Hereditary peers are set to be removed from the House of Lords before the next King’s Speech, following the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill’s approval in Parliament. This bill, introduced by Keir Starmer, fulfills Labour’s election promise to abolish the right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the Lords. The remaining hereditary peers, currently at 84, will lose their seats once the current parliamentary session concludes in the coming months.
Baroness Angela Smith, the Lords Leader, emphasized that the decision is not a reflection on individual contributions but upholds the principle established by Parliament over 25 years ago that no one should serve in the House of Lords solely by inheritance. The government has engaged in discussions with the Conservatives, agreeing to offer the party a certain number of life peerages.
The bill has faced opposition, with Lord True, the Conservatives’ shadow Lords leader, expressing disappointment on behalf of his colleagues. Nevertheless, the passage of the bill marks the end of an era spanning more than seven centuries of service by hereditary peers in Parliament.
The removal of the remaining hereditary peers has been praised by Dr. Jess Garland, Director of Policy and Research for the Electoral Reform Society, as a significant step towards modernizing the House of Lords. Garland emphasized the importance of further reforms to ensure the chamber better represents the country’s democratic values and accountability to the public.