Question

The House of Lords Act, an Act of the Parliament of the UK, reformed the House of Lords by removing the centuries old right of several hundred people who had inherited their seats to be members of the House of Lords. When did it become effective?

Answer 1

11 November 1999
During the 20th century Labour governments proposed many bills that were opposed by the traditionally Conservative House of Lords. In the first year of Tony Blair's government the Lords rejected Labour bills 38 times (e.g. the European Elections Bill was voted down an unprecedented five times). Blair claimed that the Conservatives were using the hereditary peers to "frustrate" and "overturn the will of the democratically elected House of Commons" and decided to implement one of Labour's campaign promises, "reforming" the Lords. The Act decreased the membership of the House from 1,330 in October 1999 to 669 in March 2000.