Reform of the House of Lords

This book is the only one of its kind, providing a clear and exhaustive analysis of the different approaches to the future of Britain’s second chamber. The House of Lords has long been the subject of proposals for reform – some successful, others not – and calls for the existing membership to be replaced by elected members have been a staple of political debate. The debate has been characterised by heat rather than light, proponents and opponents of change often talking past one another. This work gives shape to the debate, drawing out the role of the House of Lords, previous attempts at reform, and the different approaches to the future of the House. It develops the argument for each and analyses the current state of the debate about the future of the upper house in Britain’s political system.