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Hereditary peers will no longer have the right to sit and
vote in the House of Lords in one of the biggest reforms to
Parliament in a generation.
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Fulfilling a key manifesto pledge of the current Government,
the Hereditary Peers Bill will ensure that places in the
Lords are not reserved for people born into certain families.
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The passage of the Bill completes a process started a quarter
of a century ago to remove the hereditary principle from the
House of Lords and bring the UK into line with other 21st
century democracies.
The Hereditary Peers Bill has passed in the House of Lords in one
of the biggest reforms to Parliament and UK democracy in a
generation.
The Bill, which was passed on Tuesday evening, fulfills one of
the Government's key manifesto pledges and marks the completion
of work started over 25 years ago to remove the right for
hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
The Government believes that no one should be able to vote on
legislation solely on the basis of their inheritance, so reform
of this outdated and undemocratic principle has been long
overdue.
Leader of the House of Lords, said:
“The Lords plays avital role within our bicameral Parliament, but
nobody should sit in the House by virtue of an inherited title.
That is why the government committed to removing the remaining
hereditary peerages, completing the reforms that were started
over a quarter of a century ago.
“Getting this bill through is a major first step towards reform
of the Lords, with further changes to follow - including on
members' retirement and participation requirements.”
Minister for the Cabinet Office, , said:
“Hereditary peerages are an archaic and undemocratic principle. I
am proud that we have fulfilled a key manifesto pledge of this
government.
“Our Parliament should always be a place where talents are
recognised and merit counts. It should never be a gallery of old
boys' networks, nor a place where titles, many of which were
handed out centuries ago, hold power over the will of the
people.”
In making this change, the Government is committed to ensuring
that the House can continue to function effectively. The
Government has therefore agreed to offer additional life peerages
to the Official Opposition and Crossbenchers. As always, it will
be for the Opposition to decide which individuals they wish to
nominate for peerages.
The Bill is the first step in wider reform to the House of Lords
which, besides Lesotho's Senate, is the only legislative body
that still contains a hereditary element. The Government believes
that there should not be places in the second chamber of
Parliament reserved for those who were born into certain
families.
Currently, 92 excepted hereditary peers, which include a range of
Dukes, Viscounts, and Earls, can vote on legislation in the
Lords. While over 600 hereditary peers were removed from the
Lords in the House of Lords Act 1999, 92 were retained as an
interim measure.
The Bill will come into effect at the end of this session of
Parliament, after which no peer will be a member of the House of
Lords on the basis of their hereditary peerage.
