UK TO ABOLISH HEREDITARY PEERAGE- The Lords Leader says the new development is based on an underlying parliamentary agreement principle
Hereditary peerage is set to be abolished before the next king’s speech, which is scheduled for May, after a deal was struck granting life peerages to some Conservatives and cross-benchers losing their seats.
The upper chamber has now accepted a final draft of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill, marking the end of its passage through parliament and clearing the way for it to be added to the statute book.
In the light of this, the Lord’s leader, Angela Smith, confirmed that the government would offer life peerages to several who would otherwise lose their seats.
Lady Smith emphasised that the new development is not premised on the contribution of individuals but the underlying parliamentary agreement principle that, with a life span of over 25 years, no seat in the UK parliament should be acquired by virtue of an inherited title.
The lord speaker, Michael Forsyth, offered his thanks to hereditary peers for their service in the upper chamber.
The bill, in effect, has repealed the right of hereditary peers to sit in the upper house and cast their votes in the lobbies. The king’s speech is expected to take place in the second week of May, days after the UK elections slated for 7 May.
