House of Lords suspended after protesters throw leaflets from public gallery
20 March 2025, 13:52 | Updated: 20 March 2025, 14:11
Protesters have disrupted proceedings in the House of Lords demanding the abolition of the unelected chamber.
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A group of around half a dozen people in the public gallery threw leaflets, shouted and sang during the demonstration. The House was adjourned for a short time as the demonstrators were escorted out.
Protester Lucy Porter, 50, a primary school teacher from Leeds, said she was “campaigning for a house of the people”.
Ruckus at the House of Lords
On the Lords, she said: “It’s a symbol of everything that’s outdated.
“We don’t have a functioning democracy in this country.”
The leaflets, apparently modelled on an album by the Sex Pistols, had written on them: “Never mind the Lords here’s the House of People.”
The leaflets thrown by the small group had written on them: "Never mind the Lords here's the House of People."
On the other side it stated: "Aristocrats and oligarchs: Out.
"Posties, mums, murses and neighbours: In.
"Replace the House of Lords to save the UK."
One protester, who wished to be known only as Christina, said: "We did this action on behalf of Assemble and the ask is that, instead of a House of Lords, which is a house of unelected wealthy elites, we have a house of the people.
"So, we have citizens' assemblies where people can participate in real democracy, instead of having everything handed to them from up high."
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One woman shouted in the chamber that they were protesting like the Suffragettes, who were known to demonstrate in the Houses of Parliament for the cause of votes for women.
The QR code on their leaflets leads to an invite to enter the lottery for a so-called House of the People, which says it will "debut as a parallel Parliament" in July 2025.
As they were escorted out, the protesters sang a song encouraging people to "take back the Commons" and "raise a glass to Thomas Paine".
Thomas Paine is an English-born American founding father who was a strong advocate for democracy, rejecting monarchy and aristocracy.
