Lords a-leaving: Britain is ejecting hereditary nobles from Parliament after 700 years

[gfarber]

13. Lords Tossed

There once was a chamber of peers,
With dukes set in velvet for years.
By birthright they’d sit,
In ermine and wit—
Debating the realm over beers.

For centuries nobles held sway,
Their titles the price they would pay.
An earl with a grin,
A viscount drop in—
No ballot would stand in their way.

But Commons declared with a vote,
“Your lineage no longer will float.”
The dukes packed their scrolls,
The earls lost their roles—
Hereditary seats now remote.

The Lords still review every bill,
With scrutiny polished and still.
Yet critics complain
The system’s arcane—
A relic of crown, quill, and quill.

Then Mandelson’s scandal appeared,
With friendships the public had feared.
When Epstein was named,
The chamber was shamed—
And talk of reform quickly neared.


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