House of Lords reform Archives

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026: How was it amended as it went through Parliament?

Monday, 13 April, 2026

This briefing summarises changes made to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 as it went through Parliament. The House of Lords made amendments about the exclusion of hereditary peers and the abolition of by-elections, unsalaried ministers, the rights of life peers to sit in the Lords, and resignation from the Lords on behalf of a peer who lacks capacity. Only amendments on the latter subject were accepted by the House of Commons. The House of Lords did not insist on its other amendments.

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026: How was it amended as it went through Parliament?

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Second reading in the House of Lords

Monday, 13 January, 2025

The government’s House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill would remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords and abolish its jurisdiction in hereditary peerage claims. The bill completed its Commons stages unamended and was introduced in the House of Lords in November 2024. The bill’s second reading in the Lords took place on 11 December 2024. This briefing provides an overview of that debate and lists the areas which future amendments could focus on.

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: Second reading in the House of Lords

House of Lords Appointments Commission: Role and powers

Friday, 10 January, 2025

The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) vets nominations to the House and recommends non-party political members. While its advice is usually followed, it is not a statutory body and the prime minister can choose to disregard its advice. This briefing provides an overview of the role and powers of the commission and summarises recent debates concerning its reform.

House of Lords Appointments Commission: Role and powers

In Focus

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill: HL Bill 49 of 2024–25

Thursday, 21 November, 2024

Under the provisions of the House of Lords Act 1999, 92 ‘excepted’ hereditary peers can sit in the House of Lords. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill would remove this exemption and also abolish the jurisdiction of the House of Lords in hereditary peerage claims.
In Focus

House of Lords reform: Government policy and recent developments

Wednesday, 06 November, 2024

Labour’s manifesto committed the party to several House of Lords reforms ahead of a longer-term ambition to replace the House with an alternative second chamber. The Labour government has since introduced a bill to remove hereditary peers from the House’s membership as a first step in its reform programme. Further measures, for example around introducing a mandatory retirement age and a participation requirement, are expected to follow later in the parliament.
Data dashboard

Lords reform: Membership, attendance, voting and participation data (2019–2024 parliament)

Monday, 16 September, 2024

This House of Lords data dashboard allows for the examination of member activity over the 2019–24 parliament. This includes attendance data, participation in votes and debates, tabling of written questions, and committee and official roles. It has been produced in the context of the proposals by the new Labour government to reform the House of Lords. The data can be filtered by age and peerage type.
In Focus

How ethnically and religiously diverse is the House of Lords?

Thursday, 01 August, 2024

As of 2018, around 6% of House of Lords members were from ethnic minorities, doubling from nearly 3% in 2000. In comparison, following the 2024 general election, nearly 14% of MPs are from ethnic minorities. As its membership is appointed, the House of Lords’ diversity is largely dependent on the frequency and scale of appointments, which are in the power of the prime minister.
In Focus

Could a life peerage be created without a seat in the Lords?

Thursday, 01 August, 2024

This briefing explores the history of life peerages and prospects for appointing peers outside of the Life Peerages Act 1958.