How many peers are there in the House of Lords – and how many does it need?One of the unique features of our currently second chamber, apart from it being unelected and still partially based on inherited titles, is that its membership is huge. At over 800 peers in total, not...Posted 21 Dec 2023
The top 5 most-read ERS articles from 2023Every year we have a look through the stats to see which of our articles were the most popular with readers in the year coming to a close. So if you missed them the first...Posted 14 Dec 2023
Unfinished Business: New report shows routes to an elected Second ChamberReform of the House of Lords is both hugely popular with the public and very long overdue. Yet in any serious discussion of how to achieve reform, the same questions come up: What about Commons...Posted 11 Dec 2023
David Cameron’s seat at the cabinet table means a seat for life in the LordsDavid Cameron was appointed as Foreign Secretary this week – but he’s not been an MP since 2016. How is he then taking one of the great offices of state? He’s not going to stand...Posted 16 Nov 2023
Resignation honours are the worst, but all patronage is badThe fact that Liz Truss’s short-term premiership can result in lifetime appointments to the house of House of Lords has rightfully angered many. But it is just an example of business as usual in Westminster,...Posted 23 Aug 2023
Liz Truss’ resignation honours could be a turning point for reformNews reports this weekend revealed that Liz Truss’s controversial honours list is making its way through the vetting process with the Cabinet Office and House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC). This suggests that the UK’s...Posted 16 Aug 2023
How honourable are honours lists?Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list caused quite a kerfuffle between the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) and the current and former PM. This all led to a rather slimmed-down list from the much speculated...Posted 11 Jul 2023
The row over Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list highlights why it should be the lastThe recent days have seen the national focus pulled onto the House of Lords through the public row between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson over the latter’s resignation honours list. While the spat has provided...Posted 13 Jun 2023
New polling shows 61% oppose Boris Johnson’s resignation peeragesOur new polling has found that just one in 14 people (7%) support Boris Johnson stuffing more peers into the already bulging House of Lords with his resignation honours list. Polling of 2,050 people, conducted...Posted 28 Mar 2023
How we could make the House of Lords gender equal overnightIt is a quiet scandal that 105 years after women first won the vote they are still grossly under-represented in Parliament. Women make up just over a third of MPs in the Commons and the...Posted 08 Mar 2023