AP: Britain Is On The Cusp Of A Major Historic Turning Point

Hereditary aristocrats are being stripped of their seats in the House of Lords.

Britain is stripping hereditary aristocrats of their seats in the House of Lords this year, ending a more than 700-year-old tradition.

The AP reports.

A centuries-old British tradition will come to an end this spring, with the House of Lords stripping hereditary aristocrats of their seats in the upper house of parliament. The decision comes after a vote for a bill that removes dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited voting rights along with their titles.

Government Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds called it a move against an "archaic and undemocratic principle," stressing that Parliament should recognize merit and talent, not patrimonial connections. Today, the House of Lords has more than 800 members, of whom about one in ten are hereditary peers. The rest are "life peers" appointed by the government for merit.

The reform process began back in 1999 under the premiership of Tony Blair, when most hereditary peers were removed and 92 individuals were allowed to stay temporarily. The new bill will come into effect after royal assent from Charles III, and hereditary lords will leave office at the end of the current parliamentary session.

The Labor Party plans to replace the House of Lords with a more representative second chamber, which politicians say will better reflect Britain's modern democracy. The opposition says the hereditary lords have played an important role in the legislative process and have made a significant contribution to the country over seven centuries.

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