UK Parliament Moves to Expel Remaining Hereditary Peers from House of Lords

Hereditary peers voted out, ending 700‑year tradition Parliament approved legislation on Tuesday night that removes dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats, ending centuries‑old practice in the unelected House of Lords [1].

Nick Thomas‑Symonds frames reform as ending undemocratic principle The Labour minister said the change ends “an archaic and undemocratic principle” and that parliament should reward talent and merit rather than inherited titles [1].

House of Lords houses over 800 members, second only to China With more than 800 legislators, the chamber is the world’s second‑largest legislative body after the National People’s Congress of China [1].

1999 reform left 92 hereditary peers; new bill targets the rest Tony Blair’s government cut most of the 750 hereditary seats in 1999, preserving 92 temporarily; the current Labour bill seeks to remove the remaining peers, allowing some to be converted to life peers [1].

Bill awaits royal assent and will take effect this spring Once King Charles III grants formal assent, hereditary peers will vacate their seats at the end of the current parliamentary session, completing a process begun 25 years ago [1].

Labour pledges to eventually replace the Lords with a more representative chamber The party says the long‑term goal is to create an alternative second chamber that better reflects the United Kingdom, though reforms are expected to be gradual [1].