House of Lords could be abolished

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Britain's House of Lords could be abolished and replaced with an upper house full of elected politicians under plans being considered by the UK government.

The 700-year-old House of Lords has about 740 members, none of whom are elected.

Most obtained their upper house seat in parliament upon an appointment by the Queen on the recommendation of the prime minister or an appointments committee.

Others simply inherited the right to sit in the Lords thanks to their ancestors.

But Justice Secretary Jack Straw has begun consulting his cabinet colleagues about making revolutionary changes to the upper house that would end centuries of tradition.

Mr Straw is considering plans for a directly elected second chamber, in a similar way to how senators are elected to the upper houses in Australia and the United States.

A proportional representation system would be used, with one third of the chamber being elected at a time.

Members would serve three terms, or up to 15 years and the upper house would be renamed The Senate.

The plans are expected to be unveiled before Britons go to the polls for a general election, widely expected in early May.

"Jack has been working very hard on this issue, and we will have some proposals soon which we think will be very significant," a source close to the justice secretary told The Sunday Telegraph.

"They will reflect a degree of consensus about the need for reform."

The only major change to the House of Lords made by Labour since it came to power in 1997 was to remove most hereditary peers in 1999.

Ninety-two hereditary peers remain in the upper house, but all would lose their seats under Mr Straw's planned changes.

MPs in the House of Commons also voted in 2007 to reform the upper house so it could become an elected chamber.

However, the Lords themselves blocked the move, preferring a fully appointed assembly.

- AAP