commons had been unable to agree on a scheme of reform. He underlined the extent and variety of the expertise available in the Lords, vital for enabling it to do its central job of scrutinising legislation in detail. He agreed that the interests of a larger range of occupations and social groups could be usefully reflected in the membership of the House, but drew attention to the wide understanding of the problems facing Britain today to be found in it, shown for instance in its recent, much praised debate on assisted dying.