World


Britain Upends 1,000 Years of History to Appease Radicals


T


It will reform House of Lords by kicking out hereditary aristocrats. BY BRUCE ANDERSON


en centuries of british constitutional history are about to be thrown in the gar- bage can.


The ancient House of Lords, a cham-


ber which commemorates the past and adds grandeur to the present, is about to have its traditions and lineage uprooted. Why? Because a left-wing Labour government, which has no feeling for history and little loyalty to Britain’s institutions, is determined to indulge in some adolescent radicalism. Its economic mistakes have forced it to make spending cuts which have


46 NEWSMAX | JUNE 2025


upset its own progressive members of Parliament. So, removing the hereditary peers


from what is still regarded as the upper chamber is a form of appeasement to this sorry bunch. This so-called reform could be just


a first step: The government is also reportedly considering introducing a mandatory retirement age of 80 and, down the road, transforming the House of Lords into a publicly elected upper chamber. The House of Lords traces its roots


to the end of the Dark Ages — the 5th to 10th century — when the Anglo-Saxon kings were defeating the Danes and unifying England. Most peers are now superannuat-


ed members of Parliament, appointed by the monarch on the advice of the


prime minister. The chamber was described several


years ago by one of its members as “the best daycare center for the elderly in London.” At its best, the Lords is a courteous


assembly, with a minimum of point- scoring and no crude partisanship. It is true that new peers often find them- selves gently succumbing to their lord- ships’ gentler ways. But the expulsion of the final hereditary peers will make that harder. There is no reason for this change. Current Prime Minister Sir Keir


Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, and his unimpressive ministers have nothing to fear from hereditary peers. They could even have something to gain, if they would listen and learn from them. After their wrecking measure, there


will still be a House of Lords, but the change in personnel will remove a link stretching back to the dawn of modern English history. It is nothing less than historical and constitutional vandalism.


Bruce Anderson is a London-based commentator with strong links to the British Conservative Party. He has also covered U.S. politics since that great year, 1980.


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