The issue of Lords reform came up on 18 Doughty Street tonight, and I got to thinking about what is needed.

What is the point of the House of Lords? It is there to act as a check on the House of Commons, to bring their "wisdom" to bear on the issues, to ensure that legislation is fully thought through and to prevent elected totalitarianism.

What do we want a reformed Lords to be? A democratic second chamber which does not seek to challenge the primacy of the House of Commons, and is not dominated by any one political party or partisanship.

How can we get this? Elect members of the second chamber by proportional representation through the national vote figures from general elections. This ensures that no political party can dominate, and ensures that the primacy of the House of Commons is maintained.
The best way to do this is to have 100 people added to the second chamber along PR lines after each general election, up to 500 people. After five general elections, the first 100 would be replaced by a new intake. This would ensure that partisanship would be weaker, and that compromise would be higher.
This way the second chamber would do what it should and does, but without the political stigma of being undemocratic.

Of course this is not perfect and needs refinement, so please make suggestions in the comments!