00:00 (dramatic music)
00:02 - So, what do you think of when you hear the word Lord?
00:11 A member of an elite club for the rich
00:13 and heads of business?
00:14 Or members of parliament with experience
00:16 of everyday life like teachers or doctors?
00:19 Let's take a look.
00:21 Two acts in 1958 and 1999 have ended the right
00:24 to inherit seats from parents.
00:27 The majority of the house is now made up of life peers
00:30 chosen for their knowledge and experience
00:32 in politics and legislation,
00:34 leading in business and industry,
00:36 and chosen from communities for having made a difference.
00:39 Today's life peers come from all walks of life,
00:42 like former charity worker and community leader,
00:45 Lord Adibowale, former film producer,
00:47 Oscar winner and labor peer, Lord Putnam,
00:50 community campaigner and conservative peer,
00:52 Baroness Newlove, and former children's television presenter,
00:56 actress and liberal democrat peer, Baroness Benjamin.
00:59 From Oscar winners to Olympic athletes,
01:02 scientists to crime writers, doctors, actors, and rabbis,
01:06 both political and independent peers bring their skills
01:09 and passion to the house to spend their time
01:12 to help shape our laws
01:13 and make sure the country's well-managed.
01:16 A new way for choosing who's in the Lords is now in place.
01:19 Since the House of Lords Act in 1999,
01:22 membership of the Lords is no longer passed down
01:24 through family, and since 2000, there's an appointments panel,
01:29 an independent advisory body that helps decide
01:31 who becomes a non-party political peer.
01:34 Baroness Grey-Thompson, a former Paralympian athlete
01:38 and the winner of several gold medals,
01:40 described an interview with the panel
01:42 as one of the scariest experiences of her life.
01:46 The goal is to make the House more representative.
01:49 For the moment, ethnic minorities currently make up
01:52 a small proportion of the House,
01:54 and women only make up one in five of the House of Lords.
01:57 The panel checks nominations from political parties,
02:00 as well as the public, and helps the Prime Minister
02:03 choose what the House needs to keep it skilled,
02:06 and you can even nominate yourself.
02:09 When you're made a peer, you get to choose your name,
02:11 like Lord Singh of Wimbledon.
02:14 What you choose is up to you, provided it hasn't been taken.
02:17 The Lords are chosen for their experience or knowledge,
02:20 like medicine or law, skills that can help the country.
02:24 So they represent areas of interest
02:26 rather than a region of the country.
02:29 Have you ever heard people say, "The Lords never turn up"?
02:32 Well, many of the Lords think it's important
02:34 that they only take part in lawmaking
02:37 when they know about that issue.
02:38 So, for instance, scientist Lord Winston
02:41 led the House of Lords Select Committee
02:43 on Science and Technology,
02:44 and is a world-leading expert on fertility,
02:47 but wouldn't necessarily take part in discussions
02:50 on farming, for example.
02:52 However, he can still vote on a whole range of topics
02:55 and issues that come into the House of Lords.
02:58 All peers are currently unelected.
03:00 In many countries, they elect their upper chamber.
03:03 So why don't we?
03:05 There are many pros and cons.
03:07 The Lords don't have to toe the party line
03:10 or worry about re-election,
03:11 as they don't need their party to help them get re-elected.
03:15 But, as peers are for life,
03:17 and don't have to stand for re-election
03:18 like MPs in the Commons,
03:20 how can they be held to account?
03:23 On the flip side, being a peer for life
03:25 means that by not seeking re-election,
03:27 they can concentrate solely on policy.
03:31 How does that affect lawmaking?
03:33 But what place does an unelected House
03:35 have in today's democracy?
03:37 There's a lot to think about,
03:40 but what do you think of now when you hear the word "Lord"?
