The House of Lords

Abstract

Abstract At the time of writing the composition of the House of Lords faces radical change. The Labour government has a manifesto commitment to exclude hereditary peers from membership as the first stage towards creating a more democratic second chamber. At the moment, however, membership of the House of Lords consists of the Prince of Wales, hereditary peers, life peers, the Lords Spiritual and the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. In 1998 there were 767 hereditary peers (including 20 hereditary peeresses) and some 500 life peers (of whom only 88 were women): that potential membership of over 1200 made it easily the largest chamber in any bicameral parliament in the developed world. The hereditary peerage is divided both by rank and by country of origin. Senior by rank are dukes (28 in 1998), followed by marquesses (34), earls (169, plus five countesses in their own right),