List of elected hereditary peers under the House of Lords Act 1999
This is a list of hereditary peers elected to serve in the House of Lords under the provisions of the House of Lords Act 1999 and the Standing Orders of the House of Lords. The Act excluded all hereditary peers who were not also life peers except for two holders of royal offices plus ninety other peers, to be chosen by the House.
Before the passing of the Act, the House approved a Standing Order stating that the remaining hereditary peers shall consist of:
- 2 peers to be elected by the Labour hereditary peers
- 42 peers to be elected by the Conservative hereditary peers
- 3 peers to be elected by the Liberal Democrat hereditary peers
- 28 peers to be elected by the Crossbench hereditary peers
- 15 peers to be elected by the whole House
- The holders of the offices of Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain to be ex officio members
The fifteen peers elected by the whole house were intended to provide a group of experienced members ready to serve as Deputy Speakers or other officers.
The initial elections took place before the House of Lords Act took effect; therefore all hereditary peers could vote in those elections. From the end of the 1998-1999 session of parliament until the following session, vacancies were to be filled by runners up in the initial elections. Two Crossbench peers, Lord Cobbold and Lord Chorley, returned to the House this way, having sat before 1999. Since then, vacancies among the group of 15 peers have been filled through by-elections, with all members of the House entitled to vote. The Procedure Committee has recommended that any peer elected at a by-election in this category should not be expected to serve as a Deputy Speaker. In by-elections to fill vacancies in the political groups, only hereditary peers of that group sitting in the House may vote.
As of June 2020 there are 4 dukes, 1 marquess, 24 earls, 16 viscounts and 44 barons among the 92 hereditary peers entitled to sit in the House of Lords. There are three vacancies among the hereditary peers to be filled.
Elected by the whole House
Sitting
Deceased
Resigned
Elected by the Conservative hereditary peers
Sitting
Deceased
Resigned
Elected by the Crossbench hereditary peers
Sitting
Deceased
Resigned
Removed for non-attendance
Pursuant to section 2 of House of Lords Reform Act 2014Hereditary peer | First sat | Elected | Replacing | Removed | Died |
Thomas Bridges, 2nd Baron Bridges | 1969 | 1999 | 18 5 2016 | 27 5 2017 |