2.4 The Composition Of The House Of Lords

Question 1

Why does the House of Lords have less power than the House of Commons?

Answer 1

The House of Lords has less power because its members are mostly appointed and lack the democratic legitimacy of the elected House of Commons

Question 2

What are the two historical groups that dominated the House of Lords?

Answer 2

The lords temporal (nobles with hereditary titles) and the lords spiritual (bishops of the Church of England).

Question 3

How did the power of the House of Lords change during the 19th century?

Answer 3

As more people gained the right to vote, the House of Commons grew stronger, leading to a decline in the influence of the Lords.

Question 4

What was the impact of the Parliament Act of 1911 on the House of Lords?

Answer 4

The Parliament Act of 1911 removed the House of Lords’ ability to veto laws passed by the Commons, significantly reducing their power

Question 5

What did the Life Peerages Act of 1958 introduce?

Answer 5

The Life Peerages Act allowed the prime minister to appoint life peers, who do not pass their titles to their children and are chosen for their contributions to public service.

Question 6

How did the Life Peerages Act of 1958 change the legitimacy of the House of Lords?

Answer 6

It enhanced legitimacy by including professionals recognized for their achievements, diversifying the membership beyond hereditary peers and bishops.

Question 7

What major reform did Tony Blair’s Labour government implement in the House of Lords in 1999?

Answer 7

The Labour government removed the right of most hereditary peers (750 in total) to sit in the Lords but allowed 92 hereditary peers to remain through election within the hereditary peerage.

Question 8

How is the composition of the 92 hereditary peers in the House of Lords maintained?

Answer 8

The 92 hereditary peers remain fixed in number. When a position becomes vacant (e.g., due to death or retirement), a replacement is elected by the hereditary peerage. This system ensures the same party balance established in 1997: 42 Conservatives, 28 Crossbenchers, 3 Liberal Democrats, 2 Labour members, and 17 non-affiliated peers.

Question 9

What groups currently make up the House of Lords?

Answer 9

The House of Lords is composed of life peers, elected hereditary peers, and 26 bishops from the Church of England.

Question 10

Who appoints life peers in the House of Lords, and how are crossbenchers selected?

Answer 10

Life peers are appointed by the prime minister, advised by Downing Street, opposition parties, and the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), which also selects crossbenchers but cannot veto political appointments.

Question 11

What is the current approximate size of the House of Lords, and how is it divided?

Answer 11

By 2022, the House of Lords had around 800 members, including 26 bishops, 92 hereditary peers, and the majority as life peers.

Question 12

Why is the House of Lords considered less political than the House of Commons?

Answer 12

Many life peers in the House of Lords are chosen for their contributions to society rather than their political party. This means many members don’t belong to a political party and sit as neutral crossbenchers, making the Lords less focused on party politics.

Question 13

How can a long-serving government influence the composition of the House of Lords?

Answer 13

A long-serving government can appoint many life peers, as seen with Tony Blair, who appointed 374 members during his 10 years as prime minister.

Question 14

A long-serving government can appoint many life peers, as seen with Tony Blair, who appointed 374 members during his 10 years as prime minister.

Answer 14

Lord McFall of Alcluith, elected in 2021, is the Lord Speaker, providing guidance on procedural matters in the House of Lords.

Question 15

What is the primary focus of the House of Lords, and how do its debates differ from the Commons?

Answer 15

The Lords focus on scrutinizing and revising legislation, with debates known for being more polite than those in the Commons.

Question 16

How does the party representation of hereditary peers in the Lords break down?

Answer 16

There are 42 Conservatives, 28 Crossbenchers, 3 Liberal Democrats, 2 Labour members, and 17 non-affiliated peers among the hereditary peers.

Question 17

Why has the prime minister’s ability to recommend peerages been controversial?

Answer 17

It has been criticized for favoritism and alleged abuse, with accusations that prime ministers appoint allies, donors, or controversial figures to the House of Lords for personal or political gain.

Question 18

What was Harold Wilson’s “lavender list” and why was it criticized?

Answer 18

In 1976, Harold Wilson’s list of House of Lords appointments included close friends like Joseph Kagan, a businessman connected to Wilson’s signature Gannex coat. Critics saw the list as a sign of favoritism.

Question 19

How was David Cameron accused of political favoritism in 2016?

Answer 19

Upon resigning, Cameron appointed 13 Conservative peers, 2 crossbenchers, and just 1 Labour peer. These included key allies like his chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and head of operations Liz Sugg.

Question 20

Why was Boris Johnson criticized for his House of Lords nominations?

Answer 20

Johnson nominated controversial figures like Peter Cruddas, a Conservative donor, and Evgeny Lebedev, a newspaper owner, despite the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) advising against it due to concerns about their suitability and security.

Question 21

What is the role of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC)?

Answer 21

HOLAC advises on the suitability of nominations to the House of Lords, but the prime minister can ignore its recommendations, as Boris Johnson did with some controversial nominations.