MPs support removing House of Lords hereditary peers

Written by David Fletcher 15 Nov 2024
MPs support removing House of Lords hereditary peers

MPs have supported a bill to remove hereditary peers from the House of Lords, which currently reserves 92 seats for individuals who inherit their titles. The bill, passed by 435 votes to 73, now moves to the Lords, where it faces opposition. Conservatives argue that the move aims to replace scrutinising peers with Labour appointees. Some MPs proposed additional reforms, including removing CofE bishops from the Lords, but these were rejected. Liberal Democrat and SNP representatives pushed for a fully elected House of Lords, while Labour’s manifesto suggests introducing a retirement age and eventually replacing the Lords with a representative second chamber. Cabinet office minister Ellie Reeves defended the Government’s approach, saying hereditary seats contradict modern principles of fairness. Critics within the Lords, however, view the bill as politically motivated and detrimental to the chamber’s role in scrutinising government actions.

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