More than ten percent of members of the British House of Lords inherited their seat from their father. The new government wants to change that. But it won’t stop there.
The new British government wants to reform the second chamber of parliament – the House of Lords – and abolish hereditary titles. This affects 92 members of the House of Lords, whose seats have been inherited through the father for generations. The responsible minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds of the social democratic Labour Party, introduced a corresponding bill in the House of Commons.
The House of Lords, with around 800 unelected members, is considered the largest parliamentary chamber in the world after the Chinese People’s Congress. Most MPs are appointed for life by the political parties. This often leads to accusations of nepotism, most recently after Boris Johnson, as then Prime Minister, appointed several confidants to the House of Lords.
“Don’t vote on laws because of the coincidence of birth”
The bill is a groundbreaking constitutional reform, said Thomas-Symonds. “The hereditary principle of legislation has endured for too long and is no longer appropriate in modern Britain. The Second Chamber plays a crucial role in our constitution and there should be no people voting on our laws in Parliament because of the accident of their birth.” In a second step, a retirement age of 80 will be set.
The Conservative opposition criticised the plan as “political vandalism” and “revenge”. Around half of the 92 “hereditary peers” are Conservatives, and barely a handful are associated with Labour.
Most recent reform 25 years ago
The new Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously announced that he wanted to replace the House of Lords with an elected chamber. In the election manifesto, however, his Labour Party only promised to discuss proposals. In 1999, under then Prime Minister Tony Blair, Labour had already abolished all but 92 hereditary nobility seats.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
