End of an Era
Centuries of British political tradition will end within weeks, as Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords. On Tuesday night, members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls, and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles.
Rationale Behind the Change
Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds stated that the change puts an end to "an archaic and undemocratic principle." He added that Parliament should be a place where "talents are recognized and merit counts." Thomas-Symonds said that titles, "many of which were handed out centuries ago," should not hold power over the will of the people.
House of Lords Composition
The House of Lords plays an important role in Britain's parliamentary democracy, scrutinizing legislation passed by the elected House of Commons. The chamber has more than 800 members, making it the second-largest legislative chamber in the world after China's National People's Congress. For most of its 700-year history, its membership was composed of noblemen.
History of Reform
In 1999, the Labour government of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair evicted most of the 750 hereditary peers. Ninety-two were allowed to remain temporarily to avoid an aristocrats' rebellion. It was another 25 years before Prime Minister Keir Starmer's current Labour government introduced legislation to oust the remaining "hereditaries." The lords put up a fight, forcing a compromise that will see an undisclosed number of hereditary members allowed to stay by being "recycled" into life peers.
Reactions to the Change
Nicholas True, the opposition Conservative Party leader in the Lords, told the chamber, "So, here we are at the end of well over seven centuries of service by hereditary peers in this Parliament." True said that thousands of peers served their nation and made improvements to law.
Future of the House
Labour remains committed to eventually replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is "more representative of the U.K." The hereditary peers will leave at the end of the current session of Parliament this spring, completing a political process begun a quarter century ago.
