Hereditary peers in the House of Lords

Hereditary peers in the House of Lords: Government proposals skip to link
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Hereditary peers in the House of Lords: Government proposals

The government took office in July 2024 on a manifesto commitment to reform the House of Lords. On 5 September 2024, the House of Commons gave the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill its first reading. It would end the connection between the hereditary peerage and House of Lords membership.

The House of Lords Act 1999 ended the sitting and voting rights for all but 92 hereditary peers. This followed a cross-party compromise agreed during the bill’s passage through Parliament. The House held by-elections to fill vacancies when a hereditary peer died or retired.

Hereditary peers currently make up about 11 percent of the House’s membership. The bill would remove membership from 89 hereditary peers who currently sit in the House. Their membership would end at the conclusion of the current parliamentary session. Over half sit as Conservatives and a third as Crossbenchers.