We have hit a significant milestone in our campaign to reform the House of Lords: over a quarter of a million people have now signed our petition calling for the second chamber of our Parliament to be reformed.
A powerful message has been sent by over 250,000 voices: we’re tired of unelected peers calling the shots. It’s time for the Government to take notice. They’ve started the job of House of Lords reform with the bill that’s set to remove hereditary peers. But that’s not enough: the public is fed up with the whole undemocratic system.
What’s next for House of Lords Reform?
Hereditary peers are on their way out of the House of Lords. This means that there’ll no longer be Lords who’ve earned their seats through birthright alone. That’s a reform that’s long overdue: there’s absolutely no justification for aristocrats landing seats in Parliament just because of the circumstances of their birth.
But things can’t stop there. Aside from birthright, there are still numerous routes into the House of Lords – from direct appointment by the Prime Minister, to bishops becoming ‘Lords Spiritual’ because of their status in the Church of England. What’s missing is any public say in who gets a seat in the chamber.
Therefore, it’s not just the hereditary peers, but the House of Lords as a whole that needs serious reform. The next steps must carve out a clear pathway to the removal of all unelected peers – with the current system of appointments replaced by a fully elected House of Lords.
We’re the only democracy in Europe that selects our parliamentarians by appointment and hereditary principle. We are falling behind other contemporary democracies. With so many of us now speaking out, it’s time we caught up with the rest of the democratic world.
Can you lend your voice to our campaign?
A quarter of a million of you have already made it clear that the House of Lords must be reformed.
We need to keep the momentum going: if enough of us call for an elected House of Lords, the Government will have to listen.
With every new signature, we strengthen the case for change. Let’s show decision-makers that the public won’t settle for half-measures.
Haven’t signed yet? Now’s your chance to be part of the growing movement.
Add your name to our call →