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I’ve always been against unearned privilege and the idea of a ‘natural’ hierarchy. It’s antithetical to who I am and stand for, and I’ve felt that way ever since I can remember.

A good example of this in the class-stratified UK is the House of Lords. While it’s important to have a second chamber in a democracy, the idea of it being made up of heredity peers is absolutely ridiculous.

So I’m delighted that Labour are finally getting rid of the absurd idea that, just because someone is descended from an ancestor who was given land by William the Conqueror, they should have a say over our democratic processes.

Next? How about we rename the highest honours civilians can attain, removing the word ‘empire’ from OBE, CBE, etc.

Centuries of British political tradition will end within weeks after Parliament voted to remove hereditary aristocrats from the unelected House of Lords.

On Tuesday night members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles.

Government minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the change put an end to “an archaic and undemocratic principle.”

“Our parliament should always be a place where talents are recognized and merit counts,” he said. “It should never be a gallery of old boys’ networks, nor a place where titles, many of which were handed out centuries ago, hold power over the will of the people.”

The House of Lords plays an important role in Britain’s parliamentary democracy, scrutinizing legislation passed by the elected House of Commons. But critics have long argued that it is unwieldy and undemocratic.

Source: Associated Press

Image: João Marcelo Martins