Latest peerages mean government has replaced the hereditary peers – before they’ve even left the LordsKeir Starmer himself not long ago described the wholly unelected and grossly bloated House of Lords as ‘indefensible’. Nothing has changed since then so it was deeply disappointing to see even more peers being stuffed...Posted 11 Dec 2025
Legislative battles are renewing the focus on Westminster’s unelected upper chamberA common argument from defenders of the unelected Lords is that ministers should dedicate the entirety of their time to bread and butter policies that more immediately impact voters. The implicit basis here is that...Posted 04 Dec 2025
Sticking-plaster reforms won’t fix the absurd and undemocratic Lords – the real solution is obviousThe absurdity of how the House of Lords currently operates has been thrown up in technicolour over the last few days. Several issues have been garnering media attention as the end of recess approaches and...Posted 28 Aug 2025
A quarter of a million voices are calling for House of Lords reformWe 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...Posted 26 Jun 2025
Rishi Sunak’s resignation peerages will do nothing to help collapsing trust in politicsTen months after the last government ended, it is still able to stuff yet more peers into the grossly oversized House of Lords. On Friday, Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list was published, ennobling seven Conservative...Posted 15 Apr 2025
Leading lord makes open threat to government in last ditch attempt to save hereditary peersFor weeks now we have watched the bill to remove the 88 remaining hereditary peers make slow progress through the House of Lords. Only last week did the legislation finish committee stage, but not before...Posted 08 Apr 2025
House of Lords spends forty hours debating themselvesLast night at 10.20PM, the committee of the whole House of Lords on the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill was finally adjourned. There were five days of committee, close to 150 amendments put forward,...Posted 02 Apr 2025
It’s not just hereditary peers that are ‘hard to justify’ – It’s the whole unelected chamberBefore Labour won the 2024 general election, the Labour leader in the House of Lords hinted that if Labour were to take power, we could finally see an end to the 92 hereditary peers in...Posted 30 Mar 2025
How are peers appointed to the House of Lords?The House of Lords is the second chamber of our Parliament. Before bills become laws, they must pass through the House of Lords, and Lords themselves play a key role in scrutinising public policy. That...Posted 29 Jan 2025
Listen to our conversation with Mark Drakeford MS on Welsh democracyBack at Welsh Labour party conference in November, ERS Cymru hosted an ‘in conversation’ with Mark Drakeford MS where he reflected on the past, the present and the future of Welsh democracy. In a wide...Posted 16 Jan 2025