Plaid Cymru call for abolishment of House of Lords

Stephen Price

Plaid Cymru peer, Carmen Smith will present a Bill to the House of Lords for its first reading today, calling for the ‘undemocratic, unrepresentative and outdated’ institution to be ‘abolished’ in line with the 2024 Labour manifesto.

The Private Member’s Bill from Baroness Smith of Llanfaes aims to establish a framework for the Secretary of State to consult stakeholders on the replacement of the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber, as outlined in Labour’s 2024 manifesto which pledged an immediate modernisation of the House of Lords by removing hereditary peers and introducing a mandatory retirement age.

The Labour Party’s manifesto pledge also detailed a long-term commitment to consult the public on replacing the upper house with an alternative, democratically elected second chamber.

Baroness Smith’s ‘House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill’ imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to run a public consultation, as well as consult representatives of the devolved administrations, constitutional experts, and the EHRC on these principles.

The Plaid Cymru peer has described the House of Lords as undemocratic, unrepresentative and outdated. She also said that her intentions of “abolishing and replacing” the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber were made clear when she became a member just over two years ago.

Speaking ahead of the Bill’s first reading, Plaid Cymru peer, Carmen Smith said: “The House of Lords is an outdated institution that has no place in a modern democracy.

“Around 70 per cent of its members are men, and the average age is 71. No one can claim that this chamber is representative of the society it is supposed to serve. Nor can it be described as democratic when none of its members are directly elected by the public.

“Recent scandals involving figures such as Lord Mandelson have further exposed the fundamental problems at the heart of the House of Lords – lack of accountability, a culture of patronage, and a real disconnect from reality.

“It is therefore no surprise that trust in politics remains so low while institutions such as the House of Lords continue to operate untouched. If we are serious about restoring faith in our democracy, then reform is absolutely necessary.

“When I first entered the House of Lords over two years ago, I made it clear that my intention was to abolish this second chamber in its current form and replace it with one that is democratic, accountable, and truly representative of the people of these islands. This Bill represents the first necessary steps towards achieving my ambitions.

“It is disappointing that the current Labour UK Government has rolled back on earlier commitments to abolish and replace the Lords, despite the Prime Minister himself once describing the institution as “indefensible”. I urge the UK Government to reflect seriously on the lack of trust in our politics and recognise that this Bill is a genuine opportunity to implement the reform that is needed to strengthen our democracy.”

Support

The Bill is supported by the Electoral Reform Society which has long advocated for an elected second chamber.

Dr. Jess Garland, Director of Policy and Research for the ERS has today said:  “The House of Lords in its current form is indefensible.

“We agree with the principles outlined in the 2024 Labour manifesto. The British public deserves an elected second chamber which is representative of the regions and nations of this country and democratically accountable to the people it serves.

“The public view is clear; research shows that only one in six people support the House of Lords remaining in its current form.

“This Bill is a welcome step towards a more democratic and legitimate second chamber.”

The Prime Minister has appointed a total of 65 peers since Labour entered Government, according to parliamentary data.

Hereditary peers in the House of Lords left their red leather benches for the final time in April 2026.

The majority of such peers, who inherit their titles through their families, lost the right to sit in the Lords in 1999, but 92 remained after a compromise deal with the Conservatives.

Further reform of the Lords is proposed, with a select committee due to report by the end of July on the introduction of a participation requirement and a retirement age.

There have been long-standing concerns about the size of the House and calls to reduce its membership. This has been accompanied by frustrations at peers who rarely attend or only turn up to claim the daily allowance of £371.

It has fuelled claims some use the House as a glorified members’ club at taxpayers’ expense.