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Under the reforms of the House of Lords Act 1999, the majority of hereditary peers became ineligible to be members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Section 2 of the Act, however, provides an exception from this general exclusion of membership for up to 92 hereditary peers: 90 to be elected by the House, as well as the holders of two royal offices, the Earl Marshal and the Lord Great Chamberlain, who sit as ex officio members. The initial cohort of excepted hereditary peers were elected in the 1999 House of Lords elections. Between 1999 and November 2002, vacancies among this group were filled by runners-up in the 1999 election. Since then, by-elections to the House of Lords have filled vacancies.
Candidature for both the 1999 elections and subsequent by-elections is restricted to peers in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Peers in the Peerage of Ireland are only eligible for election if they hold a title in one of the other peerages, but if successful may use their Irish peerage title as a member of the House. The electorates are either the whole membership of the House of Lords (including life peers), or a party group of sitting hereditary peers. A standing order of the House, approved prior to the commencement of the House of Lords Act 1999, mandates that the 90 elected hereditary peers consist of:[1]
- 2 peers elected by the Labour hereditary peers
- 42 peers elected by the Conservative hereditary peers
- 3 peers elected by the Liberal Democrat hereditary peers
- 28 peers elected by the crossbench hereditary peers
- 15 peers elected by the whole House
By convention, whole-House elections elect members of the same affiliation as the departed peer.[2]
These numbers elected by each group reflected the relative strengths of the parties among hereditary peers in 1999; this allocation has remained unchanged since then. The fifteen peers elected by the whole House were intended to provide a group of experienced members ready to serve as deputy speakers or other officers.
A small number of hereditary peers sit in the Lords by virtue of their being granted life peerages (see listing). These are not listed below.
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Earl Marshal
The Earl Marshal is an hereditary post held by the Duke of Norfolk.
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk | 31 January 1975 | 24 June 2002 |
| Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk | 24 June 2002 | present |
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain is a hereditary office in gross post among the Cholmondeley, Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby and Carington families.
In 1902 it was ruled by the House of Lords that the then joint office holders (the 1st Earl of Ancaster, the 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and the Earl Carrington, later Marquess of Lincolnshire) had to agree on a deputy to exercise the office, subject to the approval of the Sovereign. Should there be no such agreement, the Sovereign should appoint a deputy until an agreement be reached.[3]
In 1912 an agreement was reached. The office, or right to appoint the person to exercise the office, would thereafter rotate among the three joint office holders and their heirs after them, changing at the start of each successive reign. Cholmondeley and his heirs would serve in every other reign; Ancaster and Carrington would each serve once in four reigns.[4]
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|
| David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 13 March 1990 | 8 September 2022 |
| Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington Elected as an excepted hereditary peer in 2018 |
8 September 2022 | present |
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Sitting
Deceased
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Died | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Makgill, 13th Viscount of Oxfuird | Conservative | 1986 | 1999 | 3 January 2003 | ||
| Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare | Conservative | 1957 | 1999 | 23 January 2005 | ||
| David Kenworthy, 11th Baron Strabolgi | Labour | 1953 | 1999 | 24 December 2010 | ||
| Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill | Crossbencher | 1973 | 1999 | 23 April 2011 | ||
| Hugh Mackay, 14th Lord Reay | Conservative | 1963 | 1999 | 10 May 2013 | ||
| Robert Methuen, 7th Baron Methuen | Liberal Democrats | 1994 | 1999 | 9 July 2014 | ||
| Charles Lyell, 3rd Baron Lyell | Conservative | 1960 | 1999 | 11 January 2017 | ||
| Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Skelmersdale | Conservative | 1973 | 1999 | 31 October 2018 | ||
| Jan David Simon, 3rd Viscount Simon | Labour | 1993 | 1999 | 15 August 2021 | ||
| Michael Brougham, 5th Baron Brougham and Vaux | Conservative | 1968 | 1999 | 27 August 2023 | ||
Resigned
Pursuant to section 1 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Resigned | Died | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar | Crossbencher | 1975 | 1999 | 1 May 2020 | ||||
| Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton | Conservative | 1973 | 1999 | 29 October 2020 | 19 August 2023 | |||
| Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater (left the house in 1999) |
Conservative | 1966 | 2003 | George Makgill, 13th Viscount of Oxfuird | 20 July 2022 | |||
| Anthony Hamilton-Smith, 3rd Baron Colwyn | Conservative | 1966 | 1999 | 21 July 2022 | 4 August 2024 | |||
| Lucius Cary, 15th Viscount Falkland Elected as Liberal Democrat; joined Crossbenchers in 2011[6] |
Crossbencher | 1984 | 1999 | 21 March 2023 | ||||
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Sitting Conservative peers
Deceased Conservative peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Vivian, 6th Baron Vivian | 1991 | 1999 | 28 February 2004 | |
| Hugh Lawson, 6th Baron Burnham | 1993 | 1999 | 1 January 2005 | |
