Lords reform c1920-1999

After women were allowed to sit in the House of Commons from 1918, the battle moved to the House of Lords.

• Petition from Viscountess Rhondda, 1920
• Correspondence between Viscountess Rhondda & John St. Loe Strachey, Editor of the Spectator, 1922
• Legislative attempts in the 1920s
• Vote on the qualification of peeresses, 1930
• Petition to Parliament on women in the Lords in 1948
• Division in the Lords on its composition, 27 July 1949

The enormous wave of social change sweeping through Britain during the 1950s made the continuing hereditary basis of the House of Lords seem increasingly out of date. The task of reform was put in hand, but progress was slow.

• Attendance Sheets of the House of Lords, 1956
• Searching for a solution: Lord Salisbury (1893-1972)
• Introducing the Life Peerages Bill: Lord Home (1903–1995)
• Opposing life peers: Jennie Lee (1904-1988)
• Life Peerages Act 1958
• Royal Commission of Assent to the Life Peerages Act 1958
• House of Lords Test Roll, 1955-1959

From 1958 the House of Lords administration had to adapt to women members in all sort of ways, from deciding what to call them (women peers or peeresses) to providing more bathrooms.

• Baroness Swanborough takes the oath in the House of Lords 21 October 1958
• Tricorne hat for women peers
• Correspondence on women peers hats and names, 1962
• Peeresses or women peers?
• Accommodation

Since 1958, life peers have brought a greater diversity to the membership of the House of Lords and played a significant role in its work. This section explores the different ways in which life peers have contributed to the work of the Lords.

• The first life peers
• Lucy Faithfull (1910-1996)
• Quintin Hogg (1907-2001)
• Alma Birk (1917-1996)
• Roy Jenkins (1920-2003)
• Frank Kearton (1911-1992)
• David Pitt (1913-1994)
• Nancy Seear (1913-1997)
• Edith Summerskill (1901-1980)
• Sponsoring legislation: Death Penalty
• Sponsoring legislation: firearms
• Campaigning: Britain in Europe

The 1958 Life Peerages Act was a major step forward in modernising the membership of the House of Lords. Some remaining anomalies were addressed from 1963.

• The Stansgate Case
• Division record on hereditary women peers, 1959
• Peerage Act 1963
• Writ of Summons for Baroness Strange of Knokin, 1963
• A transitional House of Lords
• Harold Wilson (1916-1995)
• Conservative governments and Lords reform
• House of Lords Act 1999