Who should sit in a reformed House of Lords?

Clegg and Cameron want to reform the House of Lords.

Where do we start? Do we pick an electoral system and then see what kind of Upper House that gives us?

Or should we decide what kind of Upper House we want, and then invent an electoral system that will give us what we want?

Here's who we think should be in a reformed Second Chamber*. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

• scientists
• trade unionists
• engineers
• historians
• businessmen
• charity workers
• teachers
• doctors
• farmers
• nurses
• social workers
• bankers
• policemen
• volunteers
• fishermen
• philosophers
• inventors
• soldiers
• lawyers
• prison governors
• economists
• self-employed people
• artists
• diplomats
• journalists
• railwaymen
• town planners
• probation officers
• ordinary citizens

Of course, politicians being politicians, they'll want to add politicians to that list. And they'll justify it on the grounds that politicians have some special skills that would be needed in a House of Parliament.

Bollocks. Ordinary people will manage just fine. Just watch.

We don't need a government minister for paperclips in the Upper House. A handful of experts on paperclips would be welcome, though.

*There's a strong case to be made for abolishing the second chamber as a legislative organ altogether. But that's for another post.