This week, the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill passed its final stages in Parliament, marking the most significant constitutional reform in a generation. It delivers on a clear manifesto commitment we made to you. Before the election, we stated that:
“The next Labour government will…bring about an immediate modernisation, by introducing legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.”
We have kept that promise. Within the first 100 days of this Labour government, we introduced legislation to do just that, and just over a year later, that legislation has now passed through Parliament.
The idea that someone can make laws simply because of who their parents are is outdated and indefensible.
Our democratic institutions should reflect the people they serve, not protect and preserve privileges based on birth. The UK is one of only two countries that currently still allows hereditary legislators. This new law will remove the 92 seats currently reserved for hereditary peers by the end of the parliamentary session in which the Bill receives Royal Assent.
By passing this Bill, we are not devaluing the work of the House of Lords. Members of the House of Lords play a vital role in scrutinising legislation and holding governments to account, a necessity of any functioning democracy. But this reform is necessary. It is about restoring fairness and bringing our law-making institutions firmly into the 21st century, properly reflecting the population they represent.
This change sends a strong message to young people across the UK: everyone deserves a fair chance to shape the laws that govern us. This UK Labour government is breaking down barriers and making politics more accessible for all.
As we have made clear from the very beginning, this Labour government is a government of service, and this new law is just one step of many we will take on that path.