House of Lords

Last revised by LocalRoot - 22 Jun 2026, 12:20

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The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It works alongside the elected House of Commons to examine legislation, scrutinise government and debate public issues.

The Lords is unelected. Its modern role is mainly revision, scrutiny and specialist debate. It can ask the Commons to think again, but the elected Commons has the stronger democratic mandate and can ultimately prevail in most legislative disputes.

Composition

The House of Lords is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. Lords Spiritual are Church of England bishops. Lords Temporal are mainly life peers appointed under the life peerage system.

The House no longer includes members sitting by hereditary right. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 removed the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords. The Commons Library states that, after the end of the 2024-26 parliamentary session on 29 April 2026, the remaining hereditary peers were no longer entitled to sit and vote by virtue of hereditary peerage.

Role

The Lords examines bills, proposes amendments, debates policy and questions ministers. Its members often bring experience from law, business, science, public service, charities, academia, religion, local government and politics.

The House is often described as a revising chamber. That means it spends much of its time checking the detail of proposed laws, identifying technical problems and asking ministers to justify policy choices.

Powers and Limits

The Lords can delay many public bills and propose amendments, but the Parliament Acts limit its ability to block legislation. The Commons controls money bills and has the final political authority on taxation and public spending.

The Lords can still be influential. Government amendments are often made in response to Lords scrutiny. Committee reports can shape public debate. Defeats in the Lords may force ministers to reconsider wording, evidence or implementation.

Committees

House of Lords committees examine public policy, constitutional issues, secondary legislation, delegated powers, science, technology, international agreements and other specialist areas. They can take evidence, publish reports and press the government for responses.

The committee system is one of the main ways the Lords adds value. It allows members with relevant experience to examine detail that may receive less time in the main chamber.

History and Reform

The House of Lords developed from the medieval councils of the monarch and became one of the two Houses of Parliament. Its power was reduced in the twentieth century, especially by the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949.

Major modern reforms include the Life Peerages Act 1958, which allowed the creation of life peerages, the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed most hereditary peers, and the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, which removed the remaining hereditary right to sit and vote.

Debate about reform continues. Proposals have included an elected second chamber, smaller membership, fixed terms, age or attendance rules and changes to the role of bishops. Supporters of the current model point to expertise and revision. Critics argue that an unelected chamber has weak democratic legitimacy.

References

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