| Charles Stourton, 26th Baron Mowbray | 1965 | 1999 | 12 December 2006 | |
| David Carnegie, 14th Earl of Northesk | 1994 | 1999 | 28 March 2010 | |
| Michael Onslow, 7th Earl of Onslow | 1971 | 1999 | 14 May 2011 | |
| Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers | 1954 | 1999 | 13 November 2012 | |
| Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu | 1947 | 1999 | 31 August 2015 | |
| Roger Swinfen Eady, 3rd Baron Swinfen | 1977 | 1999 | 5 June 2022 | |
| David Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home | 1995 | 1999 | 22 August 2022 | |
Resigned Conservative peers
Pursuant to section 1 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Resigned | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Lawson Johnston, 3rd Baron Luke | 1996 | 1999 | 24 June 2015 | 2 October 2015 | |
| Robin Dixon, 3rd Baron Glentoran | 1995 | 1999 | 1 June 2018 | ||
| John Palmer, 4th Earl of Selborne Left party to become non-affiliated in 2019[10] |
1971 | 1999 | 26 March 2020 | 12 February 2021 | |
| Bertram Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham | 1949 | 1999 | 26 April 2021 | 1 December 2021 | |
| Matthew White Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley | 2013 | 6 February 2013 | Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers | 17 December 2021 | |
| Robin Cayzer, 3rd Baron Rotherwick | 1996 | 1999 | 1 February 2022 | ||
| Ivon Moore-Brabazon, 3rd Baron Brabazon of Tara | 1976 | 1999 | 28 April 2022 | ||
| John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever | 1984 | 1999 | 22 July 2022 | ||
Removed Conservative peers
Pursuant to section 2 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Removed | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Mitchell-Thomson, 3rd Baron Selsdon | 1963 | 1999 | 11 May 2021 | 18 September 2024 | |
| David Verney, 21st Baron Willoughby de Broke Joined UKIP in 2007;[11] non-affiliated from 2018[12] |
1986 | 1999 | 9 July 2024 | ||
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Sitting Crossbench peers
Deceased Crossbench peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ziki Robertson, 11th Baroness Wharton | 1990 | 1999 | 15 May 2000 | |
| Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon | 1987 | 1999 | 10 September 2001 | |
| Cherry Drummond, 16th Baroness Strange | 1986 | 1999 | 11 March 2005 | |
| Davina Ingrams, 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth (Entered the house under the Peerage Act 1963) |
1963 | 1999 | 24 February 2008 | |
| Christopher Bathurst, 3rd Viscount Bledisloe | 1979 | 1999 | 12 May 2009 | |
| Mark Colville, 4th Viscount Colville of Culross | 1954 | 1999 | 8 April 2010 | |
| John Monson, 11th Baron Monson | 1958 | 1999 | 12 February 2011 | |
| John Wilson, 2nd Baron Moran | 1977 | 1999 | 14 February 2014 | |
| Michael Allenby, 3rd Viscount Allenby | 1984 | 1999 | 3 October 2014 | |
| John Slim, 2nd Viscount Slim | 1970 | 1999 | 12 January 2019 | |
| Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer | 1990 | 1999 | 10 July 2023 | |
Resigned Crossbench peers
Pursuant to section 1 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014
Removed Crossbench peers
Pursuant to section 2 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Removed | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Bridges, 2nd Baron Bridges | 1969 | 1999 | 18 May 2016 | 27 May 2017 | |
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Sitting Labour peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Suenson-Taylor, 3rd Baron Grantchester (left the house in 1999) |
1995 | 4 November 2003 | Michael Milner, 2nd Baron Milner of Leeds |
| Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate | 2021 | 10 July 2021 | Nicolas Rea, 3rd Baron Rea |
Deceased Labour peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Milner, 2nd Baron Milner of Leeds | 1967 | 1999 | 20 August 2003 | |
| Nicolas Rea, 3rd Baron Rea | 1982 | 1999 | 1 June 2020 | |
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Sitting Liberal Democrats peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic Hubbard, 6th Baron Addington | 1982 | 1999 | |
| Patrick Boyle, 10th Earl of Glasgow (left the house in 1999) |
1984 | 25 January 2005 | Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell |
| John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso (left the house in 1999) |
1995 | 19 April 2016 | Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury |
Deceased Liberal Democrats peers
| Hereditary peer and title used in the Lords | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell | 1987 | 1999 | 14 October 2004 | |
| Eric Lubbock, 4th Baron Avebury | 1971 | 1999 | 14 February 2016 | |
As of July 2024[update], the party affiliations of the elected hereditary peers are as follows:[13]
| Affiliation | Elected by | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative hereditary peers | Crossbench hereditary peers | Labour hereditary peers | Liberal Democrat hereditary peers | Whole House | |||
| Conservative | 37[a][b] | – | – | – | 9 | 46 | |
| Crossbenchers | 2[b] | 27[c] | – | – | 3[d] | 32 | |
| Labour | – | – | 2 | – | 2 | 4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | – | – | – | 3 | 1[d] | 4 | |
| Non-affiliated | 2[a] | – | – | – | – | 2 | |
| Total | 41 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 88 | |
- Lord Inglewood and Lord Ashton of Hyde were elected by Conservative hereditary peers but now sit as non-affiliated peers.
- Earl Peel and Duke of Wellington were elected by Conservative hereditary peers but now sit as Crossbenchers.
- Number includes Lord Carrington, who would otherwise be an ex officio member by virtue of holding the office of Lord Great Chamberlain.
- Earl of Oxford and Asquith was elected by the whole House as a Liberal Democrat but now sits as a Crossbencher.
- One additional hereditary peer is an ex officio member of the Lords: Duke of Norfolk (Earl Marshal).
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