The last hereditary peers took their seats in Britain's House of Lords on Tuesday, bringing to a close seven centuries of inherited political power in the United Kingdom's upper chamber of Parliament.
The departure marks the culmination of reforms that began in 1999 under Tony Blair's Labour government but were left incomplete, leaving 92 hereditary peers in place through a compromise that even its architects acknowledged was temporary. It has taken another quarter-century—and another Labour government—to finish the job.
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. The House of Lords traces its origins to the 13th century, when England's monarch sought counsel from senior nobles and clergy. For 700 years, membership passed from father to son (and occasionally daughter) based solely on accidents of birth. The chamber that once wielded supreme power gradually lost authority to the elected House of Commons, but hereditary peers retained their seats, their votes, and their £332 daily allowance.
Rachel Reeves, the Lord President of the Council who shepherded the legislation through Parliament, called the change "long overdue." Speaking in the chamber, she noted that Britain was "the only democracy in the world where political power is inherited."
The 92 departing peers represent an eclectic cross-section of British aristocracy. Among them: the Earl of Devon, whose family has held the title since 1141; the Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, whose barony was created in 1313; and working peers who happen to have inherited titles alongside their day jobs.
Some hereditary peers have served with distinction, bringing expertise to debates on rural affairs, heritage, and the armed forces. Others rarely attended, maintaining seats primarily as historical curiosities. The , 89, told the that while he understood the symbolism,
