Chapter 137 House of Lords

"Barron, aren't you going to run for the House of Lords?"

"I don't think this is necessary, Your Highness. After all, the House of Lords has become the most luxurious nursing home in the world. Apart from that, I don't see any use."

Hearing Barron's words, the Crown Prince frowned slightly. After all, although what he said was true, the decline of the entire aristocratic class and the royal family was always sad.

"Perhaps not necessarily. At least with such a title, you can better intervene in many things...and at the worst, you can also create a little trouble for some people."

In the era of Queen Victoria, there were more than 7,000 aristocratic families who owned 80% of the country's land and occupied 431 hereditary seats in the House of Peers, which is now the House of Lords.

However, since the mid-19th century, due to parliamentary reforms and inheritance tax adjustments, the British aristocracy has gradually declined in terms of political status and finances.

On October 26, 1999, the House of Lords of the British Parliament passed the House of Lords reform bill proposed by the Labor government. The political privileges that the aristocrats had inherited for hundreds of years came to an end.

It can be said that the prime minister's drastic reform of the House of Lords mainly involves kicking most of the hereditary nobles out of the House of Lords - now there are no more than 100 hereditary nobles in the House of Lords, and the remaining 700 members of the House of Lords are lifelong nobles. Life peers make up the vast majority of the House of Lords.

In fact, members of the House of Lords are elected for life, while members of the House of Commons are elected every five years.

As for a dukedom like Barron, basically if he wants to join the hospital, he can definitely pass it, even if he is only 23 years old now.

It's just that Barron didn't have much interest in it before. After all, in England at this time, the average age of members of the House of Lords was 69 years old, far exceeding the average age of 50 years old of members of the House of Commons. No wonder Barron called it a nursing home.

This was still the situation after the reform. Before that, a large number of hereditary nobles occupied the House of Lords, and the purpose of most nobles entering the House of Lords was just for a nice title and the benefits they received from each meeting of the House of Lords. Just a hundred pounds subsidy...

As for the power of the House of Lords...

The consensus in British politics for nearly a century has been that the House of Commons has supreme power—that is, it has the final say on all important issues because its members are elected by the people.

The powers left to the House of Lords were few and rarely exercised.

The House of Commons initiates issues and the House of Lords oversees them.

In most cases, the House of Lords can only defer legislation for a limited number of times and for a limited period of time - therefore, since the 20th century, the House of Lords has actually been very passive and subordinate to the House of Commons.

As for the purpose of the current Prime Minister's strong reform of the House of Lords, it is not just to save government finances, at least this is not the main purpose.

The deeper reason is that most hereditary nobles belong to the Conservative Party. Disqualifying most hereditary nobles from the House of Lords means that the House of Lords is no longer controlled by the Conservative Party.

However, there is also a compromise, otherwise it would not be so smooth - disqualifying most hereditary nobles from the House of Lords does not mean that the House of Lords becomes a parliament controlled by the Prime Minister's Labor Party.

It is true that life peers are often nominated by the government, but various factions have reached a consensus on this. The life peers must reflect the approximate proportion of political parties in the House of Commons.

"In fact, we are ready to change the current situation of inaction in the House of Lords..."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince explained to Barron softly, and he finally knew some details.

Some nobles, including the royal family, who want to make a difference do not want the House of Lords to simply become a decoration.

They believe that many members of the House of Lords have rich professional knowledge and experience, and that no party can have an advantage in the House of Lords at this time. These are the advantages that the House of Lords can play a more role in some issues. .

You know, although the members of the House of Commons are all elected, this also creates a problem, that is, the government itself is elected, so the House of Commons will often be dominated by one party. For example, if the Labor Party is in power at this time, The Labor Party also holds a majority in the House of Commons, which makes it too docile when it comes to facing the government and cannot play any supervisory role at all.

Therefore, in the UK, neutral forces, including nobles and some scholars, hope to revive the House of Lords so that it can improve the quality of legislation and become a better oversight and review body.

"I know you have no interest in these before, but Barron, economy and politics cannot exist alone and will affect each other."

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said to him seriously:

"You can get a little more experience from Gerald on that."

The Duke of Westminster?

What Barron attended today was a cocktail party hosted by the Duke of Westminster at his residence in London. It seemed that he was one of the people who was not willing to accept the House of Lords being "idle".

But this is normal. The Duke, who currently serves in the military, also hopes to make a difference in politics.

And as the family with the most wealth among the British aristocracy, it itself represents the interests and demands of many aristocrats.

…

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been talking to you for a long time, Your Highness the Duke."

"Yes, he thinks I am too apolitical and wants me to participate in the House of Lords. What do you think of this, Your Excellency the Viscount?"

After Barron separated from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Ian Butt came to him with a wine glass - Viscount Butt was also among the guests invited today.

"This is not something I need to consider at the moment, because my father is a member of the House of Lords, and I will probably join it after I inherit the title."

The reality is this. Compared with the hereditary nobles who have "hereditary" seats in the House of Lords, the ones who are more concerned about the House of Lords are probably the life-long nobles who were later awarded the title.

After all, everyone understands that it may be too difficult for hereditary nobles to influence certain issues through the House of Lords.

"What, are you ready to join the House of Lords? It's not difficult, or it just depends on your thoughts."

"I'm still thinking about it, you know, I'm not that interested in it."

While Barron was chatting with Viscount Bute, someone came over to chat:

"Hello, Duke of Cavendish, Viscount Bute, I am Emma Manners, from the Rutland family. I have visited Chatsworth Manor before. It is so beautiful."

This is a pretty lady with short blond hair and she looks very capable.

Emma Manners pulled a beautiful little girl and said to them:

"By the way, this is my daughter Violet, she is nine years old this year."

"Hello, Duchess, it is an honor to meet you."

At first, Barron felt that the Rutland family sounded familiar. After Ian Butt's words, he finally remembered that the Rutland Duke family was also a family with quite a history in England, but he had not had one before. Have dealt with the other party.

"I remember going to Haddon Manor to play when I was little. It's your family's property, right, Duchess."

"Yes, Haddon Manor belongs to our family. It is also located in Derbyshire and is a neighbor of your Chatsworth Manor, but it is currently managed by my husband's brother Edward."