A British Senate

Looks like they might actually do it this time. For good or ill.

Each of the 99 units that are the English ceremonial counties, the Scottish lieutenancy areas, the Welsh preserved counties and the Northern Irish counties should elect the same number of Senators (four? five? six? how big do we want the Senate to be?) by each of us voting for one candidate and the requisite number being declared elected at the end, with that same number, who would have to be Crossbenchers, thus elected by the country as a whole.

Party candidates should be selected by submitting the shortlist of two to a ballot of all registered voters in the county. As ever with primaries, there would be nothing to stop unsuccessful candidates, or anyone else, from putting up as Independents.

There should be a residency requirement. Candidates for the Senate should have to have been registered voters in the county (or, perhaps, one immediately adjacent) throughout the previous 10 years.

And while Ministers should have to appear regularly before the Senate in order to answer its questions, Senators should be banned from being Ministers. It would thus be possible to build a career specifically as a legislator.