The last 92 remaining hereditary peers have lost their seats today as a new bill has passed.
The House of Lords passed the Hereditary Peers Bill, which abolishes the last hereditary peers and does not allow any new peers to inherit a title.
Over 600 hereditary peers were removed by the last Labour government in 1999 under the House of Lords Act.
Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith said: “This has never been about the contribution of individuals but the underlying principle that was agreed by Parliament over 25 years ago that no-one should sit in our Parliament by way of an inherited title.”
Some hereditaries could keep their place if the government offered life peerages to Conservative peers and cross-benchers.
Hereditary peers receive their title from a family member, usually a parent or sibling. This has drawn controversy over the high number of Lords Temporal being unelected. Edward III created the House of Lords in the 14th century. Hereditaries were introduced in the 15th century by Henry VI.
Other reforms to the House of Lords include a retirement age and minimum participation requirement.
The remaining hereditary peers will serve in the House of Lords until the next parliamentary session begins in May or June this year.
Featured image credit: Roger Harris via Wikimedia Commons
Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
