Lindsay Hoyle clashes with Keir Starmer over Labour's plan to replace the House ... trends now
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Sir Lindsay Hoyle has put himself on a collision course with Labour by condemning the party's plan to replace the House of Lords with an elected upper chamber.
The Speaker of the House of Commons claimed that introducing a second batch of elected politicians at Westminster would cause an 'arm wrestle' for power.
He also defended the current make-up of the Lords, which has 780 peers who are appointed to their roles, as being 'very, very useful' to the Commons.
Sir Lindsay was a Labour MP prior to taking on the role of Speaker.
His public disagreement with one of Labour's flagship policies will raise eyebrows as he is obliged to be politically impartial in the Commons chamber.
When Sir Lindsay stands down as Speaker, he would be expected to be given a place in the Lords as is usual under modern precedent.
As part of a 40-point plan unveiled last month to 'renew democracy' in Britain, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer set out how his party would 'clear out the indefensible House of Lords'.
If Labour