The constitutional affairs secretary has announced that the government will propose legislation to remove the remaining 92 hereditary legislators from Parliament. New legislators-for-life will continue to be appointed however, under the supervision of a statutory commission.
The conservative party leader in the House of Lords threatened a "major fight" against the reform. Legislators-for-life from other parties also protested that their power would be weakened if all members of the second chamber were appointed.
The legislation will also provide for legislators-for-life who are convicted of a criminal offence to be removed from office by the state. There is no mechanism for the people to remove them from the legislature under any circumstances.