How hereditary aristocrats are still trying to call the shots in Parliament On Friday, a handful of hereditary aristocrats managed to club together to stop even the most modest of attempts to modernise the House of Lords. Lord Grocott’s bill would have ended the absurd practice of... Posted 19 Mar 2019
These three peers should not be allowed to stand in the way of democracy In a week dominated by Brexit, it’s easy to forget that there are other topics still on the political agenda. While our MPs once again grapple over just what kind of Brexit would ‘take back... Posted 15 Mar 2019
Unelected aristocrats are still trying to call the shots in Parliament. It’s time for change This week the ballots dropped for the world’s most elitist election. A contest to select a new hereditary Crossbench peer to sit in the House of Lords. You’d be forgiven for thinking that elections for... Posted 12 Mar 2019
Why are there Bishops in the House of Lords? When most people think of Bishops they imagine a man or woman saying prayers in a cathedral, not making the laws that govern all of us. But there are Bishops today who sit in the... Posted 29 Nov 2018
These ‘sham elections’ in the House of Lords must end – as the first step towards real change Today, with 12 votes, the Earl of Devon won the by-election to decide who will replace Earl Baldwin of Bewdley in the House of Lords. Wherever you stand on the House of Lords, the Prime... Posted 04 Jul 2018
There’s a sham election happening in Parliament. Here’s what you need to know The idea that people can become lawmakers for life – simply because they were born into the ‘right’ family – is, to most of us, absurd. Yet in the UK, in 2018, this is the... Posted 04 Jun 2018
Britain’s democratic farce: This is how the upcoming ‘hereditary by-election’ will work Last week, there was a rather hushed announcement in parliament: a resignation among the Lords. A peer has decided to retire. No big news usually, but this is no ordinary peerage. Nor will it be an ordinary... Posted 16 May 2018
A handful of hereditary peers are trying to stifle reform – they are on the wrong side of history Westminster is packed full of peculiar traditions from the Commons’ door being slammed in Black Rod’s face to the ban on MPs clapping. While many of them are relatively harmless, there are others which are... Posted 03 Apr 2018
The results come in for the UK’s most bizarre and elitist election Baron Vaux of Harrowden (or Richard Hubert Gordon Gilbey) has won a seat for life on the basis of 16 (out of 27 cast) aristocrats’ votes. How did we get here? In 1999, the House... Posted 20 Jul 2017
The House of Lords is in the midst of yet another hereditary peers’ by-election By Darren Hughes In case you’re not aware of this bizarre constitutional anomaly, in 1999, the House of Lords Act kicked out all but 92 hereditary peers. But instead of reducing that number over time,... Posted 11 Jul 2017