London — The has approved legislation to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the , effectively ending a centuries-old system that allowed aristocrats to sit in the legislature by virtue of birth.
The reform targets the last group of hereditary peers who retained the right to sit and vote in the upper chamber, a legacy arrangement that has existed in various forms for hundreds of years.
Government officials said the measure is intended to modernize Britain’s parliamentary system and ensure that membership in the House of Lords is no longer tied to hereditary privilege.
Supporters of the reform argue that legislative roles in a modern democracy should be based on merit, appointment, or election rather than lineage.
The move marks another step in the long-running effort to reshape the composition of the House of Lords, following earlier reforms that significantly reduced the number of hereditary members at the end of the 20th century.
Once fully implemented, the legislation will bring to a close one of the United Kingdom’s most enduring aristocratic political traditions, reinforcing broader efforts to modernize parliamentary governance.