Hereditary titles will be ended before the forthcoming monarch’s address after an agreement was reached to award life peerages to certain Conservatives and cross‑benchers who would otherwise lose their places.
On Tuesday night the upper chamber approved the final version of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) Bill, signalling the conclusion of its progress through Parliament and paving the way for its incorporation into law.
Lords leader Angela Smith said the government will extend life peerages to a number of members who would otherwise be displaced, prompting the Conservatives to drop their objection to the measure.
Since 1999, as many as 92 hereditary peers have been permitted to sit in the Lords and vote in the galleries, but the new legislation cuts that number to none.
Hereditary peers who are not granted life peerages will lose the right to sit in the Lords when the present parliamentary session terminates, anticipated later this spring.
Lady Smith remarked: “This has never concerned the merit of individuals but the fundamental principle settled by Parliament twenty‑five years ago that no one should sit in our legislature by virtue of an inherited title.
“More than a quarter of a century on, hereditary peers remain while substantive reform has stalled. We have an obligation to move forward.”
Lord Speaker Michael Forsyth expressed gratitude to hereditary peers for their contribution to the upper house.
Lord Forsyth of Drumlean stated: “I wish to thank hereditary peers from every party and none for their service in the House of Lords over many years.
“Regardless of how people view this constitutional shift, it is regrettable to bid farewell to colleagues who, in many cases, have added greatly to debate, scrutiny and our institutional memory.
“Acknowledging their service is not a partisan matter but a recognition of dedication, and I am proud to do so and to thank them.”
The king’s speech is slated for the second week of May, a few days after the national elections on 7 May.
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