Killing Legacy

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British lawmakers voted this week to advance a bill that would strip hereditary aristocrats of their seats in the upper House of Lords, a move that would end a 700-year-old tradition that grants seats based on birthright, amid a renewed push for modernization within the United Kingdom’s legislative system, the BBC reported.

The bill, introduced by the ruling Labour Party, seeks to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers who hold seats in the unelected upper chamber.

Constitution Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said that the hereditary system is an “outdated and indefensible” remnant, stressing that Parliament should reflect modern Britain. He added that only the UK and Lesotho still incorporate hereditary elements in their legislative systems.

While most hereditary peers were removed in 1999 under then-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s administration, 92 remained as a compromise. With this new bill, Labour aims to finish what it started more than two decades ago.

The government has hailed the bill as “the largest constitutional reform to the UK Parliament in a quarter of a century.”

The Scottish National Party (SNP) expressed its support for even more radical change, calling for the complete abolition of the House of Lords. SNP lawmaker Pete Wishart condemned the chamber as an “unreformable laughing stock” and referred to it as a “gold-plated Narnia.”

However, other legislators, including Conservative party politicians, opposed the reform, countering that the upper house serves as a valuable check and balance on government power, the Associated Press added.

The bill passed its second reading in the lower House of Commons because of Labour’s majority and will move to the committee stage for further consideration.

Even so, observers noted that the real challenge lies ahead, as the House of Lords itself will consider the bill.

Many hereditary peers, including the Earl of Devon, Charles Courtenay, who described his family’s long history of service, are expected to resist these reforms.

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