Ministers introduce plans to remove hereditary peers from House of Lords

5 September 2024, 00:05

The Labour government is set to launch a major reform to the House of Lords on Thursday.

The government will begin the process of removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords as it introduces the legislation to reform the upper chamber.

Abolishing the 92 seats reserved for hereditary peers, which was one of Labour's manifesto commitments, is likely to be followed by an enforced retirement age of 80 for members of the House of Lords.

Labour has clearly outlined its intention to eventually replace the Lords with “an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the UK.”

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations said, “This is a landmark reform to our constitution.

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“The hereditary principle in law making has lasted for too long and is out of step with modern Britain. The second chamber plays a vital role in our constitution and people should not be voting on our laws in Parliament by an accident of birth.”

“This Bill shows this government’s commitment to delivering on our manifesto and is an important part of putting politics in the service of working people.”

The last Labour government removed most hereditary peers from the Lords in 1999, but allowed 92 to remain.

This was initially intended to be a temporary solution but successive governments have failed to fully reform the chamber.

Around half of those remaining in the upper chamber are Conservatives.

Current hereditary members of the Lords include Lord Attlee, grandson of the Labour prime minister Clement Attlee, as well as the Duke of Wellington, whose great-great-great-grandfather defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.

Baroness Smith of Basildon, Leader of the House of Lords said, “While recognising the valuable contributions many hereditary peers have made to Parliament, it is right that this reform is being brought forward now – completing work we began 25 years ago.

“Removing the hereditary principle from the Lords will deliver on a specific manifesto commitment. It will also help deliver on our commitment to reduce the size of the second chamber, as we bring forward further reforms.”