**TL;DR** - **The continued presence of the House of Lords speaks to the endemic elitism in British Politics.** The House of Lords is the upper chamber of British parliament where members are not elected, but appointed. This can even take the form on inherited peerages, a feature which is a total contradiction to the meritocratic ideals which are so often touted today. Yet, it is this ability to select who becomes a lord or a dame which is particularly troublesome as it means that peerages become tools for rewarding services. Perhaps the best illustration of this is the case of Ian Botham, the former England cricketer who was included in the 2020 political honours list. Although it cannot be proven, it is generally believed that Botham was granted his peerage [due to his support of Brexit] (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/18/not-in-a-position-to-say-ian-botham-refuses-to-comment-on-peerage-claims), something which Prime Minister Boris Johnson looked to reward. This is just one example of the nepotism that is rampant in the House of Lords. However, there are other objections to it, namely that it is [not representative of the whole of Britain] (https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/elected-house-of-lords/): 'Currently, the House of Lords is dominated by London, the South East and East of England, with a majority of peers (56%) for whom we have a place of residence living in these three regions (more than 300 peers refuse to state even the country they live in). By contrast, peers in the East and West Midlands make up just six percent between them – leaving many areas of the UK woefully underrepresented.' Furthermore, Tommy Sheppard [reported] (https://www.snp.org/the-house-of-lords-is-an-affront-to-democracy-its-time-to-abolish-it/) that 'almost three in five went to a private school, compared to just 5% of the general population. 14% of them went to just one private school, Eton College.' What we are left with is an institution which is in no way reflective of contemporary Britain. Instead, it is a relic of a bygone era which tolerated elitism and nepotism.

**TL; DR - As an undemocratic, unrepresentative and unfair institution, the House of Lords holds no place in Britain and must be abolished. This system facilitates the reign of elitism in the UK.** • The [House of Lords](https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/elected-house-of-lords/) is an unelected chamber of British Parliament, in which members claim money from the British taxpayer and accept the titles they are bestowed. Whilst independent from the House of Commons, members in the House of Lords have a significant influence over the shaping of laws and policies - _except they have no expertise._ • Members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Queen, on recommendation of the current Prime Minister. This means ultimately, that rather than the British public electing these people, they are _pawns in the government’s game_, ready and waiting to support the Prime Minister wherever necessary. I don’t believe this is moral. • The institution is _deeply rooted in religion_, with numerous archbishops and bishops of the Church of England presiding within the chamber. There is obviously an enormous problem with this. Similarly, the presence of [hereditary peers](https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/why-are-there-still-hereditary-peers-in-the-house-of-lords/) in the House of Lords, makes it guaranteed that certain families will hold these positions of entitlement for years and years and years. Appointments like this should not be inherited or passed down.

Before making any changes to the HofL it has to be conceded on all sides that it is an extremely good system that has propelled little tiny UK onto the world scene for centuries. It is a very stable system and we have an extraordinarily strong legal system and institutions. None of this is to say that we can't improve on it, but it is a very good system.