‘[T]here is a real possibility that we could drift into House of Lords reform becoming our parliamentary equivalent of ‘Waiting for Godot’, as it never arrives and some have become rather doubtful...

‘[T]here is a real possibility that we could drift into House of Lords reform becoming our parliamentary equivalent of ‘Waiting for Godot’, as it never arrives and some have become rather doubtful whether it even exists, but we sit around talking about it year after year.’ ( Robin Cook, MP, HC Debs, vol. 399, col. 152 (4 February 2003))

Why has the issue of House of Lords reform proved to be so intractable?