House of Lords

The upper chamber of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, composed mainly of appointed life peers, bishops, and elected hereditary peers. It scrutinizes legislation and can delay most bills, but the elected House of Commons has greater authority.

House of Lords Act 1999: A law that removed most hereditary peers from the House of Lords and limited the number who could remain. It transformed membership while leaving a small elected hereditary group.
Parliament of England: The legislature that governed England before the creation of the Parliament of Great Britain in 1707. The Lords developed within England’s earlier parliamentary institutions.
Tony Blair: British Labour Party leader who served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007. His government enacted the 1999 removal of most hereditary peers.
Senate of the United States: The upper chamber of the United States Congress, with two senators elected from each state. Unlike the Lords, it is directly elected and has powers comparable to the other chamber.
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949: Laws that restricted the House of Lords’ ability to block legislation passed by the House of Commons. They define the chamber’s reduced power to delay bills.
Model Parliament: The 1295 English Parliament summoned by Edward I, often treated as a precedent for representative parliamentary government. Its divisions helped shape the later separation of Lords and Commons.
Jack Straw: British Labour politician who served as home secretary and foreign secretary under Tony Blair. He led the government’s 2007 proposals for a substantially or wholly elected second chamber.
House of Lords reform: Proposals and changes concerning the membership, powers, or role of the UK House of Lords. Reform debates address appointed membership and the chamber’s democratic legitimacy.
Life peer: A person appointed to the House of Lords for life, usually bearing the title baron or baroness. Life peers make up most of the chamber’s membership.
English Civil War: A series of armed conflicts from 1642 to 1651 between supporters of the monarchy and Parliament. The conflict led to the abolition of the Lords in 1649.

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