The government is proposing to remove all 92 remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords, ending a 700-year-old tradition where titles are inherited from parents. This move would complete reforms first made by Tony Blair’s government in 1999. The average age of these hereditary peers is just under 70, and they are all white men. Campaigners have long called for this system to be overhauled, with Labour calling it “indefensible.” The bill to banish hereditary peers is likely to become law next year.
This reform is seen as a landmark change and aims to modernize the upper chamber. The earl marshal and lord great chamberlain are also expected to lose their seats. The government aims to reduce the size of the Lords, which currently has about 800 members, to match the size of the Commons, which has 650. Labour, in its manifesto, has committed to ultimately replacing the Lords with a more representative second chamber.
The bill will have its first reading in the Commons on Thursday and is expected to be debated extensively once it reaches the Lords. This change reflects a broader push by the government to reshape the upper chamber and make it more in line with modern Britain. The move has been met with support and is seen as a step towards a more democratic and representative parliament.
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