Different types of Lords
The Lords currently has around 740 Members, and there are three different types: life Peers, bishops and elected hereditary Peers. Unlike MPs, the public do not elect the Lords. The majority are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister or of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Life Peers
Appointed for their lifetime only, these Lords' titles are not passed on to their children. The Queen formally appoints life Peers on the advice and recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Archbishops and bishops
A limited number of 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops sit in the House, passing their membership on to the next most senior bishop when they retire. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York traditionally get life peerages on retirement.
Elected hereditary Peers
The right of hereditary Peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords was ended in 1999 by the House of Lords Act but 92 Members were elected internally to remain until the next stage of the Lords reform process.
- Law Lords
- Membership of the House of Lords
- House of Lords Reform since 1999
- Who does what in the Lords
Also in this section
Related information
House of Lords Appointments Commission
Set up in May 2000, this independent, public body, separate from the House of Lords itself, has two duties:
- recommending non-political Lords appointments to the Queen
- checking the suitability of all nominations to the House, including those made by political parties.
How do you become a Lord?
There are a number of ways of appointing Lords.
Glossary
Peer: A Member of the House of Lords.
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