This article originally appeared in The Observer.
By Olly Buston, Director of Clean Up Westminster
Plans to strip disgraced peers of their titles acknowledge a problem, but focus on the aftermath rather than the cause.
Too often, those in high office face limited or inconsistent consequences for serious breaches of standards. Some move on to other prominent roles or honours, reinforcing the sense that the rules are not applied evenly.
If standards are to mean anything, they must be enforced. That requires clear rules, independent oversight and sanctions that reflect the seriousness of the offence.
In the most serious cases, that should include proper criminal investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution.
Without that, reforms risk looking like symbolism rather than genuine accountability.