Parliament : House Of Lords Flashcards
House of lords
Second chamber of UK legislature, not directly elected by voters
Why is the composition of the lords complex?
Four kinds of peers/lords
Why is teh composition of the lords controversial?
None of the peers are elected
House of lords act
1999 : removed most of the previously dominant heriditary peers
Constitutional reform act
2005 : removed the law lords from the house of lords and set up the supreme court which came in to existence in 2009
Who is in the house of lords?
- Life peers
- People’s peers
- Hereditary peers
- Lords spiritual
Life peers
Entitled to sit in the lords for their own lifetmes. Nominated by PM. Dominate lords. Account for majority of peers : 690/801
People’s peers
Since 2000 the number of people’s peers have been appointed on the basis of individual recommendations made to the Lords Appointments Commission. By the end of 2019 70 had been apppointed - lack of resemblance to ordinary citizens has been a soure of criticism
Hereditary peers
Hold inherited titles. Used to be 700+, max 92 permitted since 1999. Elected by other members of the house
Lords spiritual
26 bishops and archbishops of the CofE. Appointed by PM on basis of recommendations made by CofE
Lords in total
801
Male lords
576
Female lords
225
Ethnic minority lords
48
Number of hereditary peers
86
