House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill has passed through Parliament

All that remains for the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is the formality of Royal Assent and the bill then becomes an Act of Parliament. 

This is a Bill to - 'remove the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords; to make provision about resignation from the House of Lords; to abolish the jurisdiction of the House of Lords in relation to claims to hereditary peerages; and for connected purposes.'

Hence, hereditary peerages are NOT being abolished. 

The House of Lords Act 1999 removed most hereditary peers from the House of Lords but 90 were permitted to remain (see section 2). The Hereditary Peers Bill removes this exception.

The removal from the House of the remaining hereditary peers was included in the 2024 Labour Party manifesto. 

Whilst birth

ought not to entitle an individual to sit in Parliament, the effect is that the House will have an entirely appointed membership. For that reason, I do not seen this is a change to enhance democracy.

It is likely that 2026 will see a considerable number of new Life Peers. The new life peers may include some of the hereditary peers to enable them to continue to sit. The majority of new life peers will be nominated by the Prime Minister and most of them will be those willing to take the Labour Party whip in the House. 

Government Press release 10 March 2026 - The Bill will come into effect at the end of this session of Parliament, after which no peer will be a member of the House of Lords on the basis of their hereditary peerage. 

Parliament - Hereditary Peers Bill passes final stage - The government confirmed that a number of life peerages will be allocated to the Official Opposition and to the Crossbenchers, and that there will be an increase in the number of ministerial salaries that can be paid.