Time to Shut Down the "Patronage Palace": Why the House of Lords Must Be Elected.

Liberal Democrats petition government to reform the House of Lords.

​Last week’s peerage list was a sobering reminder of why our political system is in desperate need of a transplant. While the rest of the country is working hard and playing by the rules, the House of Lords remains a place where loyalty, connections, and political convenience are rewarded with a lifetime seat in the legislature—all at a cost to the taxpayer of £371 a day per peer in attendance.

​For the Liberal Democrats, this isn't just a matter of tradition; it’s a fundamental flaw in our democracy. It is time to end this "patronage palace" and replace it with a chamber that actually represents the people.
​The Problem with the Current System
​The current House of Lords is an affront to modern democratic values. We are virtually the only country in Europe that maintains a fully unelected second chamber. This "cosy club for the privileged few" holds real power over the laws we all live under, yet its members are chosen by Prime Ministers rather than the public.

​Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has been leading the charge in Parliament. On December 16, 2025, he presented a petition to the House of Commons on behalf of citizens who have had enough.

​"Last week’s peerage list shows that the House of Lords is still used to reward loyalty, connections and convenience, all to the tune of £371 a day to the taxpayer,"  "The House of Lords, as an unelected second chamber, lacks the democratic legitimacy expected in a modern Parliament. Its continued reliance on appointments rather than elections undermines public confidence in the legislative process".. Tom Gredon MP 

​A call for radical reform
​The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for a fully elected second chamber. While the government’s recent moves to remove hereditary peers are a welcome first step, they don't go nearly far enough.  

​Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP has consistently argued that we cannot fix our broken politics without addressing the root of the power imbalance.  

​"From a written constitution to reform of the House of Lords... there is so much we still have to do," Davey said. "We will not fix our broken politics if we don’t reform our electoral system. The Liberal Democrats are still campaigning for an elected House of Lords because people need to feel they have agency—that their voices are heard and their votes matter."  Ed Davey MP.

​Our policy is clear:
​-Abolish the House of Lords in its current form.
-​Replace it with a smaller, elected chamber that represents the nations and regions of the UK.
​-End the system of patronage where political "cronies" are elevated to the peerage.

​Why Now?
​The financial burden is as galling as the democratic one. When peers can claim hundreds of pounds a day tax-free just for showing up, it sends a message that the political elite are insulated from the economic realities facing their constituents.

​"If we want a true democracy, it’s time to end this patronage palace and abolish the House of Lords," Gordon urges. "We need a second chamber founded on clear democratic principles, accountable to the people it serves." Ed Davey MP

​The Liberal Democrats remain the only major party committed to a complete overhaul of this outdated institution. We believe that those who shape our laws should be chosen by the people, not by the powerful.

​Find our more about Liberal Democrat plans to fix iur broken politics:
​Liberal Democrat Constitution and Reform Policy www.libdems.org.uk/policy/political-reform 


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