LONDON — Can Britain’s government ditch the dukes, eject the earls and kick out the cronies?
Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday set out ambitious plans to replace Britain’s 700-year-old House of Lords, the country’s unelected upper chamber, with a smaller, mostly elected body — taking on a task that has frustrated political leaders for decades.
“We have been discussing this issue for 100 years, and it really is time to make progress,” Cameron told legislators, hoping his government can succeed in stripping the country’s nonelected elites of a legislative role that has its roots in the 11th century.
Like the United States, Germany and dozens of other nations, Britain sees a vital role for a second legislative chamber that carefully scrutinizes planned laws. But Cameron insists that those who carry out the task should be mainly elected — not appointed or born into their role.
If passed by Parliament — which is not guaranteed — Britain would gradually introduce elected members at the next three national elections, completing the transformation to a new 462-seat chamber by 2025.
Cameron’s plans would see the current House of Lords replaced by 360 directly elected members, 90 members with no affiliation to political parties who would be appointed by an independent committee and 12 Church of England bishops. All hereditary peers will be removed.
While the main opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said he supports the plan, he may press for a public referendum on the changes, which could delay any reforms.
A look at the lords
The House of Lords is the upper chamber of Britain’s two-tiered Parliament, but it wields far less power than the smaller and entirely elected House of Commons.
While it can amend planned laws, the House of Lords has no role in creating legislation. The Commons can vote to overturn revisions made by peers.
The upper chamber currently has about 775 working members, a mix of 660 political appointees, 89 hereditary peers — who inherited a place in the chamber from their nobleman forebears — and 26 people who hold ecclesiastical offices, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
