Parliament: The House of Lords — Negotiating a Stronger Second Chamber

Abstract

Since 1999, when the majority of hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, there has been a feeling that Britain’s second chamber is increasing in confidence and strength. This belief particularly pervades the political community, and is also beginning to be discussed by scholars.² While continuing to be unelected the chamber now primarily comprises members appointed on their merits, rather than by accident of birth. It is also far more politically balanced than it was before 1999. This has given it a greater sense of legitimacy — although its unelected nature means this continues to be questioned.³ Between the chamber’s reform and the end of 2006 it had inflicted over 350 defeats on the Blair government. The greater confidence of the Lords leads some politicians to conclude that it has been dangerously strengthened and that any new reform should be targeted at reining it back. But for others the priority is to democratise the chamber and give it an even more legitimate role in the policy process.

This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, grant no. RES-000-23-0597.