Ballot for hereditary peers is branded an ‘elitist farce’

THE House of Lords has been branded a farce after it was revealed all 27 hereditary peers standing to fill a vacant seat in the chamber are male – with more than half over 60 and many old Etonians.

Most hereditary peers have not been allowed to sit in the Upper House since reforms in 1999 saw them largely replaced by life peers, but 90 places remain for those who have inherited their titles. When one of the hereditary peers with a seat dies, those without one compete in a ballot to replace them.

The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) yesterday denounced the system as ‘the most ludicrous part’ of Britain’s constitutional set-up ahead of the forthcoming by-election on March 21, which they branded ‘the most elitist election in the world’.

Peers will decide from a small group of aristocrats who will be able to vote on British laws for the rest of their lives – and receive a £300 allowance for every day they attend.

The by-election follows the death in January of Lord Lyell, a former Tory whip. As well as being male and mostly elderly, the candidates all appear to be privately educated, with 11 of the 27 having attended Eton.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the ERS, said: ‘Yet again we are witnessing the farce of a hereditary peer by-election – the most ludito crous part of our constitutional set-up. Lords are literally picking their peers from a tiny pool of aristocrats. Ending this absurd practice should be addressed urgently.

‘For most people, it is simply astonishing that in the 21st century a small cadre of hereditary Lords still decide who sits in our legislature and who votes on laws that affect us all. It’s a sorry state of affairs that an Act end this ludicrous practice once and for all was dropped by peers just a few months ago. This issue must be revisited and tackled as soon as possible, for the sake of faith in our institutions and democracy.

‘Frankly, it makes a mockery of the Mother of all Parliaments.

‘Scrapping the hereditary peer system must be the first step in the process of cutting the second largest chamber on Earth down to size – and replacing it with a fairly elected revising chamber that can represent us all.

‘We hope the Government now comes forward with more substantial reforms to ensure that this long era of hereditary and unelected law-making draws to a close.’

Under the House of Lords Act 1999, the chamber elected 90 hereditary peers to sit in the reformed House. A system introduced in November 2002 means that when one dies, a by-election is held.

All those on the register of hereditary peers are eligible to stand in by-elections, which must take place within three months of a vacancy occurring.

‘End ludicrous practice once and for all’