Lords a-leaving: Britain is ejecting hereditary nobles from Parliament after 700 years (apnews.com)
from fossilesque@mander.xyz to world@lemmy.world on 11 Mar 22:10
https://mander.xyz/post/48759034

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JoMiran@lemmy.ml on 11 Mar 23:36 next collapse

Epstein brought down the fucking House of Lords, and here in the US we have not indicted or punished in any way anybody found in those files.

ohulancutash@feddit.uk on 11 Mar 23:56 collapse

Nothing to do with Epstein

JoMiran@lemmy.ml on 12 Mar 00:08 next collapse

Did you click on the links in the article? I didn’t just hallucinate Epstein out.of the blue.

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/721bb540-af61-4989-a9a9-5498dcb08704.jpeg">

ohulancutash@feddit.uk on 12 Mar 00:09 next collapse

Abolishing hereditary peers has been Labour’s objective for decades.

ViatorOmnium@piefed.social on 12 Mar 05:38 collapse

Yes, and they weren’t able to do anything this drastic before.

Skua@kbin.earth on 12 Mar 01:00 collapse

The article does mention Epstein, but this Bill was first introduced to parliament way back in 2024

halcyoncmdr@piefed.social on 12 Mar 02:41 next collapse

And Epstein was killed back in 2019, with his arrest and investigations obviously before that. The Epstein shit has been going on for over a decade, it is by no means new.

While new files have been released more recently, a lot was known before. A fairly large chunk of the files were already released previously as well.

Skua@kbin.earth on 12 Mar 03:00 collapse

It has, but the article is specifically associating this bill with the more recent reveals about Peter Mandelson. Both general public awareness of Mandelson's association with Epstein and his appointment as ambassador to the US that brought that connection to the current government's attention happened well after the introduction of the bill. The article draws no other connection to Epstein whatsoever, only Mandelson

phutatorius@lemmy.zip on 12 Mar 11:49 collapse

To give the devil his due, the reforms were started by Blair long before 2024.

TachyonTele@piefed.social on 12 Mar 00:34 collapse

The case of Peter Mandelson, who resigned from the Lords in February after revelations about his friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, drew renewed attention to the upper chamber and the problem of lords behaving badly.

ohulancutash@feddit.uk on 12 Mar 00:45 next collapse

It was literally in the manifesto in 2024.

ViatorOmnium@piefed.social on 12 Mar 05:37 next collapse

Reforming the House of the Lords has been in manifestos for more than one century now.

TachyonTele@piefed.social on 12 Mar 09:21 collapse

In real life things happen for multiple reasons. I believe you.

phutatorius@lemmy.zip on 12 Mar 11:48 next collapse

Mandelson was a life peer, unaffected by this change.

SaraTonin@lemmy.world on 12 Mar 12:24 collapse

This is reducing the proportion of hereditary peers and increasing the proportion of life peers. So more appointments like Mandelson’s, not fewer

FerretyFever0@fedia.io on 11 Mar 23:34 next collapse

Wait, this was still a thing? What in the fuck? Why?

Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 12 Mar 02:14 next collapse

This isn’t them abolishing the house of lords, they’re just kicking out the remaining “hereditary peers” who got their seat from inheritance. Most of the house these days are “life peers”:

retired politicians, civic leaders and other notables appointed by the government, who now make up the vast majority of the chamber. Roughly 1 in 10 members are currently hereditary peers.

Even for those remaining hereditary peers they’re supposed to be kicking out:

The lords put up a fight, forcing a compromise that will see an undisclosed number of hereditary members allowed to stay by being “recycled” into life peers.

So not that much of a change.

chaogomu@lemmy.world on 12 Mar 03:01 next collapse

Technically the change will be when the old hereditary peers die off or leave the chamber. I’m not a fan of lifetime anything either, but at least those assholes mostly had to do something to earn their place rather than being born warm.

West_of_West@piefed.social on 12 Mar 03:11 next collapse

So it’s now pretty similar to Canada’s senate?

phutatorius@lemmy.zip on 12 Mar 11:48 collapse

Eliminating the hereditary principle is a significant change.

The next useful reform would be to appoint peers for a fixed term rather than for life.

melsaskca@lemmy.ca on 12 Mar 12:56 collapse

This reminds me of when they cancelled “My Name is Earl”.