House of Lords of the United Kingdom
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| House of Lords of the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Name | House of Lords |
| Legislature | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Established | 14th century |
| Predecessor | Curia Regis |
| House type | Upper house |
| Body | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Leader1 type | Lord Speaker |
| Leader1 | Lord McFall |
| Leader2 type | Leader of the House of Lords |
| Leader2 | Penny Mordaunt |
| Members | 800+ (variable) |
| Meeting place | Palace of Westminster |
| Voting system | Appointment, hereditary, ex officio |
House of Lords of the United Kingdom is the unelected upper chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, sitting in the Palace of Westminster alongside the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the Monarch of the United Kingdom. It traces origins to medieval assemblies such as the Curia Regis and has evolved through landmark events including the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, and the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. The Lords functions as a revising chamber, scrutinising legislation from the Commons and engaging with matters connected to the British constitution, devolution, and international treaties.
History
The institution developed from feudal advisory councils like the Curia Regis and gatherings of magnates under Henry II of England and King John. By the reign of Edward III of England peerage distinctions produced a chamber of nobles and bishops that paralleled the House of Commons of England. Conflicts such as the English Civil War and reforms after the Glorious Revolution reshaped authority, while the Reform Act 1832 and subsequent legislation altered parliamentary balance. The twentieth century saw major changes through the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, the Life Peerages Act 1958, and the House of Lords Act 1999 which reduced hereditary peers, with ongoing reform debates including proposals by the Wakeham Commission and commissions under Tony Blair and David Cameron.
Composition and Membership
Membership comprises life peers created under the Life Peerages Act 1958, surviving hereditary peers following the House of Lords Act 1999, and 26 Lords Spiritual who are bishops of the Church of England such as the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Durham. Life peers include figures from politics like Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, John Major, and Harold Wilson as well as public figures from academia such as Amartya Sen, from the arts such as Antony Gormley, and from diplomacy such as Robin Cook. Crossbenchers include members affiliated with bodies like the Constitutional Reform Council and individuals linked to institutions including the Royal Society and the British Academy. The House includes officeholders ex officio such as the Lord Privy Seal and traditional roles from the Peerage of the United Kingdom, Peerage of England, Peerage of Scotland, and Peerage of Ireland.
Powers and Functions
The Lords exercises legislative revision, delay, and scrutiny powers as framed by the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949, reviewing bills originating in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and initiating non-money measures. It conducts committee work via select committees like the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, the Economic Affairs Committee, and the Constitution Committee, producing reports that interact with institutions such as the National Audit Office and the European Court of Human Rights (in historical context). Judicial functions were formerly vested in the Law Lords until the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009; residual roles touch on appointments to bodies like the Judicial Appointments Commission and advisory input concerning devolution settlements for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Procedure and Operations
The House meets in the House of Lords Chamber at the Palace of Westminster, following procedures codified in standing orders and historical practice inherited from sessions presided over by figures such as the Lord Chancellor and the contemporary Lord Speaker. Bills proceed through stages: first reading, second reading, committee stage (often in Grand Committee or Committee of the Whole), report stage, and third reading, with mechanisms for ping-pong with the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the potential invocation of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. Debates are informed by question times, oral questions, written questions, and motions; voting uses division lobbies akin to those in the Commons. Committees range across policy areas, paralleling select committees in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and interacting with bodies such as Public Accounts Committee and Select Committee on the Constitution.
Reforms and Criticism
Reform efforts include the Life Peerages Act 1958, the House of Lords Act 1999, the Woolsack Reforms proposals (various), and cross-party commissions such as the Wakeham Commission. Criticisms focus on democratic legitimacy voiced by figures like Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg, allegations of patronage highlighted during the Cash for Honours controversy and inquiries involving the House of Commons Standards Committee and debates about appointments by prime ministers such as Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Proposals range from an elected upper chamber supported by advocates like Tony Blair to retention of appointed expertise defended by peers associated with the Crossbench Peers and institutions like the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Relationship with the House of Commons
Relations are governed by constitutional conventions and statutory limits including the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949. The Lords routinely amends legislation from the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and returns bills for reconsideration, engaging in "ping-pong" with the Commons as seen in clashes involving governments led by Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair. Tensions over manifesto mandates and confidence conventions surface in disputes between leaders of the two chambers such as Leader of the House of Lords and the Leader of the House of Commons. Cooperative mechanisms include joint committees on matters like European Union legislation (historically) and inquiries involving bodies such as the Joint Committee on Human Rights.